ABSTRACT
The objective of this chapter is to identify the rules and methods for the social discount rates to be used in project appraisal within the context of multi-level government investment policies. The structure is based on two main sections. The first is devoted to summarizing the current state-of-the-art of the theory of the social discount rates. Here, in particular, the focus will be on the definitions, key elements, rules, and methods concerned with social discount rates. The second section will focus on identifying the rules and methods for social discount rates in a multi-level government analysis focussing, first, on the EU Cohesion Policy (ECP) and, then extending the results in the US Federal Investment Policies.
