Essays on public economics

This dissertation studies a range of topics in public economics. The first two chapters address the optimal provision of productive public goods in two different settings. Using a theoretical model, the first study examines the impact of trade liberalization on the optimal provision of productive public good and highlights the role of inequality in this regard. The next chapter explores how natural resource revenue can shape people preference toward productive versus distributive public goods and under which condition they prefer one to another. The last chapter models how the optimal environmental tax policy is characterized in a developing country with credit market imperfections and an inefficient tax system.