Focussing on their analysis of the optimal public goods provision problem, this paper follows the parallel development of equilibrium models and mechanism design after the accommodation of Samuelson's definition of collective goods to the general equilibrium framework. Both paradigms lead to the...

Focussing on their analysis of the optimal public goods provision problem, this paper follows the parallel development of equilibrium models and mechanism design after the accommodation of Samuelson's definition of collective goods to the general equilibrium framework. Both paradigms lead to the...

This paper investigates to what extent the seminal contribution of Samuelson has been or not incorporated by the theories of general equilibrium and mechanism design in their analysis of optimal public good provision, and more generally of optimal public policy. Our conclusion is that, far from...