Economic Analysis of the Welfare State

Catalog description

Uses the tools of labor and public economics to analyze modern welfare states. What are the rationales for the level of government intervention in these states, and how do these rationales square with notions of market failure? What are the economic costs and benefits of taxes, transfers, and regulations in these states? Can voting models explain the growth and operation of welfare states? What are the impacts of these policies on labor markets? Possible answers to these questions are discussed.