Learning objectives
Knowledge of the economic aspects of public administration is now a part of the essential professional education of the law student. This six-month course, specifically aimed at these students, offers the theoretical-institutional knowledge and tools necessary to understand the operation of the public sector, its administration and the problems connected with public intervention. Particular attention is dedicated to efficiency, and to the economic and institutional analysis of spending and taxes. The course is not of a technical nature and draws on and provides all the useful elements of economics for a full understanding of all the topics.
Prerequisites
Yes
Course unit content
1. PUBLIC FINANCE
2. THEORY OF PUBLIC GOODS
3. PUBLIC SPENDING
4. THE TAXATION SYSTEM
Full programme
1. PUBLIC FINANCE
Public sector economics and economic system; welfare economics; poverty, inequality and redistribution; financial equilibrium models and public administration; public budgets and public intervention (assessment methods and cost-benefit analysis).
2. THEORY OF PUBLIC GOODS
Externalities, mixed public needs, merit goods, public factors; public intervention reasons and limits; public intervention, game theory and information; policies in favour of the poorest and families and effects on poverty.
3. PUBLIC SPENDING
Growth of spending and crisis of the welfare state; economic and institutional analysis of the social security, care, health and education sectors and a mention of the other sectors; monopoly, oligopoly and public enterprises; privatization, liberalization and deregulation.
4. THE TAXATION SYSTEM
Distribution principles (benefit, sacrifice, capacity); the taxation system (efficiency and equity); erosion, avoidance, evasion and assessment; shifting; incidence; distribution; concepts of income and wealth (capital gains); personal income tax, company income tax, capital gains tax.
Bibliography
P. Vagliasindi INTERVENTO PUBBLICO EFFICIENZA ED EQUITÀ. Giappichelli Editore, 2008. e P. Vagliasindi (a cura di) LA RIFORMA DEL SISTEMA FISCALE. TEORIA E PRATICA. Giappichelli Editore, forthcoming 2009.
Interested students may consult:
C. COSCIANI: SCIENZA DELLE FINANZE, Utet, Torino, 1991
H.ROSEN - SCIENZA DELLE FINANZE, McGraw Hill, Milano, 2004.
Interested student may also watch video-lezioni dei prof. P. Bosi, Prof. M.C. Guerra (Consorzio Nettuno) Scienza delle Finanze, and the related text:
P. BOSI (a cura di): SCIENZA DELLE FINANZE, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2004.
Information on other texts will be given during the lectures. Notes, lecture notes and other informative material on the exam will be made available during the course from the web page.
Teaching methods
Oral lessons, practical exercitations and seminars
Assessment methods and criteria
Joined oral written exam
Other information
The lectures cover the entire course content and are supplemented by practical exercises. Individual help is also provided in Office Hours.
