ECON4622 – Public Economics II
Course description
Course content
The course will discuss aspects of taxation and dynamic public finance. It will broaden the scope and provide more in-depth studies of selected topics addressed in Public Economics I. Issues to be addressed include the impact of taxation on consumption, savings and labor supply, the impact of public policy on social mobility, social insurance, international aspects of public economics and international tax competition, multi-national companies and tax havens, corporate taxation, and tax evasion, The course will cover central theories and empirical evidence of relevance for economic policy.
Learning outcome
Learning outcome
You should know:
- central concepts and models from the fields of public economics defined by the course topics
- analytical approaches to the issues addressed
- major actual policies and relevant examples of issues currently on the political agenda
Skills
You should be able to:
- explain the economic contents and trade-offs captured by the models
- discuss the assumptions, relevance, and limitations of the models
- identify and analyse policy problems in public economics
- assess arguments appearing in the policy debate
Competence
You should:
- be able to read and understand reports and journal articles that make use of the concepts and methods that are introduced in the course
- be able to make use of the course content in applied exercises and your own academic work, for example in analyses that are part of the master’s thesis
Admission
Students admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
Students not admitted to the Master’s programme in Economics or the Master’s programme in Economic Theory and Econometrics (Samfunns?konomisk analyse), can apply for admission to one of our study programmes, or apply for guest student status.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
- Bachelor's degree in Economics, or equivalent.
Recommended previous knowledge
- A good knowledge of welfare theory and microeconomic concepts and tools (eg. ECON3610 – Samfunns?konomisk l?nnsomhet og ?konomisk politikk (discontinued) / ECON4610 – Samfunns?konomisk l?nnsomhet og ?konomisk politikk (discontinued) or a similar course) is recommended).
- Public Economics II is building on parts of Public Economics I. In particular, it requires knowledge about tax distortions and basic corporate taxation.
Teaching
Lectures: 2 hours per week throughout the semester.
Seminars: 2 hours per week through parts of the semester.
Examination
A 3-hour written school exam.
You must have been registered for the course autumn 2017 or earlier to sit for the exam. You register for the exam in StudentWeb. If you have problems signing up for the exam, please contact the Department of Economics: post@econ.uio.no.
Digital examination
The written examination is conducted in the digital examination system Inspera. You will need to familiarize yourself with the digital examination arrangements in Inspera.
Read more about written examinations using Inspera.
Examination support material
Students may use dictionaries at this exam. Dictionaries must be handed in before the examination. Please read regulations for dictionaries permitted at the examination.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English.You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
If you are sick or have another valid reason for not attending the regular exam, we offer a postponed exam later in the same semester.
See also our information about resitting an exam.
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.