This course is a bachelors-level course focusing on the fiscal choices made by government via tax and budget policy. How big should government be? What is a good source of revenue? What is a good expenditure? Our approach to answering these questions will be comparative in several senses. That is, we will compare how different theoretical and disciplinary approaches to fiscal analysis – poilitcal, economic, institutional, and administration-rational – answer these questions. Along the way, we will examine how the institutions of government shape these choices within and through the budget cycle. We will also see how these questions have been answered in different times and in different places. Our approach to answering these questions will also blend theoretical and applied orientations. That is, the paper assignments will be framed around applied policy choices made by government, although evaluation of these choices will be conducted on the basis of applying theoretical insights from the several literatures on these topics
Coordinator
Professor David Lowery, 5B49 Pieter de La Court Building, tel. 071- 5273461 / dlowery@fsw.leidenuniv.nl. Office Hours: To be Announced
Onderwijsvormen
The course will be conducted through lectures and discussion.
Studiemateriaal
The course will employ a textbook – to be determined – along with articles that will be made available on blackboard at the beginning of the course.
Toetsing
The grade will be determined by two short papers (35 percent each) and a final exam testing knowledge of basic concepts in public finance and budgeting (30 percent). Answers on the exam and the papers may be in English or Nederlands.
Ingangseis/advies
none
Rooster
Lecture:
Tuesday 03/02/2009 t/m 17/03/2009, except 10/02
Wednesday 11/02
Time: 09.00 – 11.00 hrs, except 11/02: 13.00 – 15.00 hrs
Room: 1A-20
Exam: Friday 27/03/2009 van 13.00 – 16.00 uur in het USC
Re-exam: Tuesday 09/06/2009 van 09.00 – 12.00 uur in het USC
This schedule is subject to change.
Latest update: February 3, 2009
Inschrijving
Inschrijven voor het tentamen via U-twist is verplicht.