Public finance is a combination of the many official, professional, and economic activities that collectively provide the funding and financial management for public goods, services and facilities. As a vocation and as a profession, the field has unique characteristics. One of the defining features of public finance as a profession is that it requires a commitment to public service. Some souls stumble their way into our field by default, taking an accounting or financial job in the public or non-profit sector because it is the only skilled position they can find within driving distance of their home at a given time in life. For most practitioners in the field, however, a career in public finance is a conscious choice to serve through skill.
This article provides broad perspective on the profession and the vocation of public finance as I believe it should be understood by all.
- Publication date: August 2006
- Author: Girard Miller