Public finance (Finance)

1. To supply the analytical knowledge needed to understand the fundaments of public intervention and its effects on the allocation and distribution of resources, with a specific focus on the Italian institutional context.

2. To provide the students with the methodological instruments that are useful for the application of what is learned on the economics of the public sector to the professional work, in order to facilitate the access to the job market.

3. To instruct the students on the utilization and interpretation of micro and macro data in order to facilitate autonomous analytical abilities.

4. To favor the ability of exposition of personal opinions to experts as well as a non-specialized public.

5. To guarantee an amount of learning sufficient to join a course study of a higher level, especially in the fields of public policy and administration

There are no prerequisites required, but a basic knowledge of microeconomics about consumer and enterprise  may ease the learning of the topics covered

Note that topics with a star, *, are mandatory to succeed in the exam

1. H.. S. Rosen – T. Gayer, Scienza delle finanze, McGraw Hill, Milano, 2018, V ed. 2. 

2. P. Bosi – M. C. Guerra, I tributi nell’economia italiana, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2022 

Written examination. The student must demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical argument stated in the examination and must be able to provide a demonstration (graphical or analytical) of the results where required.

1 Market failure. Explain the cause of inefficiency 

2 Conditions of efficiency in the presence of public goods 

3. Consumption taxes and VAT 

4. The median voter theorem and its application in electoral competition 

5. The Niskanen model 

6. The sustainability of public debt 

7. The Oates theorem 

8. The Tiebout model 

9. The incidence of taxes in perfect competition 

10. The incidence of taxes in monopoly