Course 2024-2025 a.y.

30508 - PUBLIC ECONOMICS

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English

Student consultation hours
Class timetable
Exam timetable
Go to class group/s: 23
BIG (8 credits - I sem. - OB  |  SECS-P/03)
Course Director:
SIMONE GHISLANDI

Classes: 23 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 23: SIMONE GHISLANDI


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

Part 1: Introduction to Public Economics:

  • General theoretical and empirical tools.
  • Theory of justice

Part 2: Government revenues:

  • Taxation.

Part 3: Government expenditure:

  • Healthcare.
  • Pensions.
  • Education

 


Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Identify the main pros and cons of Government intervention in the economy.
  • Understanding 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...
  • 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

We present a series of exercises sections in order to help students to familiarize with the concepts presented in class.


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
   x x

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

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

The slides of the course represent the main studying material. Exact chapters are indicated for each session.

  • J. GRUBER, Public Finance and Public Policy, Freeman and Worth, 2019 

During the course we will also touch upon some theory of justice issues, using the following easy-to-read book: 

  • M. SANDEL, Justice: What is the right thing to do? Penguin. 

 

Further readings are indicated before class.

Last change 18/06/2024 11:12