PUBLIC ECONOMICS

Anno accademico 2022/2023 - Docente: Romilda RIZZO

Risultati di apprendimento attesi

Knowledge and understanding. To provide the analytical knowledge needed to understand the fundaments of public intervention and its effects on the allocation and distribution of resources.

Applying knowledge and understanding.  To enable students to apply their knowledge on the economics of public sector  to understand official documents and reports and to evaluate different models of public intervention.

Making judgments To train students to use data to be able to develop autonomous opinions and critical understanding  on public intervention 

Communication skills To enable students to use technical terminology, diagrams and tables to express their opinions to experts and non- experts.  Oral and written communication skills will be also stimulated through classroom activities - such as discussion and seminars- and written examinations.

Learning skills. To stimulate learning skills through power point presentations and discussions to enable students to  upgrading autonomously their knowledge and to prepare them for post-graduate courses. 

Modalità di svolgimento dell'insegnamento

Lectures with power point presentation, discussions in class and  seminars. Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

Prerequisiti richiesti

None. A basic knowledge of consumer theory and theory of the firm is recommended. 

Frequenza lezioni

Strongly suggested but not mandatory

Contenuti del corso

*Public intervention, normative and positive analysis.

*State functions.

* Fundaments of welfare economics 

*Market failure and reasons for public intervention

*Political Economy.

*Cost-benefit analysis

*Income redistribution.

*Tax incidence,

*Taxation and efficiency; income taxation and its effects; corporate taxes; consumption taxes.

*Welfare policies  (social secuirty, healthcare ).

*Public debt. 

*Fiscal federalism.

*Local public finance.

Testi di riferimento

H. S. Rosen, T. Gayer. Public Finance. McGraw Hill, 10th Global Edition (ch. 10, only pp.201-211; ch. 11, only  pp.222-226 and 230-243; ch.13, only pp.273-280 and  289-292)

Other publications, mainly on Italian public finance, may be made available to students during the course.

Programmazione del corso

 ArgomentiRiferimenti testi
11 Introduction to the course. Tools of positive analysisChapters 1 e 2
22 Tools of normative analysisChapter 3
33 Fundaments of welfare economics. Efficiency conditionsChapter 3
44 Public goods - positive analysis Chapter 4
55 Public goods - normative analysis Chapter 4
66 ExternalitiesChapter 5
77 Political economy - Direct democracy Chapter 6
88 Political economy - Representative democracy Chapter 6
99 Political economy - Bureaucracy; Government growth Chapter 6
1010 EducationChapter 7
1111 Cost-benefit analysis Chapter 8
1212 Cost-benefit analysis Chapter 8
1313 Health care market Chapter 9
1414 Health expenditures Chapter 10 - pp.201-211
1515 Social security Chapter 11 - pp.222-226 e 230-243
1616 Income redistribution: conceptual issues Chapter 12
1717 Unemployment policies Chapter 13 - pp.273-280; 289-292
1818 Taxation - basic concepts Chapters 14
1919 Taxation and income distribution Chapter 14
2020 Taxation and efficiency – excess burden Chapter 15
2121 Trade-off between equity and efficiency Chapter 16
2222 Classification of public revenues Chapter 18
2323 Personal taxation and behavior Chapter 18
2424 The Corporation tax Chapter 19
2525 Taxes on consumption Chapter 21
2626 Wealth taxesChapter 21
2727 Deficit finance Chapter 20
2828 Deficit financeChapter 20
2929 Fiscal federalismChapter 22
3030 Local public finance Chapter 22

Verifica dell'apprendimento

Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento

Examination consists of a written test: students are required to answer 4 open-ended questions.

Learning assessment may also be carried out on line in oral form, should the conditions require it.

 

Esempi di domande e/o esercizi frequenti

  • Market failure
  • Efficiency condition with public goods
  • Median voter theorem and applications to large elections
  • Describe the criteria for project evaluation and three methods of cost-benefit analysis
  • Describe and discuss the Tiebout model
  • Effects of social security on saving
  •  Discuss the problem of the burden of public debt
  • Tax incidence in perfect competition
  • Tax incidence in monopoly
  • Effects of personal taxation on labour supply
ENGLISH VERSION