Master
2023/2024
Public Expenditures
Type:
Elective course (Economics and Economic Policy)
Area of studies:
Economics
Delivered by:
Department of Applied Economics
Where:
Faculty of Economic Sciences
When:
1 year, 3 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Master’s programme:
Economics and Economic policy
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
40
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course deals with the expenditure side of the public sector. It discusses economic rationales for government spending programmes, how government can intervene to correct market failures, equity-efficiency trade-offs, and limitations of public expenditure programmes. It combines analysis of economic models, empirical evidence, and case studies. A large part of the course focuses on government expenditures analysis in particular fields, such as health care, public pensions, employment programmes, education, and social welfare programmes.
Learning Objectives
- Students will gain a systematic knowledge of modern scientific approaches to the study of public spending programs. They will know the basic theories and models that underlie the design, implementation, and evaluation of the effectiveness of public spending programs. Students will master the tools for analyzing the effectiveness of government spending programs.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Students will know the main arguments for state intervention in the economy, understand the trade-off of equity and efficiency. They will be able to classify the instruments of state intervention.
- The students will be able to provide arguments for government's intervention in a particular field; to describe the main instruments and efficiency/equity issues of public programs.
- The students will know the causes of government's growth in modern economies. They will be able to analyse different ways of public spending containment, in terms of equity and efficiency.
Course Contents
- The economics of public spending: basic problems and concepts
- Public expediture programs in modern economies: the main types, instruments and efficiency issues.
- Public expenditures and government's growth.
Assessment Elements
- class attendance and activitiesin-class and home tasks
- case study
- hometask presentation
- intermediate test
- Written exam
Interim Assessment
- 2023/2024 3rd module0.3 * Written exam + 0.2 * case study + 0.1 * class attendance and activities + 0.2 * hometask presentation + 0.2 * intermediate test
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Economics of the public sector, Stiglitz, J. E., 2000
- Economics of the welfare state, Barr, N., 2012
- The economics of social problems, Le Grand, J., 2008
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Anthony Barnes Atkinson. (1996). The Economics of the Welfare State. The American Economist, 2, 5. https://doi.org/10.1177/056943459604000202