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Lecture Timetable

Economics 560

Syllabus

Description and Administration

This course is designed as an introduction to public finance at the graduate level.  It fits between Econ 350 (an undergraduate course) and the Ph.D. field courses in public finance (562, 565).

Public Finance is just applied micro economics, and consequently a good understanding of the basic models of microeconomics helps.  I expect students to have a working familiarity with indifference curve analysis, the simple mathematics of constrained optimization, production theory and the competitive market model, the labor-leisure model, the two period savings model and Pareto efficiency.

Because we have no formal textbook, if you have not taken a course in public finance before, and would like to get a textbook, then I would suggest a book like Stiglitz, Public Finance or Rosen, Public Finance, or Hyman, Public Finance (what a creative lot, eh?)  I am planning to present the "theory" and models in the lectures and have you read selected articles and papers, with my guidance, throughout the semester.

There will be 1 midterm exam, a paper and a final.  These will be problem-type exams, with some short answer and an essay-type question or two.  The three components will be weighted unequally, with the higher score contributing 50% and the middle score worth 30% and the lowest score worth 20% of the class grade.