ECO 432 PUBLIC FINANCE
This course lies at the intersection of economics and political science. The principal issue is an examination of the question: “What is the proper role of government in the economic sphere?” Specific topics include optimal taxation, tax incidence, expenditure analysis, how governments decide among alternative programs, public production and bureaucracy and equity-efficiency tradeoffs. The course deals with the relationships among governments at the federal, state and local levels from both theoretical and applied perspectives. Applications vary from year to year, but will likely include health care, defense, social insurance, welfare and education. Applied Microeconomics. Prerequisites: Completion or concurrent enrollment in ECO 310 and 311 or permission of instructor.