Public Finance as a Category of Financial Sciences – the Legal and Socio-Economic Perspective

Public finance is concerned with the funds that the public sector creates and distributes. Public finances are to some extent similar to the finances of the so-called “third sector” (non-profit organisations), due to the type of activities that are geared towards meeting certain social needs. They are based on the authority of the public sector and are established in a coercive manner; they should be an instrument for pursuing the interest of the general public. They operate according to specific plans, and the size of the public resources and operations carried out through them are much larger than those of private entities. Thus, through public finances, the state significantly influences the socio-economic processes and the efficiency of the use of public resources. Through various instruments and tools of fiscal and monetary policy, the state pursues economic and social objectives. We can divide public finances into state finances, finances of local government units and finances of the social security system.