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The role of government in society is examined using the tools and methods of microeconomics. Topics include welfare economics, public goods, externalities, optimal taxation and voting models.
This paper examines the ways governments could intervene to address market failures. You will learn about key policy issues through the language of economic theory, vivid real-world examples and research processes that generate major empirical findings. Topics will vary according to student interest, and may include externalities, public goods, social insurance programs, taxation, fraud and /or surveillance capitalism. Students will be introduced to the kind of real-world issues about economic regulation that are dealt with by economic consultancy firms and government agencies.
| Paper title | Public Economics |
|---|---|
| Paper code | ECON308 |
| Subject | Economics |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $887.55 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- ECON 201 or ECON 271
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music, Commerce, Science
- Contact
- More information link
- View more information about ECON 308
- Teaching staff
- Textbooks
The lecturers will provide all the course material.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship,
Critical thinking, Ethics, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this paper, you should be able to
- Explain core economic principles relevant to understanding the scope and structure of government interventions in a market-oriented economy
- Use these principles to identify core problems that may benefit from government intervention, and core problems government interventions may need to overcome to solve these problems
- Use these principles to identify the trade-offs involved with specific public sector interventions in the economy
- Use these principles, along with appropriate data sources and literature, to formulate positive critiques of popular policy positions
