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ECGE1215 - Public Finance
[1 Q. • 30 Th. • 3 crédits ECTS]
| Horaire :
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le jeudi de 11:00 à 13:00 au 119 Marais 1100 |
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| Professeur :
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Solar Peter |
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| Langues d'enseignement :
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The lectures and exam are given in English. Most of the readings will be in English, although some readings will be in French. |
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| Objectifs de l'activité :
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This course analyzes how the government chooses its tax and spending policies and how those choices affect the behavior of individuals and companies in the economy. The main objective is for the student to understand what makes up a “good” government policy. By understanding the features of a good tax and spending policy, the student should acquire the ability to distinguish between a government policy that has beneficial effects and one that has detrimental effects. The student should be able to evaluate whether a government policy meets the efficiency and equity objectives of public finance.
The course examines the general role of the public sector, that is, the government, in the economy. The course covers the cases for governmental intervention and the role the government plays in areas such as education, social welfare, public transportation, arts and sciences, national defense, and health care. The course also covers issues concerning how the government funds its programs. These topics include income taxation, environmental taxation, efficient and equitable taxation, and tax incidence.
By the end of the course, students should be able to evaluate the economic arguments in favor or against certain policies, such as an income tax cut, for example, or for increasing spending on public transportation.
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| Prérequis :
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Political Economy A and B. Students from all backgrounds are welcome... |
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| Contenu de l'activité :
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: The course is divided into two parts. The first half of the course covers the basic issues of public finance, including the role of government and the analysis of public expenditures. The second half of the course focuses on tax policy issues.
As part of the course, students will be asked to apply their understanding of tax and spending policies to solve an economic problem. For this project, students will write a brief paper addressed to a senior government official describing an economic problem, possible solutions to that problem, and the advantages and disadvantages of the recommended solution. In preparing the memo, students will use the analytical tools developed during the course. In previous years, students have written their memos on topics such as using tax policies to reduce pollution, problems relating to immigration, the impact of rising prices of gasoline, the ban on smoking in restaurants, subsidies for the arts, and ways to reduce unemployment.
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| Méthodes d'enseignement :
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: The course will center on developing the tools to analyze current policy problems. These tools will be acquired through lectures, problem sets, and the policy memo. |
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| Méthodes d'évaluation :
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The formal course requirements include preparing a policy memo and taking a written final examination. Students may work on optional problem sets.
The final exam will cover the material presented in lectures, in the readings, and in the text book. I will grade students on their ability to explain clearly their understanding of the economic question presented.
Since the textbook generally focuses on public finance issues from the U.S. perspective, I supplement the textbook with readings and examples addressing issues of concern in Belgium and Europe. I find much of this material in the newspapers (often Le Soir and L'Echo) and from the internet. I will distribute the articles in class, by e-mail, or ask students to obtain the articles from the internet.
These articles and discussions form an important part of the course. Since the majority of this material is not available in the textbook, it is important that students attend the lectures to understand the material that will be covered on the exam.
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| Bibliographie :
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The textbook for this course is Public Finance, International Edition, 7th ed., by Harvey S. Rosen (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2005).
I encourage students to follow economic policy events in the daily press. Through the process, students will gain a better understanding of how the theoretical material presented in this course applies to real world policies. The daily news will also be the best way to learn about policy issues under discussion in Belgium, in the European Union, and in the United States.
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| Autres informations :
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I will distribute a detailed course outline in class. Students may work in groups on the problem sets and on the memo. |
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| Années d'études :
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