History of public economics: The historical French school

After having recalled the birth and development of the modern field of public economics, this article focuses on the centuries-old invention, development and application of the basic concepts of public economics by the bodies of French technical civil servants. This includes, among others, the normative criteria implied by the various forms and uses of the concept of the surplus, public pricing and the theory of value constraints, and the mixed or intermediate structures between public and private goods. The social, moral and technical reasons for these discoveries are explained. Conclusions for the present choices between private and public management are drawn.