Public Economics: Complexity and the Practice of Public Finance

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Cursusdoel

After completing this course students are able to:
  1. Apply theories to predict outcomes as they analyze state actions, and vice versa
  2. To design and present a solution to some wicked problem from a public finance perspective
Relationship between assessment and learning goals:
- First individual test (25%) – learning goal 1
- Group Research paper(40%) – learning goal 2
- Participation (10%) – learning goals 1 and 2
- Second Individual Test (25%) – learning goal 1

Vakinhoudelijk

Public Economics is about how the public sectors that represent ‘the State’ promote the public interest. To this purpose, collectively large amounts of taxpayers’ money are devoted to buy all kinds of public goods, works and services. Moreover, governments try to stabilize the economy while at the same time strive for economic growth. Whether this is all money well-spent, that is efficiently and effectively, is a matter of concern to (normative) economists. Is the market failure addressed adequately and did social welfare increase as a result, than the answer is affirmative from a micro-economic point of view. Is the economy growing smoothly and predictably over time, than the macro-economist is satisfied as well.
This course is situated in the context of democratic countries that rely mostly on free markets. It deals with practical or real life aspects of public economics in confrontation with (micro- and macro-) economic theory. Over time, economic theories and models have become more specific and rigorous whereas social, political and economic reality has become more multifaceted. The passing of time brings complexity to the world, both for the private market and that of the public sector. Part of this growing real-life complexity is due to the more ambitious role that governments tried to play since the last century, while part is due to choices made by governments themselves. Complexity has increased opportunities for abuses, for rent seeking, and for mistakes in policies. This complex reality with its ‘wicked problems’ makes it much more difficult for governments to (a) allocate resources, (b) redistribute income, (c) protect some incomes, and influencing, in various ways, the level of production, employment, prices, and economic activity appropriately to the economic theoretical standards. The goal of this course is to engage in this complexity issue from the perspective of public economics, and from there to design a public finance solution to some wicked problem.
Format
The first weekly meeting seeks to explain general ideas and give theoretical background. In the second meeting, students participate actively as they apply theory in assignments, discussions, experiments, and papers. In the pre-final week of the semester, student-teams submit a research paper.

Werkvormen

UCU SSC 3 course

Toetsing

Participation

Verplicht | Weging 10% | ECTS 0,75

Second Individual Test

Verplicht | Weging 25% | ECTS 1,88

Group Research paper

Verplicht | Weging 40% | ECTS 3

*midterm FEEDBACK*

Niet verplicht

First individual test

Verplicht | Weging 25% | ECTS 1,88

Ingangseisen en voorkennis

Ingangseisen

Er moet voldaan zijn aan minimaal één van de cursussen:

En er moet voldaan zijn aan minimaal één van de cursussen:

Voorkennis

Er is geen informatie over benodigde voorkennis bekend.

Voertalen

  • Engels

Competenties

  • Internationale en interculturele oriëntatie
  • Interdisciplinariteit
  • Kritisch lezen
  • Luisteren
  • Onderzoeksvaardigheden
  • Presenteren
  • Samenwerken

Cursusmomenten

Gerelateerde studies

Tentamens

Er is geen tentamenrooster beschikbaar voor deze cursus

Verplicht materiaal

Materiaal Omschrijving
BOEK The Economics of Government: Complexity and the Practice of Public Finance, Tanzi, V., Oxford University Press, 2020 Online ISBN: 9780191898563 Print ISBN: 9780198866428 E-book, to be accessed via UU-Library: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198866428.001.0001

Aanbevolen materiaal

Er is geen informatie over de aanbevolen literatuur bekend

Coördinator

drs. E.M. van Sas E.M.vanSas@uu.nl

Docenten

drs. E.M. van Sas E.M.vanSas@uu.nl

Inschrijving

Let op: deze cursus is niet toegankelijk voor studenten van andere faculteiten, bijvakkers mogen zich dus niet inschrijven.

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