Economics of Public Policy

Course aim

This course provides students with understanding of some of the major issues facing society such as environmental degradation, provision of health care and education, and competition policy. Using economic theory and drawing on published literature, students will examine the causes and nature of these problems, the role of government policy in addressing them and critically analyse different policy options.

Course content

This course will expose students to some of the more pressing issues facing modern societies. The focus will be on major policy challenges, for example, environmental degradation, competition policy, the provision of health care, taxation, public goods, and education. We will analyse the causes and implications of these issues. We will analyse and understand a variety of methods by which public policy aimed at alleviating these problems can be evaluated (for example, cost-benefit analysis), and the political economy of policy formation. Students will understand the relevant theoretical concepts and apply these to a variety of case studies.  

Textbook(s)

Stiglitz, JE & Rosengard, JK 2015, Economics of the Public Sector, 4th edn, W. W. Norton and Company, Inc, New York

Prerequisite(s)

Common to all relevant programs
Subject Area & Catalogue Number	Course Name
ECON 2010	Economic Analysis of Business Decisions
ECON 2009	International Economics

Corequisite(s)

Nil

Teaching method

Component	Duration
INTERNAL, CITY WEST
Lecture	2 hours x 13 weeks
Tutorial	1 hour x 13 weeks

Note: These components may or may not be scheduled in every study period. Please refer to the timetable for further details.

Assessment

Assignment 2 - Policy critique, Assignment 3 - Case Study, Test - multiple choice

Fees

EFTSL*: 0.125
Commonwealth Supported program (Band 3)
To determine the fee for this course as part of a Commonwealth Supported program, go to:
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Fee-paying program for domestic and international students
International students and students undertaking this course as part of a postgraduate fee paying program must refer to the relevant program home page to determine the cost for undertaking this course.

Non-award enrolment
Non-award tuition fees are set by the university. To determine the cost of this course, go to:
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Not all courses are available on all of the above bases, and students must check to ensure that they are permitted to enrol in a particular course.

* Equivalent Full Time Study Load. Please note: all EFTSL values are published and calculated at ten decimal places. Values are displayed to three decimal places for ease of interpretation.