30508 - PUBLIC ECONOMICS
Department of Social and Political Sciences
Course taught in English
Course Director:
CATERINA FERRARIO
CATERINA FERRARIO
Mission & Content Summary
MISSION
Pensions, healthcare, public debt, taxes, inequality and redistribution are all topics at the centre of the economic debate in virtually all contemporary democratic countries, representing crucial concerns for many of their citizens and often driving the political agenda. Should we encourage Government intervention in the economy? On what grounds? What are the different instruments the Government can use in order to achieve its goals? And what should these goals even be? The aim of the course is to equip students with the intellectual framework needed to attempt reasonable answers to these difficult questions. The course builds on robust theoretical and empirical arguments, together with sound institutional analyses, in order to achieve an in-depth understanding of Government reasons to intervene and ways of intervention.
CONTENT SUMMARY
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Part 1: Introduction to Public Economics General theoretical and empirical tools. Inequality and redistribution
Part 2: Government revenues Taxation
Part 3: Government expenditure: Pensions Public debt Healthcare Income support |
Education
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
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At the end of the course student will be able to: - Identify the main pros and cons of Government intervention in the economy. - Understand the reasons and the role of Government expenditure. |
Discuss the impact of major public interventions.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
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At the end of the course student will be able to: - Explain the aims and limitations of Government intervention in the economy. |
- Assess critically many important topics commonly debated by the public opinion and related to the role and the action of Governments in Europe and around the world.
Teaching methods
- Lectures
- Practical Exercises
DETAILS
Exercises: in-class exercises are proposed as a way to use and elaborate theory, concepts and tools presented during class lectures, their purpose is to strengthen understanding and ability to elaborate theory and concepts and to apply them to real case situations.
Assessment methods
| Continuous assessment | Partial exams | General exam | |
|---|---|---|---|
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x | x |
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
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Two midterm exams will be set, the first one is valid 50% of the final grade, the second 50%. Students will be assessed according to their ability to recognize basic concepts regarding the general issues in Public Economics. The exam will be in written form with open-ended questions (with a limited room for comments) and multiple choice questions. |
Teaching materials
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
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The slides of the course represent the main study material. Exact chapters are indicated for each session. J. GRUBER, Public Finance and Public Policy, Freeman and Worth, 7th edition, 2022
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Further readings are indicated before class.
Last change 13/06/2025 15:44