Course 2022-2023 a.y.

The course focuses on selected areas of public intervention, which are at the forefront of policy debate and academic research. We start from the observation that inequality is undermining political and economic stability and study the different angles from which public policy can tackle it. These include:

• Education and skill formation
• Labour market participation
• Family policy
• Social security and redistribution
• Tax systems and tax evasion
• Gender

• Recognise the main trends in public intervention in the economy
• Identify the main justifications for government intervention
• Illustrate modes of intervention in different areas of public policy
• Describe what motivates tax evasion
• Distinguish various dimensions of inequality and discuss policy which can address them
• Select the appropriate empirical research methods to evaluate public policy

Address policy relevant questions by:

• Identifying the institutional details which characterise a given policy
• Framing the policy question in theoretical terms
• Choosing the appropriate data to perform empirical analysis on the impact of the policy

Analyse and interpret the results of empirical analyses

Advocate for specific public policy interventions

• Face-to-face lectures
• Individual assignments
• Group assignments

Group assignments are group presentations. Each group must prepare a presentation on a given topic starting from the reading of academic papers. The topic can be chosen from a list provided by the professors during the course. Students must submit presentation slides, an abstract and the reading list on which the presentation is based.

Students who decide not to give group presentations in class can write an individual essay on a given topic, chosen from a list provided by the professors, and based on the reading of academic papers.

The individual assignment is a take-home assignment using Stata to replicate the analyses of scientific papers.

Two written partial exams or one written general exam, plus individual assignment, plus group/individual presentation. Students must take the written exam (partial or general) and at least one between the individual assignment and the group/individual presentation.

The written exam aims at verifying that students are able to present theoretical models, to analyse and interpret the results of empirical analyses, and to discuss alternative policy reform proposals. The written exam is worth up to 25 points.

The individual assignment is a take-home assignment using Stata to replicate the analyses of scientific papers. The assignment is worth up to 3 points. The individual assignment must be delivered by the end of the course.

Group assignments are group presentations and are worth up to 3 points.

Each group must prepare a presentation on a given topic starting from the reading of academic papers. The topic can be chosen from a list provided by the professors during the course. Presentations are delivered in class. Students must submit presentation slides, an abstract and the reading list on which the presentation is based.

Students must state by the end of the Midterm break whether they intend to give presentations and form/join a group. Group presentations are planned to take place during the last two-three classes of the course.

Students who decide not to give group presentations in class have the option to write an individual essay on a given topic, chosen from a list provided by the professors, and based on the reading of academic papers. The essay is worth up to 3 points. The essay must be delivered by the date of the exam.

Note that, according to University’s rules, you can enrol the second partial exam (PI) only ONCE in the January session.

Most of the course is based on articles from scientific journals, working papers, lecture slides and notes. The compulsory readings are provided in the detailed course schedule and are divided by topic. All the readings are available on Blackboard for download. Updates to the reading list are possible to adjust to the pace of the class and will be promptly communicated.