Universität Wien

040923 KU Public Economics (MA) (2023S)

8.00 ECTS (4.00 SWS), SPL 4 - Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 50 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 06.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 4 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 07.03. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 14.03. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 20.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 21.03. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 27.03. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 28.03. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 17.04. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 18.04. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 24.04. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 25.04. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Tuesday 02.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 08.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 09.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 15.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 16.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 22.05. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 23.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 05.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 06.06. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 12.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 13.06. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 19.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 20.06. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Monday 26.06. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal 12 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 27.06. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 Erdgeschoß
  • Wednesday 27.09. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 9 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

*Prerequisites:*

Some familiarity with game theory and microeconomics will be expected.

The necessary game theoretical background can be met by studying Gibbons’ A Primer in Game Theory, Chapter 1, Sections 1.1 and 1.2. or weeks 1 and 2 of the Coursera lecture from the University of British Columbia (Jackson et al, Game Theory).

Students who studied microeconomics at an advanced undergraduate level (esp. consumer theory, producer theory, and walrasian equilibrium) have the necessary microeconomics background. Some specialized concepts from consumer theory will be used extensively: income expansion path (a.k.a. wealth expansion path), price offer curve, compensated demand function, Slutsky equation, equivalent and compensating variations. You find all of these in, e.g., Varian’s Microeconomic Analysis, chapters 7 to 10, or in Mas-Colell, Whinston, and Green’s Advanced Microeconomics, Chapters 2 and 3.

*Course Outline:*

What is the optimal size of government? Which activities should fall within the scope of the public sector? Economist rarely agree on these questions. In this class we start from the assumption that lack of agreement arises mainly out of two reasons. First, these and other common sense questions may be ‘too ambitious:’ the existing economic toolbox may not enable us to clearly answer them. Second, these and other common sense questions are normative: they require agreement on a set of values that legitimizes state intervention. But economists, like citizens, do not agree on such a set: some take Pareto efficiency to be the only legitimate ground , others factor in distributive justice or paternalism.
Throughout the term, we will illustrate and discuss some public sector related questions that can actually be addressed by making use of the standard microeconomics toolbox (game theory, consumption and production theory, equilibrium theory). We will also formalize important economic arguments for and against specific types of state intervention, and connect these to the value judgments they explicitly or implicitly involve.

Following usual approaches, we will keep the analysis of government activities and that of government finances separate. Both will be analyzed.

Assessment and permitted materials

The assessment will be based on four items: two short presentations (15pts each), a class participation grade (15pts) and a final exam (55pts). Further details will be given during the introduction session.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Conditional on scoring at least 18 points at the final exam, grading will be as follows:

85-100 points, 1
70-85 points, 2
60-70 points , 3
50-60 points, 4
less than 50 points, 5.

A positive evaluation requires students to achieve an overall pass grade (4). Two unauthorized absences will be excused.

Examination topics

*Part I – Efficiency*
I.a. Financing the state: efficiency costs of taxation.
I.b. Justifying state intervention: public goods and externalities.

*Part II – Distributive Justice*
II.a. Financing the state: tax incidence.
II.b. Justifying state intervention: redistribution.

Reading list

Readings will be made available on MOODLE in due time. All assigned readings will be in English.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Sa 30.09.2023 11:47