Public Administration 6312

Introduction to Public Finance

Text: Microeconomics for Public Decisions by Steinemann, Apgar, and Brown (South-Western, 2005).

This is a course for first semester MPA students, taught jointly by Steven Craig, James Thurmond, and Toshiyuki Yuasa.

This course combines an introduction to economics with an introduction to the economics of government behavior. It covers the effects of economic incentives on voters, government officials, economy and markets; analysis of situations where private markets fail to be efficient; applications to government policies at federal and local levels; analysis of tax system and the interaction among federal, state and local governments.