Jim Murphy:
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Description

The main goal of the course is to provide students with the necessary skills to formulate public policies with an understanding of their economic implications. This goal will be achieved by equipping students to: (1) understand justifications for public policy changes, (2) understand how government policies can change the production and distribution of resources in the hope of addressing social problems, (3) understand instruments used to finance public policy choices, and (4) assess desirability of particular public policies and expenditures.

Topics we will cover include:

1. Welfare Economics and Markets
1. Markets and government
2. Efficiency and equity
3. Environmental policy
2. Public Expenditures
1. Income Resdistribution
2. Low Income Support Programs
3. Voucher Programs
4. Social Security
3. Taxation
1. Tax Policy and Income Distribution
2. Tax Policy and Economic Efficiency
3. Consumption and Sales Taxes
4. Property and Wealth Taxes
5. Personal income taxes
4. Local government finance
1. Fiscal federalism
2. State and local public finance