Course 2006-2007 a.y.

Go to class group/s: 31

GM-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI) - MM-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI) - OSI-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI) - AFC-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI) - CLAPI-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI) - CLEFIN-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI) - CLELI-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI) - CLEACC-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI) - DES-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI) - CLEMIT-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI) - CLG-LS (6 credits - I sem. - AI)

Course Director:
ALESSANDRA CASARICO

Course Objectives

The aim of the course is to lay the groundwork for an understanding of Public Economics at an advanced level.
The course is based on three modules: the first one concentrates on government expenditure, with a special focus on education, social security and welfare programs, and local public sector. The second one takes a more macro approach and analyses the interaction between government debt, saving behaviour and fiscal rules. The third one explores the implications of asymmetric information for the optimal redistributive fiscal policy of the government.

Course Content Summary

• Introduction
• Income maintenance and social insurance
  - government redistributional programs
  - targeting
  - social safety nets
  - social insurance theory
  - pension systems, savings and the accumulation of physical capital
  - pensions and the labour supply
  - pension design and reform
  - pensions and demographics
• Education
  - private versus public provision
  - financing of schools
  - the redistributive effects of education and education financing
• State and local public economics
  - the responsibilities of local governments
  - fiscal federalism
  - the role of grants in a federalist system
  - horizontal versus vertical tax competition
• Government debt, saving behaviour and fiscal rules
  - government debt and private savings
  - government debt and capital accumulation
  - government debt and fiscal rules
  - political economy of government debt: evidence
• Optimal redistributive policy under asymmetric information
  - optimal nonlinear income taxation
  - optimal linear commodity taxation
  - public provision of private goods

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

Written exam.

Textbooks

• G. MYLES, Public Economics, CUP, 1998.
• A. AUERBACH, M. FELDSTEIN (eds.), Handbook of Public Economics, North-Holland, vol. 2 and 4.
• N. BARR, The Welfare State as Piggy Bank, OUP, 2001, Part III.

A complete and up-to date reading list with an indication of the compulsory readings will be provided at the beginning of the course.

For further and continuously updated information consult the  IEP web site or contact  S.I.D. - Servizio Informazioni Didattica - Institute of Economics - via Gobbi, 5 - Room 313.

Exam textbooks & Online Articles (check availability at the Library)

Last change 10/05/2006 00:00