Public Finance

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of the economic role of government in market economies; analyzes the rationale for public intervention through the provision of public goods, correction of externalities and design of social insurance and transfer programs; evaluates the effects of taxation and government spending on resource allocation, income distribution and incentives; explores the concepts of market and government failure and the tradeoffs inherent in policy design; emphasizes the use of theoretical and empirical tools to evaluate policy. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ECON 323 .