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ECON-S301

Introduction to public economics

academic year
2023-2024
2024-2025

Course teacher(s)

Ilan TOJEROW (Coordinator) and Keiti Kondi

ECTS credits

5

Language(s) of instruction

english

Course content

The lectures cover the analysis of externalities, of public and club goods, the assessment of the economic and political drivers of fiscal sustainability, social policy, tax theory and applications, the optimal allocation of responsibilities between the public and the private sector and fiscal federalism. It also includes a brief introduction to cost benefit analysis and modern techniques of impact evaluation of public projects.

Objectives (and/or specific learning outcomes)

At the end of the course, the students will be able to :

  • Analyze the impact of public policy on the allocation of ressources and the distribution of income in economy - Investigate and predict the effects of public expenditures, regulation and government revenue-raising activities on the efficiency and equity of an economy, by using the appropriate tools of microeconomics and empirical analysis - Conduct and interpret economic analyses

Prerequisites and Corequisites

Required and corequired courses

Teaching methods and learning activities

Combination of theory lectures (24 hours) and exercise/discussion sessions (21 hours)

Contribution to the teaching profile

The course develops the following skills (Economics):

  • Use data mining and management techniques as well as financial modeling to develop decision, evaluation or management tools

  • Comprehensively assess potential solutions using economic, financial and other criteria as relevant to the situation at hand.

  • Solve complex problems arising in economic, financial and public policy contexts to transfer knowledge in realistic solutions to operationalize solutions.

  • Provide economic and financial recommendations and analyses at each stage of the process to keep stakeholders fully informed.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

Main textbook: Jonathan Gruber, Public Finance and Public Policy, both the US (New York: Worth Publishers) and UK (Palgrave) editions are valid. The course also includes a required reading list and suggested readings. These are updated every year.

Other information

Contacts

Ilan.Tojerow@ulb.ac.be

Evaluation

Method(s) of evaluation

  • Other

Other

  • mid-term exam (november) : 20% theory + 80% exercises

  • end-term exam (december) : 100% exercises

  • exam (january)

  • assignments

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

  • mid-term exam (november) : 20% final grade

  • end-term exam (december) : 20% final grade

  • exam (january) : 50% final grade

  • assignments : 10% final grade

Programmes