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Module Title |
Public Finance
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Module Code |
EF213
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School |
DCUBS
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Online Module Resources
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| Module Co-ordinator | Dr Ann Largey | Office Number | Q239 |
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Level |
2
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Credit Rating |
5
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Pre-requisite |
None
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Co-requisite |
None
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Module Aims
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Public finance is a study of the role and impact of government on the functioning a market economy. The course aims to provide an understanding of reasons for government involvement in the market: distributional aims, public goods and externalities. The course investigates the economic issues associated with taxation and the allocation of tax revenues.
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Learning Outcomes
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This course will provide you with an introduction to Public Finance. This includes an understanding of the effects of tax policy and government spending. In taking a microeconomic focus on the functions of government, it allows you to understand public fincance from a number of perspectives, including managers, policy makers and economic researchers. You will be able to apply these concepts to current policy problems and use an economic approach to solve these problems.
This course covers the rationale for government provision of goods and services in a market economy and the effects of taxes on economic efficiency and income distribution.
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Indicative Time Allowances
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Hours
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Lectures |
24
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Tutorials |
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Laboratories |
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Seminars |
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Independent Learning Time |
51
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Total |
75
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Placements |
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Assignments |
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NOTE
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Assume that a 5 credit module load represents approximately 75 hours' work, which includes all teaching, in-course assignments, laboratory work or other specialised training and an estimated private learning time associated with the module.
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Indicative Syllabus
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1. Introduction: What is public finance? Size of public sector.
2. Effieiency and Equity: Economic efficiency, market failure, government failure, partial equilibrium competitive analysis (competitive equilibrium, the fundamental theorems, welfare).
3. Externalities, Public Goods, Private Information and Second Best Solutions: extenelities (competitive inefficiency and policy interventions), Pareto optimality, national public goods (Samuelson Rule, competitive inefficiency and policy interventions), local public goods (optimal provision, Tiebout model), Groves-Clark mechanism.
4. Tax Theory: taxes and efficiency, tax incidence, tax policy, income taxation, taxes and household behaviour, corporate income taxes.
5. Financing of Government Activity: methods of financing government, efficiency and distribution effects of taxation, deficit financing.
Depending of time available one or more of the following Topics in Public Finance will be covered.
6. Benefit-cost analysis: measuring benefits and cost (a case approach).
7. Topics in Public Finance: income distribution, pensions, education, health care, poverty, social security.
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| Assessment | | Continuous Assessment | 30% | Examination Weight | 70% |
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Indicative Reading List
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Rosen,H. Public Finance, 7th Edition. Princeton University Press,2005.
Stiglitz,J.E. Public Sector Economics, 3rd Edition. Norton 2000.
Munro,A. and S.Connolly, Economics of the Public Sector. Prentice-Hall,1999.
Hyman,D.N. Public Finance, 8th Edition. Thomson,2005.
Gruber,J. Public Finance and Public Policy. Worth Publisher,2004.
Wheelan,C. Naked Economics. Norton,2003.
Atkinson,A.B. and J.E.Stiglitz. Lectures in Public Sector. McGraw-Hill,1980.
Myles,G. Public Economics. Cambridge University Press,1995.
Devereux,M. (editor), The Economics of Tax Policy, Oxford,1996.
Other readings will come from selected articles from economics journals.
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Programme or List of Programmes
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| EPL | BA in Economics, Politics & Law |
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