ECON 447 - Privatization of Local Public Services

Semester Offered: Second Semester
Credits (Range): 3 hours
Attribute: 3SS
This seminar examines an increasingly popular phenomenon in the local public sector. As budgets become tighter, cities and counties have been turning to private agents to provide many of our public services. We will read papers that investigate theoretically and empirically the effect that privatization has had on our concept of government. Topics covered include: comparing public and private sector efficiency; contracting out; homeowners’ associations, business improvement districts and ‘private governments’; public-private partnerships.
Enrollment Limit: 10
Instructor: R. Cheung
Consent of the Instructor Required? Yes
Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisite & Notes: Prerequisite: Econ 253 and 255, or consent of instructor.