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14.41

Public Finance and Public Policy

4-0-8 units. HASS-S · Undergraduate

Explores the role of government in the economy, applying tools of basic microeconomics to answer important policy questions such as government response to global warming, school choice by K-12 students, Social Security versus private retirement savings accounts, government versus private health insurance, setting income tax rates for individuals and corporations. Students taking the graduate version complete additional assignments.

Fall 2024

Topics

  • Lecture 1: Why Study Public Finance?
  • Recitation 1: Chapter 3
  • Lecture 2: Externalities in Theory
  • Lecture 3: Externalities in Theory and Practice
  • Recitation 2: Externality Theory
  • Lecture 4: Externalities in Practice II
  • Lecture 5: Public Goods Theory, Optimality, and Pricing
  • Lecture 6: Cost/Benefit Analysis
  • Lecture 7: Political Economy
  • Recitation 3: Public Goods Theory Math
  • Lecture 8: Local Public Good and Fiscal Federalism
  • Lecture 9: Public Provision of Private Goods: Education
  • Recitation 4: Deficits and Debts
  • Lecture 10: Social Insurance Theory
  • Lecture 11: Social Security
  • Recitation 5: Social Insurance Mathematics and Examples
  • Lecture 12: Other Social Insurance Programs
  • Recitation 6: Midterm Review
  • Lecture 13: Health Care I
  • Recitation 7: More Social Insurance
  • Lecture 14: Health Care II
  • Lecture 15: Health Care III, Redistribution
  • Recitation 8: Health Care
  • Lecture 16: Redistribution and Welfare Policy
  • Lecture 17: Redistribution and Welfare, Taxation Overview
  • Recitation 9: Redistribution Mathematics
  • Lecture 18: Overview of Taxation and Tax Base, Tax Incidence
  • Lecture 19: Tax Incidence and Tax Efficiency
  • Lecture 20: Taxation and Labor Supply
  • Recitation 10: Mathematics of Taxation
  • Lecture 21: Taxation and Savings
  • Lecture 22: Wealth Taxation
  • Lecture 23: Corporate Taxation
  • Lecture 24: Corporate Taxation and Tax Reform
  • Recitation 11: Final Review

Readings

Prerequisites & course information

Subject meets with 14.410 Prereq: 14.01 U (Fall) 4-0-8 units. HASS-S

Sources