Valutami
Scheda programma d'esame
ECONOMIA PUBBLICA
ALESSANDRO BALESTRINO
Anno accademico2016/17
CdSSOCIOLOGIA E MANAGEMENT DEI SERVIZI SOCIALI
Codice188PP
CFU6
PeriodoPrimo semestre
LinguaItaliano

ModuliSettore/iTipoOreDocente/i
ECONOMIA PUBBLICASECS-P/03LEZIONI42
ALESSANDRO BALESTRINO unimap
Programma non disponibile nella lingua selezionata
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
The student who completes the course successfully will be able to demonstrate a solid knowledge of the main elements of welfare and public economics, such as paretian efficiency, public goods, externalities and social welfare functions, as well as a basic knowledge of political economy and social choice issues, such as Condorcet's paradox, the Arrow theorem and the median voter theorem. He or she will be able to apply this theoretical knowledge to real-world historical and contemporary events in the sphere of economic policy in order to look critically at their prevalent interpretations and to provide his or her own interpetation on the basis of the methodology of economic theory, and to illustrate it to others in a structured way.
Assessment criteria of knowledge
In the written exam (1 and 1/2 hours, three essay questions), the student must demonstrate his/her knowledge of the course material and his/her ability to organise an effective and well written reply. The student must demonstrate the ability to solve, with critical awareness, the logical problems posed by the questions. No technicalities are involved: the only requirement is that the student must be able to apply a correct economic reasoning. The final essay also requires a certain degree of critical awareness: the student must not simply summarise the book, he or she must comment creatively on it, possibly drawing from his or her wider knowledge of theories and facts.

Methods:

  • Final oral exam
  • Final written exam
  • Final essay
  • Periodic written tests

Further information:
There is no specified weighting, the assessment is for the overall performance. The written exam and the final essay are however the most important pieces of the puzzle; the periodic written text are not mandatory, and the oral exam can also be dispensed with if the student prefers to do so.

Teaching methods

Delivery: face to face

Learning activities:

  • attending lectures
  • preparation of oral/written report
  • participation in discussions
  • individual study

Attendance: Advised

Teaching methods:

  • Lectures
  • Task-based learning/problem-based learning/inquiry-based learning
  • project work
Syllabus
The course covers the basics of public and welfare economics, namely the two theorems of welfare economics, the equity-efficiency trade-off, the public vs. private goods dichotomy, the theory and policy of external effects; it covers the non-welfarist approaches of Rawls and Sen, and gives a brief treatment of the issues arising from behavioural economics that may concern a public economist; finally, it addresses, if rather succintly, the main political economy themes: cycles in majority voting, the Arrow's impossibility theorem, and the single-peaked preferences/median voter approach.
Bibliography
Recommended reading includes the following works Selected chapters from J. Stiglitz, Economics of the public sector, in the latest Italian edition (Hoepli) Lecture notes provided by the teacher One book, possibly chosen from a set of two, on which the student is asked to write a short (500-700 words) comment. The book for the current (2014-2015) year is: L. Zoja, Utopie minimaliste (Minimalist utopias), in Italian (Laterza).
Ultimo aggiornamento 14/11/2016 17:27