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Economics of Policy Issues B

Module Code: ECU33062

Module Title: Economics of Policy Issues B

• ECTS Weighting: 5
• Semester/Term Taught: Semester 2
• Contact Hours: 22 hours of lectures and 4 hours of tutorials
• Module Personnel: Lecturer - Prof. Michael King

*Please note this module outline is under construction and its assessment components are subject to change.

Module Learning Aims

This module investigates the responsabilities and limitations of government in a market economy. It covers traditional public-finance topics of public goods, externalities, unwanted markets, and asymmetric information alongside social insurance, moral hazard, and social mobility.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Articulate the dynamics of social welfare economics within a market economy
• Discuss the attributes of various forms of welfare entitlements
• Understand the concept of optimal taxation for labour and capital taxes

Module Content

• Public goods
• Social costs and benefits
• Restraint on personal choice
• Information and efficiency
• Social insurance and moral hazard
• Social justice in taxation and without government
• The attributes and consequences of entitlements. Old age and health care entitlements.
• The choice of taxation. Optimal taxation and alternative tax bases.
• The growth of government and competing views on the need for government. 

Recommended Reading List

The core book is Arye L. Hillman, Public Finance and Public Policy: Responsibilities and Limitations of Government (3rd Edition) Cambridge University Press 2019.

Assessment Details

50% Essay
50% Final Examination

Module Website

Blackboard