Objectiu
The objective of the course is to familiarize students with several topics in public economics, and to introduce them to the formal literature in economic policy. By studying specific articles, we will understand the reasons for state intervention and appreciate its impact in key domains. Student presentations during the discussion sections will complement the main lectures. By the end of the course, students should be able to appreciate the main questions behind contemporary economic policy problems as well as the formal approach to their analysis.

Requeriments
Sector Públic I and Teoria Econòmica I & II.

Tema 1
Limits to public intervention. Public choice and political competition.

Bibliografia
WEIMER, David L.; VINING, Aidan R. “Limits to Public Intervention: Government Failures”. Policy analysis concepts and practice. 2a. ed. Prentice-Hall, 1992. Cap. 6.

Tema 2
Education.

Bibliografia
EPPLE, D.; ROMANO, R. E. “Competition between private and public schools, vouchers, and peer-group effects”. The American Economic Review, 88. 1988. Pàg. 33–62.
ROUSE, Cecilia Elena. “Private School Vouchers and Student Achievement: An Evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program”. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 113, 2. 1998. Pàg. 553-602.

Tema 3
Public provision of private goods.

Bibliografia
EPPLE, D.; ROMANO, R. E. “Public provision of private goods”. Journal of Political Economy, 104(1). 1996. Pàg. 57–84.

Tema 4
Private provision of public goods.

Bibliografia
BERGSTROM, T. L.; BLUMEN, L.; VARIAN, H. “On the private provision of public goods”. Journal of Public Economics, 29(1). 1986. Pàg. 25–49.

Tema 5
Discrimination.

Bibliografia
ANTONOVICS, Kate L.; KNIGHT, Brian G. “A New Look at Racial Profiling: Evidence from the Boston Police Department”. NBER Working Paper, 10634. 2004. http://www.nber.org/papers/w10634.
KNOWLES, John; PERSICO, Nicola; TODD, Petra. “Racial Bias in Motor Vehicle Searches: Theory and Evidence”. NBER Working Paper, 7449. 1999. http://www.nber.org/papers/w7449.

Tema 6
The politics of climate change.

Bibliografia
STERN, Nicholas. The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review. 2007.
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/  stern_review_economics_climate_change/stern_review_report.cfm.

Tema 7
Housing.

Bibliografia
BARR, N. The Economics of the Welfare State. 3a. ed. 1998. Cap. 14.

Tema 8
Health and health care.

Bibliografia
ARROW, K. “Uncertainty and the Welfare Economics of Medical Care”. American Economic Review, 53(5). 1963. Pàg. 1941–1973.

Tema 9
Unemployment compensation.

Bibliografia
ATKINSON, A. B.; MICKLEWRIGHT, J. “Unemployment compensation and labour market transitions: A critical review”. Journal of Economic Literature, 29(4). 1991. Pàg. 1679–1727.

Tema 10
Pension reform.

Bibliografia
BARR, N. The Economics of the Welfare State. 3a. ed. 1998. Cap. 9.

Tema 11
Energy policy.

Bibliografia
BORENSTEIN, S. “The trouble with electricity markets: Understanding California’s restructuring disaster”. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 16(1). 2002. Pàg. 191-211.
NEWBERY, D. M. “Problems of liberalizing the electricity industry”. European Economic Review, 46. 2002. Pàg. 919-927.

Tema 12
Government reform.

Bibliografia
TANZI, V.; SCHUKNECHT, L. “Reforming Government: An Overview of Recent Experience”. European Journal of Political Economy, 13. 1997. Pàg. 395-417.