A Comparative History of Motor Fuels Taxation, 1909-2009: Why Gasoline Is Cheap and Petrol Is Dear

by Carl-Henry Geschwind

Overview

Slowing down global warming is one of the most critical problems facing the world’s policymakers today. One favored solution is to regulate carbon consumption through taxation, including the taxation of gasoline. Yet gasoline tax levels are much lower in the United States than elsewhere. Why is this so, and what does it tell us about the prospects for taxing carbon here? A Comparative History of Motor Fuels Taxation, 1909–2009: Why Gasoline Is Cheap and Petrol Is Dear examines these questions by tracing the evolution of gasoline tax policies in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand since the early twentieth century. In the process, it highlights the crucial role played by fiscal crises.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498553803
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	05/09/2017
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Carl-Henry Geschwind holds a PhD in the history of science from Johns Hopkins University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Beginnings of the Gasoline Tax, 1909–1929
Chapter 2: Responding to Depression and the War, 1929–1949
Chapter 3: Boom Years, 1949–1969
Chapter 4: Oil Shocks and Economic Stagnation, 1969–1989
Chapter 5: The Age of Global Warming, 1989–2009

Editorial Reviews

This book is one of the very best comparative studies we have on the international history of taxation. Carl-Henry Geschwind brilliantly uses the history of gasoline taxation to reflect on fundamental issues of political economy. Consequently, the book is certain to stimulate a new wave of scholarship on the comparative history of consumption taxation. The book should become required reading for all scholars and policymakers interested in the political and economic interaction of consumption and income taxation.

W. Elliot Brownlee

Geschwind’s book is an excellent contribution to a now well-developed literature that examines automotive history through transnational comparisons.. .. But he is careful not to claim too much, noting the need for further studies of motor fuels taxation in a number of nations that would pose interesting case studies. When other historians undertake those other studies, this solid book will be an essential first comparison.

Journal of American History

Anyone who cares about the environment must wonder why gasoline taxes are so much lower in the United States than in other countries, and anyone trying to answer that question must eventually read this book. Carl-Henry Geschwind's extraordinary comparative historical analysis does more than answer the question—it also suggests possibilities for change, and where and exactly why to expect resistance. It is a remarkable demonstration of how historically oriented social science can shed light on the problems of our present and the possibilities for our future.

Monica Prasad

If you want to understand the politics of climate change in our time, you need to understand the politics of fiscal crisis in the twentieth century. Carl-Henry Geschwind’s masterful comparative history shows how decisions made long ago still constrain our ability to tax gasoline. This is an important and urgently-needed book.

Isaac William Martin

For those interested in the history of fuel taxation, its origins, economic impacts and subsequent interpretation in a world concerned about carbon emissions, Geschwind has provided a narrative of exacting detail that thoroughly addresses the forces behind Europe’s higher tax regime. The text is extensively and meticulously footnoted, making it a valuable resource for those interested in furthering the study of fuel use and taxation.

Eh.Net: The Economic History Network

In this study, Carl-Henry Geschwind provides a convincing and much-needed historical analysis of gasoline taxes around the world. Exhaustively researched and compellingly argued, Geschwind’s book challenges conventional wisdom about why American gas taxes are so low relative to those in other countries. Anyone interested in transportation, environmental, or fiscal policy should read this book.

Molly Michelmore

Geschwind’s book is an excellent contribution to a now well-developed literature that examines automotive history through transnational comparisons. . . . But he is careful not to claim too much, noting the need for further studies of motor fuels taxation in a number of nations that would pose interesting case studies. When other historians undertake those other studies, this solid book will be an essential first comparison.

The Journal of American History