Government and The Economy

Catalog description

This course introduces the government's roles as a regulator, tax authority, and producer of public goods in the economy. We are particularly interested in understanding what governments spend money on, the tools governments can use to finance their spending, why and how governments seek to correct market failures (e.g., due to externalities or non-competitive business practices), and how governments make decisions. Topics may include externalities and public goods, non-competitive markets and antitrust legislation, taxation, education, social insurance, voting and political economy, or macroeconomic policy.