Introduction to Public Economics Fall 2024

ECON 241

Course Description

Calendar Description for ECON 241:

This course examines the scope and level of government involvement in economic activity. The main focus is on historical trends and recent developments in the extent and composition of government spending, taxation, and regulation in developed nations. A secondary focus is to introduce the current policy debates in these areas.

Prereq: ECON 101 or ECON 100/COMM 103; ECON 102

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students should be able to:

Apply elements of microeconomic theory to understand how consumers and producers make rational decisions.

Explain the fundamental features of public goods, externalities, and information asymmetry.

Apply theoretical understanding to problems of social welfare maximization.

Apply a theoretical understanding to a variety of policy issues.

Explain the need for government intervention under certain market conditions.

Use applied economic techniques to analyze conceptual problems in a social insurance context.

Texts / Materials

Title / Name                                                               Notes / Comments                           Required

Public Finance in Canada, 5th Canadian edition                                                                     No

Access to Excel                                                                                                                  Yes

COURSE NOTES

I will be posting complete lecture notes on LEARN at the beginning of the term. These notes are intended to highlight key learning objectives and will include all of the testable course material. I will also provide a video lecture on the relevant material each week.

Recommended Textbook (i.e., not STRICTLY required)

Rosen, Harvey S., Jean-Francois Wen, and Tracy Snodden, Public Finance in Canada, 5 th Canadian edition, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2012.

Examinations and assignments in this course are based on the material presented in online lectures and contained in the course notes.

Student Assessment

Component                                            Value

See below

Course Requirements and Assessment

The two individual assignments in this course will each be worth 20% of your final grade. The two online quizzes will be written on the dates specified below and the results will be worth 15% of your final grade for each quiz. The Term Paper Proposal will constitute 5% of your final grade. Your Term Paper will be graded as 25% of your final grade.

The course grade will be based on the weighted sum of the two assignments, the two online quizzes, your Term Paper proposal, and the completed Term Paper. The breakdown is as follows: