Assignments

Problem Sets

There will be four problem sets due in the course, due during the class sessions listed below.

ses # problem sets solutions
7 Problem set 1 (PDF)

(PDF)

Supplement to the 2002 Government Finance Statistics Yearbook (PDF)
14 Problem set 2 (PDF) (PDF)
18 Problem set 3 (PDF)

(PDF)

Spreadsheet (XLS)
21 Problem set 3 (PDF) (PDF)

Reading Presentation

In an effort to promote lively classroom discussion and encourage students to do the reading, each student will sign up to do a very short 10-minute presentation of the day's discussion case which are posted on the course website. These cases are often newspaper clippings or other popular media which show the relevance and complexity of the issues being discussed in class.

The presentations can address the following questions to help get the day's discussion get started:

  1. What was your initial reaction in reading about the situation?
  2. What are some of the underlying assumptions being made?
  3. What tradeoffs are involved?
  4. What are some questions you wanted to ask?
SEs # TOPICS CASES
2 Externalities "Britain: No Music for Noisy Neighbor," The New York Times, August 4, 2004. p. A9.
7 Efficiency "Bloated, wasteful, rigid, and unfair." The Economist, September 4, 2004, 37-38.
8 Incidence "F.A.A. hopes to clip wings at Chicago's busy O'Hare," The New York Times, August 5, 2004.
14 Tax Reform Arnold, Wayne. "Philippines Leader Takes Aim at Income Tax Evaders," The New York Times, August 3, 2004, pp. W1, W7.
15 User Fees "The Flood Dries Up." The Economist, August 28, 2004, pp. 57-58.
16 Transfers Hernandez, Raymond, and Al Baker. "Governors Join as 'Big Four' to Pool Clout," The New York Times, July 20, 2004, p. B-1.
18 Chilean Case Use scheduled course readings
19 Private Sector Balls, Andrew. "Capital flows to developing countries hit four-year high," Financial Times, April 20, 2004, p. 5.
22 International Lending

"To Lula's Credit." The Economist, September 4, 2004, pp. 13-14.

Smith, Tony. "Argentina Threatening to Default on Payment to IMF," The New York Times, March 9, 2004, pp. W-1, and W-7.
24 Micro-finance Dugger, Cecilia W. "Debate Stirs Over Tiny Loans for World's Poorest," The New York Times, April 29, 2004, p. A-1, and A-8.