Professor Dr. Wolfgang Scherf
Public Finance

Research

Fields of research

• State financing
• Employment and distribution policy
• Human capital
• Economic growth

Selected publications

• Der Länderfinanzausgleich in Deutschland. Ungelöste Probleme und Ansatzpunkte einer Reform, Frankfurt/Main 2000
• Schlüsselzuweisungen und Kreisumlage, Frankfurt/Main 1998
• Die Bedeutung des kaldorianischen Verteilungsmechanismus für die gesamtwirtschaftlichen Wirkungen der staatlichen Neuverschuldung, Frankfurt/Main 1994
• Die beschäftigungspolitische und fiskalische Problematik der Arbeitgeberbeiträge zur Rentenversicherung, Frankfurt/Main 1987

Academic and industry contacts

Prof. Scherf is a member of the Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften [Association of Economics and Social Sciences] – Verein für Socialpolitik (Research Committee for Public Finance) and of the International Institute of Public Finance/Institut International de Finances Publiques. There are industry contacts with several government departments, in particular, for which Prof. Scherf has been acting as a consultant.

Teaching

The teaching of Public Finance (Finance) deals with the economic activities of the state, in particular with public revenues and spending. The economic activity of the state concerns the allocation of resources, the stabilisation of production and employment as well as the distribution of income and property. An examination of the state’s role in the economic process is a prerequisite for a sound analysis and evaluation of economic phenomena. The study of Public Finance is to enable students both to evaluate public activities and to justify commercial and not least operational decisions regarding the adaptation to public measures.