Course Summary
This course provides an introduction to public economics, exploring how government policies affect individual behavior and welfare.Key Learning Points
- Learn about the role of government in the economy
- Explore the effects of taxation and public goods
- Understand the principles of welfare economics and social insurance
Job Positions & Salaries of people who have taken this course might have
- USA: $90,000 - $150,000
- India: ₹1,000,000 - ₹2,500,000
- Spain: €30,000 - €60,000
- USA: $90,000 - $150,000
- India: ₹1,000,000 - ₹2,500,000
- Spain: €30,000 - €60,000
- USA: $60,000 - $100,000
- India: ₹500,000 - ₹1,500,000
- Spain: €20,000 - €40,000
- USA: $90,000 - $150,000
- India: ₹1,000,000 - ₹2,500,000
- Spain: €30,000 - €60,000
- USA: $60,000 - $100,000
- India: ₹500,000 - ₹1,500,000
- Spain: €20,000 - €40,000
- USA: $70,000 - $120,000
- India: ₹700,000 - ₹1,800,000
- Spain: €25,000 - €50,000
Related Topics for further study
Learning Outcomes
- Gain a deep understanding of public economics
- Learn how to analyze government policies and their impact on individuals
- Develop the skills to critically evaluate policy proposals
Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course
- Basic knowledge of microeconomics
- Basic knowledge of calculus
Course Difficulty Level
IntermediateCourse Format
- Online
- Self-paced
- Video Lectures
Similar Courses
- Economic Growth and Distributive Justice
- The Power of Markets I: The Basics of Supply and Demand and Consumer Behavior
Related Education Paths
Notable People in This Field
- Economist
- Economist
Related Books
Description
This course offers an introduction into the public economics theory. It does not aspire to cover theories of taxation, public expenditures, regulation etc. at length and in-depth. Rather, our ambition is to give a bird's-eye view of central themes of public economics and related disciplines, and teach concepts, logic, and ideas, rather than methods of analysis, which would require an entirely different course format.
Outline
- Introduction
- About the course
- About University
- About University
- Course syllabus
- Supplementary reading
- Government in a Market Economy
- 1.1. Markets and governments
- 1.2. Market failures and the Coase theorem
- 1.3. Collective action problem
- 1.4. Correcting externalities
- 1.5. Socially productive and unproductive activities
- Syllabus
- Problem Set 1
- Design of Government: A Tax Theory Primer
- 2.1. Government Design
- 2.2. Power and Limitations of Lump-Sum
- 2.3. Selecting Tax Schedule
- 2.4. Complexity vs. Simplicity
- 2.5. The Role of Elasiticity
- 2.6. Political Constraints
- 2.7. Protection from Leviathan
- Syllabus
- Problem Set 2
- Scope of Government
- 3.1. Scope of Government: Objectives and Restrictions
- 3.2. Controlling Externalities: Litigation vs. Regulation
- 3.3. The Role of Administrative Capacity
- 3.4. Outsourcing of Public Services
- 3.5. Regulatory Capture
- Syllabus
- Problem Set 3
- Politics of Public Economics
- 4.1. Fiscal policies in democracies and autocracies
- 4.2. "Invisible political hand"
- 4.3. Democracy and autocracy compared
- 4.4. Preference aggregation problem
- 4.5. Single-peaked preferences and majority rule
- 4.6. Public goods: jointly or separately?
- Syllabus
- Problem Set 4
- Working of the Government
- 5.1. External agency: accountability ex post
- 5.2. External agency: accountability ex ante
- 5.3. Internal agency: limits to bureaucratic efficiency
- 5.4. Career concerns
- 5.5. Economics of corruption primer
- Syllabus
- Problem Set 5
- Government and Society
- 6.1. Government and Social Capital: Substitutes or Complements
- 6.2. Understanding Philanthropy
- 6.3. Role of Civic Culture
- 6.4. Let's Do It Ourselves?
- 6.5. Social Capital and Size of Government
- Syllabus
- Problem Set 6
- Final Exam
Summary of User Reviews
Discover the economics behind the workings of the government and the public sector with the Public Economics Course on Coursera. Students praise the engaging lectures and comprehensive content that provides a deep understanding of public economics.Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course
Comprehensive contentPros from User Reviews
- Engaging lectures
- In-depth coverage of public economics
- Clear and concise explanations
- Excellent learning resources
- Interactive quizzes and assignments
Cons from User Reviews
- Some users found the course too challenging
- Course may be too theoretical for some
- Limited instructor interaction
- Lengthy lectures may be difficult to follow
- Not suitable for beginners in economics
Leonid Polishchuk
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