Readings

All reading assignments are from the course textbook:

Buy at Amazon 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