Robert H. Scott, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Economics, Finance, and Real Estate, and Ken Mitchell, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Political Science and Sociology, published “Pesos or Plastic? Financial Inclusion, Taxation, and Development in South America” in Palgrave Macmillan’s pivot monograph series.
According to the description:
The book covers financial inclusion in the southern cone (Argentina, Brazil and Chile) and its impact on public finance. Possible negative consequences of greater financial inclusion are identified, but the book argues potential benefits outweigh costs. Financial inclusion has many definitions, but in this book, we interpret it as bank account ownership and the use of banking services. Financial inclusion in this context proffers advantages in the area of tax collection, perhaps the southern cone’s gravest economic obstacle given its future debt servicing commitments and its socioeconomic development challenges.
A professor of economics and finance, Scott earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He teaches courses such as business statistics; financial econometrics; and financial markets and risk management. He has published articles in the Journal of Economic Issues, the Journal of Economic Education, the Journal of Financial Education and others. His research interests include credit and debt markets, applied econometrics, financial literacy and small business financing.
Mitchell completed his Ph.D. in politics at Oxford University. His published research and teaching interests focus on Latin America. He regularly teaches courses such as politics and policy of Latin America; international relations; military governments and coups; and political economy in the developing world.