Econ 48. Topics in Public Economics:
This seminar provides an in-depth examination of selected topics in public economics. Topics vary from year to year, but many include the analyses of the economic effects of social insurance programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other public assistance; the economics of health and aging; the effects of taxation on household and corporate financial behavior; the effects of taxation on labor supply, saving, and investment decisions; the economics of public goods and externalities; optimal taxation; and, theories of government structure and decision making at the federal, state, and local levels. Will require writing a major paper. 
Prerequisites: Economics 20, 21 and 28. 
Dist: SOC.

 

Econ 28. Public Economics:
This course consists of the study of the public economy of the United States at the national, state, and local levels. The course is divided into the microeconomic topics of resource allocation and income distribution. The macroeconomic impact of selected tax and expenditure policies is also studied. Particular topics may include the rationale for government activity, theories of collective decision-making, cost-benefit analysis, and the efficiency and incidence of various tax structures.
Prerequisite: Economics 1 and 21, or permission of the instructor.
Dist: SOC.