All reading assignments are from the course textbook:
Gruber, Jonathan. Public Finance and Public Policy. 3rd ed. Worth Publishers, 2009. ISBN: 9781429219495.
LEC # | TOPICS | READINGS |
---|---|---|
1 | Why study public finance? | Chapter 1 |
2 | Externalities in theory and practice | Chapters 5, and 6 |
Public goods in theory and practice | ||
3 | Basic theory, optimality and pricing | Chapter 7 |
4 | Cost/benefit analysis | Chapter 8 |
5 | Political economy | Chapter 9 |
6 | Local public goods and fiscal federalism | Chapter 10 |
7 | Public provision of private goods: education | Chapter 11 |
Midterm exam | ||
Social insurance and redistribution | ||
8 | Overview | Chapter 12 |
9 | Social security | Chapter 13 |
10 | Unemployment insurance, disability insurance and workers' compensation | Chapter 14 |
11 | Health insurance | Chapters 15, and 16 |
12 | Redistribution and welfare policy | Chapter 17 |
13 | The institutions and theory of taxation | Chapters 18-20 |
Taxation and individual behavior | ||
14 | Taxation and labor supply | Chapter 21 |
15 | Taxation and savings | Chapter 22 |
16 | Taxation, risk taking and wealth | Chapter 23 |
17 | Corporate taxation | Chapter 24 |
18 | Tax reform | Chapter 25 |
Final exam |