Course objectives
The course will provide students with advanced foundations on the normative and positive analysis of the state and the public sector. At the and of the course, the students will be able to better understand the government's role in modern industrial economies.
Readings
- Holcombe, R. G. (2006). Public sector economics: The role of government in the American economy. Prentice Hall.
- Holcombe, R. G. (2016). Advanced introduction to public choice. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Topics
- Economic foundations
- Welfare economics
- Determination of public policy
- Voting behavior
- Bureaucratic behavior
- Government intervention
- Government finance
- Tax policy
- Public debt
Grading
The course grade will be a weighted average of 1) weekly quizzes based on the content of the assigned readings (20%); 2) two homework sets (30%); 3) a midterm exam (25%); and a final exam (25%).