The course will analyze the reasons why political Institutions –i.e. the State- should play a role in economics. Main market failures will be presented, i.e. public goods and externalities. The design of the main fiscal policies to redistribute income and against poverty will be illustrated, as well as -for the welfare programs- the health care and educational systems. Both the traditional and the behavioral approach will be considered.
Harvey S.Rosen & Ted Gayer, Public Finance, 10th edition, McGraw-Hill (Global Edition). In addition, a list of references will be suggested by the Instructor at the start of the lessons.
Learning Objectives
Students have to became familiar with a selection of topics of public economics, as example market failures, poverty and redistribution and public spending for health and education. They have to learn how these topics have been analysed by traditional neoclassical economics as well as by behavioral economics. Finally, students have to learn how to discuss implications for designing policies when one of the two approches is chosen.
Prerequisites
The exam of Microeconomics and that of Statistics would allow students to better understand the contents of the present course, even is they are not mandatory preserequisite.
Teaching Methods
The course will be organized by mixing lectures by the Instructor and presentations of students. Individual activities online will be available for assessing the comprehension of contents along the weeks of lessons.
Further information
The Instructor will be in class and the lesson will be in streaming for those students that can't be in class. No registration of lessons will be allowed. The exams will be diversified for attending and not attending students (see below Section: Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento). To be cassified as an attending student, the student have to be present to at least 20 out of 24 meetings of the course and he/she have to present a paper during the course. Students who are in remote, can be classified as attending students if they are connected at least 20 out of 24 meetings and if he/she will present a paper during lessons. During connection, the webcame have to be turned on.
Type of Assessment
The exam is different for attending and not attending students (see the Section Altre informazioni for this distinction). For attending students, the final grade will be the average of three different tasks that will be evaluated one by one, i.e. the presentation of a paper in class, simple excerices online week per week and a final written exam with open questions. For not attending student, the final exam will be written and oral. The written exam will consists of 3 exercizes and 3 open questions. The oral exam will be devoted to discuss the written task and the entire list of references suggested by the Istructor.
Course program
Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12 e 13 of Public Finance, 10th Edition, McGraw-Hill (Global Edition), authors Harvey S. Rosen & Ted Gayer.A list of additional references will be suggested by the Instructor at the strat of the course.