L'EVOLUZIONE DELLA SCIENZA DELLE FINANZE DALL'OSSERVATORIO DELLA COMMISSIONE ASN 2016-2018

This article presents the results of the analysis of data concerning the scholars who obtained the qualification as full professor or associate professor in the scientific field of Public Finance (code 13/A3) following the qualification process of the Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale (ASN) in the 2016-2018 round. The study focuses on the personal, academic and scientific characteristics of the “qualified” applicants, their scientific production and the contents that define the field of Public Finance. The results of the analysis highlight the difficulties that still exist in the careers of young researchers, but also the significant presence of women among the “qualified”. Other issues addressed are previous academic enrolment, the geographical distribution of the “qualified”, both by region of birth and by location of their place of work, and the way in which the research activity is carried out (scientific approaches, co-authorships, thematic specialization). On the basis of the contents of the main textbooks of Public Finance and of the ministerial description of the scientific sector, a “grid” of thematic areas considered relevant to the Public Finance field is created in which the publications submitted for qualification are collected. Some topics appear to have been of less interest than in the past, while others — such as those relating to health economics, environmental policies, the economics of culture, the formation of political opinions and collective decisions — have been the subject of strong scientific interest. Scholars “qualified” are heavily involved in the production of articles published in international journals. These and other findings provide some insights about the phase the discipline is living and its future prospects.