1. 2 October 2008
EC426 and EC513 Public Economics 2008/9
Introduction

2. 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
papers can be taken as a general guide
MSc students also do an extended essay

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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