ECON 322 - Public Economics

FC SSCI QFR

4 credits
We use tools of economic analysis to study the public sector, which plays a dominant role in our lives. We examine the foundation of welfare economics, developing rationales for the existence of government. We introduce major concepts of public finance: externalities, public goods, voting, and redistribution. We supplement the theory with discussions on relevant policy issues (public education, health care reform, social security, etc.) and with examples of empirical research related to taxation and expenditure.

Prerequisites: ECON 253.