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 | ||