Courses Bachelor Display 2018-2019

Course Description To PDF
Course title Public Economics
Course code EBC2012
ECTS credits 6,5
Assessment None
Period
Period Start End Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
2 29-10-2018 21-12-2018 X/E X/E
Level Intermediate
Coordinator Christian Seel
For more information: c.seel@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Language of instruction English
Goals
Acquiring a structured insight into the important functions of the state in modern market economies
Learning about the functioning and performance of the state and its interactions with markets
Understand and critically reflect recent developments and discussions concerning issues of the public sector like health insurance, taxation, pension systems.
Description
This course provides basic knowledge of the functioning and the economic significance of the public sector with an emphasis on international aspects. Some of the topics to be dealt with in the course are: governmental decision-making on the national and international level, role and management of the state in times of globalisation and transnational threats like global warming and international terrorism, important issues pertaining to government expenditure, taxation, and activities (like public goods, international institutions, education, social security, health care), fiscal federalism (with an eye on European integration), and mechanisms of political influence (elections and lobbying). Those issues will be analysed from a normative - welfare economic - as well as from a positive - explanatory - perspective, with emphasis on the relevance and limitation of theory.
Literature
Textbook: Hindricks, Jean and Myles, Gareth D. (2013), Intermediate Public Economics, MIT Press.
Gruber (2016). Public Finance and Public Policy, 5th Edition, Worth Publishers, New York.
The literature might be subject to change.
Prerequisites
Students who enroll in this course should have knowledge and understanding of mathematics and microeconomics (in particular game theory, industrial organization, general equilibrium theory), at a level comparable to the second year economics course microeconomics. Exchange students need economics as a major and an advanced level of English to enroll in this course.
Teaching methods (indicative; course manual is definitive) PBL / Presentation / Lecture
Assessment methods (indicative; course manual is definitive) Participation / Written Exam / Presentation
Evaluation in previous academic year For the complete evaluation of this course please click "here"
This course belongs to the following programmes / specialisations
Bachelor Economics and Business Economics - Economics Compulsory Courses
Bachelor Economics and Business Economics - Emerging Markets Economics Electives
Bachelor Economics and Business Economics - Emerging Markets Major Microeconomics
Bachelor Economics and Business Economics - Emerging Markets Year 2 Core Courses
Bachelor Economics and Business Economics - Economics and Management of Information Free Electives
Bachelor Economics and Business Economics - International Business Economics Economics Electives
Bachelor Economics and Business Economics - International Business Economics Major Microeconomics
SBE Exchange Bachelor Bachelor Exchange Courses
SBE Exchange Master Bachelor Exchange Courses
SBE Non Degree Courses Bachelor Courses