Economics of Public Policy

This course focuses on the role of the government in a market economy. The aim is to provide an understanding of the reasons for government intervention in the economy, of the different forms that government intervention may take, and of the consequences of government policies, including the response of economic agents to such policies. Therefore, the course considers both normative questions (what governments should do) and positive questions (what are the impacts of government policies). It also combines both economic theory and applications based on actual policies from around the world. Special emphasis will be devoted to the reading of empirical studies on these issues.