Bachelor

Lecturer

Dr. Mario Bossler, Chair of Labor Economics

Course: Public Policy

Program: Bachelor-level

Credits: 5 ECTS

Contents & Objectives

This course provides an introduction into public economics. Public economics studies the role of the government in the economy. It basically answers the following questions:

• When should the government intervene?
• How might the government intervene?
• What is the effect of those interventions?
• Why do governments choose to intervene in the way that they do?

The aim of the course is to provide students with and understanding of the public policy making process of the government and to endow them with the necessary skills to judge about public policies. Students will study the core theoretical models of public economics as well as modern empirical methods of public finance. The focus will not lie on the theoretical details, but rather on the beauty of the different methods to provide answers to public policy questions.

The lecture will cover the following topics:

1. Introduction into public economics/finance
2. Theoretical toolkit
3. Empirical toolkit
4. Public goods
5. Cost Benefit Analysis
6. Applications

Main reference

Gruber, J. (2022): Public Finance and Public Policy, seventh edition, Worth Publishers, Macmillan Learning, New York.

Exam

Written exam (60 min.) optional in English or German

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge in microeconomics and econometrics.