EC 350 - Economics of Taxation and Public Expenditures

Min Units: 3
Max Units: 3
This course examines government’s role in a mixed economy by addressing these questions: What are relevant factors when determining which activities the government is better suited to perform and which should be left to the private sector? What effects do the government’s taxation and expenditures have on private-sector behavior, and on the economy’s overall productivity and distribution of resources? How do elected officials and other governmental actors make public-sector decisions (public choice theory)? We will apply economic theory and analytical tools to a range of societal issues confronting the United States (e.g., efficiency costs (deadweight loss) and equity effects of taxation, the government’s role in providing a social safety net and access to healthcare). (U) Occasionally
Prerequisite(s): SW 220-EC, or EC 231 and EC 232