ECON3109 - 01 - Public Finance

This course examines the rationale for government intervention in the market economy, the assessment of public policy, and the impact of government expenditure programs and taxation systems on the welfare and behavior of citizens. This course will include an analysis of the theoretical bases that guide government intervention in the economy; the discussion of a range of issues in public finance with a focus on current policy debates; and the presentation of empirical methods used in economics to evaluate the effect of public policies. Topics include government activities, externalities, public goods, social security, fiscal deficits, public debt, and optimal taxation.