All reading assignments are from the course textbook:
Gruber, Jonathan. Public Finance and Public Policy. 3rd ed. Worth Publishers, 2009. ISBN: 9781429219495.
Course readings.
| LEC # |
TOPICS |
READINGS |
| 1 |
Why study public finance? |
Chapter 1 |
| 2 |
Externalities in theory and practice |
Chapters 5, and 6 |
| Public goods in theory and practice |
| 3 |
Basic theory, optimality and pricing |
Chapter 7 |
| 4 |
Cost/benefit analysis |
Chapter 8 |
| 5 |
Political economy |
Chapter 9 |
| 6 |
Local public goods and fiscal federalism |
Chapter 10 |
| 7 |
Public provision of private goods: education |
Chapter 11 |
| |
Midterm exam |
|
| Social insurance and redistribution |
| 8 |
Overview |
Chapter 12 |
| 9 |
Social security |
Chapter 13 |
| 10 |
Unemployment insurance, disability insurance and workers' compensation |
Chapter 14 |
| 11 |
Health insurance |
Chapters 15, and 16 |
| 12 |
Redistribution and welfare policy |
Chapter 17 |
| 13 |
The institutions and theory of taxation |
Chapters 18-20 |
| Taxation and individual behavior |
| 14 |
Taxation and labor supply |
Chapter 21 |
| 15 |
Taxation and savings |
Chapter 22 |
| 16 |
Taxation, risk taking and wealth |
Chapter 23 |
| 17 |
Corporate taxation |
Chapter 24 |
| 18 |
Tax reform |
Chapter 25 |
| |
Final exam |
|
