2 October 2008 EC426 and EC513 Public Economics 2008/9 http://darp.lse.ac.uk/ec513.htm Introduction

Overview Teaching for MSc and MRes Public Economics Organised in 3 modules: Core Public Economics for Graduate Students Issues in Public Economics for Graduate Students Public Economics for PhD Students Exams MSc students examined on modules 1 and 2 MRes students examined on 2 and 3 Three-hour written examination in the Summer Term 2005-2007 papers can be taken as a general guide MSc students also do an extended essay

Module 1: Core Public Economics for Graduate Students For MSc students only MRes students are assumed to be familiar with the material Covers the basic principles Introduces the themes in modules 2 and 3 Teaching Arrangements 10 weekly two-hour lectures in MT given by Frank Cowell and Jonathan Leape. Lectures supplemented by one-hour classes

Module 1: Components Welfare analysis of state intervention Equity, social welfare and taxation Policy design: social insurance Policy design: taxation Commodity taxation Public goods Externalities and environmental policy Taxation and companies International issues in taxation Behavioural public economics

Module 2: Issues in Public Economics for Graduate Students Common to both MSc and MRes students All of the items in module 2… … have a clear link with the broad themes in module 1 Teaching Arrangements 10 weekly two-hour lectures in LT given by Henrik Kleven and Frank Cowell Lectures are supplemented by one-hour classes

Module 2: Components Taxes, transfers, and labour supply Incomes and behavioural responses at the top of the distribution Optimal transfer programs: in-work benefits Optimal transfer programs: targeting, tagging, and ordeals Education Wealth taxation Poverty, inequality and redistribution Compliance problems Fiscal governance Fiscal administration

Module 3: Public Economics for PhD Students Exclusive to MRes students. Builds on the structure of modules 1 and 2 Introduce PhD students to the research frontier of this exciting field Teaching Five two-hour lectures 2 by Frank Cowell and 3 by Henrik Kleven Topics Theories of justice and fairness Social choice and responsibility Recent developments in optimal income taxation The tax-transfer treatment of families Dynamic issues in taxation