Handbook of Research on Cost–Benefit Analysis

This Handbook provides an authoritative overview of current research in the field of cost-benefit analysis and is designed as a starting point for those interested in undertaking advanced research. The Handbook contains major contributions to the development of the field, focussing on standard microeconomic policy evaluations, the relatively neglected area of macroeconomic policy and its integration into a formal CBA framework, and dynamic considerations in CBAPresenting insights from many influential thinkers, and edited by a leading academic in the field, this comprehensive work will prove an invaluable reference tool for economists, researchers and scholars.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. Overview of the Field and the Contributions in the Handbook Robert J. Brent PART II: MICROECONOMIC EVALUATIONS 2. Cost–Benefit Analysis for Health Peter Zweifel and Harry Telser 3. Cost–Benefit Analysis of Drug Abuse Treatment William S. Cartwright 4. Can Cost–Benefit Analysis Guide Education Policy in Developing Countries? Emmanuel Jimenez and Harry Anthony Patrinos 5. Cost–Benefit Analysis in Transport: Recent Developments in Rail Project Appraisal in Britain Chris Nash and James Laird 6. Cost–Benefit Analysis of Environmental Projects and the Role of Distributional Weights Robert J. Brent and Booi Themeli 7. Cost–Benefit Analysis Applied to Labour Market Programmes Michele Campolieti and Morley Gunderson 8. Regulation and Cost–Benefit Analysis Franco Papandrea 9. Can Cost–Benefit Analysis of Financial Regulation be Made Credible? Patrick Honohan PART III: MACROECONOMIC EVALUATIONS 10. The Welfare Effects of Inflation: A Cost–Benefit Perspective Karl-Heinz Tödter and Bernhard Manzke 11. Cost–Benefit Analysis of Economic Globalization Clem Tisdell 12. Poverty Alleviation Programs and their Impacts: A Survey Jyotsna Jalan 13. Too Hungry to Read: Is an Education Subsidy a Misguided Policy for Development? Parantap Basu 14. Project Finance and Cost–Benefit Analysis Peggy B. Musgrave 15. Cost–Benefit Analysis and the Evaluation of the Effects of Corruption on Public Projects Robert J. Brent PART IV: DYNAMIC EVALUATIONS 16. Social Security and Future Generations Hans Fehr and Øystein Thøgersen 17. Irreversible Investments: A Cost–Benefit Perspective Rati Ram and Rajeev K. Goel 18. Pro-Growth, Pro-Poor: Is There a Trade-off? J. Humberto Lopez 19. The Value of the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report Frank Chaloupka and Richard M. Peck Index

About the Author :
Robert J. Brent, Professor of Economics, Fordham University, New York, US

Review :
'This book breathes new life into an old but intellectually robust field by applying the principles of cost-benefit analysis to contemporary issues such as drug-abuse treatment, active labor market programs, tobacco addiction, financial regulation, malnutrition and corruption. Several chapters link cost-benefit analysis to other techniques such as cost-effectiveness and impact evaluation. The book will be valuable to scholars wanting to do further research in the field, as well as to consumers of cost-benefit analysis - those who need to know the underpinnings of what their analysts give them.' - Shanta Devarajan, World Bank, US 'This is a very nice and very useful set of articles on cost-benefit applications. The book will be particularly useful for students but also for professional interested in keeping up with the state of applied work. I will use some of the articles in my class. Brent's introduction is also well done.' - Richard O. Zerbe, University of Washington, US