Postgraduate Course: Economics of the Public Sector (ECNM11067)
Course Outline
| School | School of Economics |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | The formulation of sound economic policy invariably involves striking a right balance between equity and efficiency, between social justice and incentives. After reviewing the causes for market failures, we examine the trade-off between equity and efficiency inherent in the problem of income taxation. We then examine the inefficiency of private provision of public goods, followed by the Samuelson conditions for Pareto efficiency. Finally, we study the Tiebout hypothesis and the theory of local public goods. We conclude the lectures by reflecting on the optimum decentralization of public decisions between local government and central government. |
| Course description |
Not entered
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This is a closed course, students must e-mail sgpe@ed.ac.uk in advance to request permission to join it. |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- 1. The aim of the unit is to understand public policy issues from an economic perspective. Students will have a thorough understanding of issues such as the pursuit of social justice, regulation theory and policy and government expenditure issues. They should consequently be able to critically evaluate current public sector policies undertaken by governments
- 2. research and investigative skills such as problem framing and solving and the ability to assemble and evaluate complex evidence and arguments.
- 3. communication skills in order to critique, create and communicate understanding and to collaborate with and relate to others.
- 4. personal effectiveness through task-management, time-management, teamwork and group interaction, dealing with uncertainty and adapting to new situations, personal and intellectual autonomy through independent learning
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Reading List
Atkinson and Stiglitz (2015): Lectures on Public Economics, Princeton University Press.
Mas Colell Whinston and Green (1995): Microeconomic Theory, Oxford University Press.
Ng (1983) Welfare Economics, MacMillan.
Salanie B. (2000): Microeconomics of Market Failures, MIT Press.
Salanie B. (2011): Economics of Taxation, MIT Press.
Salanié B. (2005) The Economics of Contracts, MIT Press.
Tuomala (1990): Optimal Income Tax and Redistribution, Oxford University Press.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Ramses Abul Naga
Tel:
Email: v1rabul@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Sophie Bryan
Tel: (0131 6)50 9905
Email: Sophie.Bryan@ed.ac.uk |
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