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ECO 350: Syllabus

Economics 350, Public Finance
Fall 2005 Syllabus

 

Dr. Karie Barbour
STV 423 D
438-3005
kbarbou@ilstu.edu                                                                       

Office Hours:  Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 - 10:30 or by appointment.

Required Text:  Public Finance and Public Policy, by Jonathan Gruber, Worth Publishers, 2005.

Supplementary reading materials will be assigned throughout the semester and can be found on the course outline at http://lilt.ilstu.edu/kbarbou/eco350.htm.  I will continually update this list as the semester progresses.  You should complete the assigned readings prior to each class period to adequately prepare for class discussions.  All reading materials are fair game for assignments and exams. 

Prerequisites:  Students who are enrolled in this course are expected to have completed at least one 200-level economics course and must have a solid understanding of the tools of microeconomics.

Course Description & Objectives:

This course will cover the major topics of public finance which is the study of economic issues related to government expenditure and revenue programs.  We will rely heavily on applied microeconomics to address three primary questions in this field:  (1) When should the government intervene in the economy? (2) How might the government intervene?  and (3) What is the effect of those interventions on economic outcomes?  To address these questions, we will learn the tools necessary for analysis of government activities, the theory that defines the efficient and effective allocation of resources and how we can evaluate spending programs and tax policy using three criteria: economic efficiency, distributional equity and administrative cost.  We will then use these criteria to examine specific government spending programs including social security, medicare, and programs designed to alleviate poverty and specific tax policies including personal income taxes, sales taxes and consumption taxes.  Students who successfully complete this course will:

  • Gain an understanding of the role of government in our society

  • Gain an understanding of current government spending and taxation policies and their effects on efficiency, distribution of income and economic outcomes

  • Gain an understanding of how various responsibilities are allocated among different levels of government and how these activities are financed

  • Gain experience in conducting and presenting scholarly research

Grading Policy:

Midterm exams (100 points each)----------------------------------------------- 200 points

Final exam---------------------------------------------------------------------- 100 points

Paper--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 100 points

Presentation---------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 points

Homework assignments (3)------------------------------------------------------ 75 points

Total possible points-------------------------------------------------------------------- 500 points

Final course grades will be determined on the basis of the following scale:

A = 450-500 points                  D = 300-349 points

B = 400-449 points                  F = 299 points or below 

C = 350-399 points

Exams:  There will be three exams given during the semester – two midterms and a final.  You will receive at least a one-week notice prior to each mid-term, and the final will be given during the exam period for this class as scheduled by the university.  Each exam will likely consist of a combination of short-answer problems and essay questions.  No make-up exams will be given unless arrangements have been made with me prior to the regularly scheduled evaluation date.

Paper:  You will be required to write a 7-10 (12-15 for graduate students) page term paper on a current issue in public policy.  Paper topics might include (but are not limited to) current policy issues related to social security, health care, education, welfare programs and tax reform.  Please see the “Doing Research in Public Finance” page on the course web-site for links to resources and data which may be useful as you develop your paper topic.  Papers are to be typed in double-spaced Times New Roman font (12pt) with side margins set to 1 inch and top/bottom margins set to 1.5 inches.  To ensure papers are completed in a timely fashion, you must submit a paper proposal (not to exceed one double-spaced page) by Monday, October 3rd and a progress report (not to exceed two pages) by Monday, November 7th.  Final papers are due on Monday, December 5th.  A penalty of ten points per day will be imposed on any paper I receive after the due date.

Presentations:  During the final week of the semester, you will give a 5-7 minute presentation on your course paper.  Grades will be based on the content, organization, timing and clarity of the presentation and attendance.  Please feel free to use overheads or handouts to facilitate understanding of your presentation.

Homework:  You will receive three homework assignments throughout the semester (worth 25 points each) consisting of chapter review problems from the text.  I encourage you to work together in groups of two or three on these assignments; however, each student should submit a separate answer sheet and indicate collaboration where appropriate.  Late homework will not be accepted for any reason.

Senior Projects:  Guidelines for the senior project that accompanies this course can be found on a separate handout.

Important Dates: 

September 2nd - Last day to withdraw without a grade of WX assigned.

October 14th  -  Last day to withdraw from a course with a grade of WX assigned. 

              (Instructor’s signature required)

Reasonable Accommodation:   If you need a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability, please contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, (309) 438-5853 or (309) 438-8620 (TTY).         

Warning!!!  Cheating and/or plagiarism will not be tolerated.  Any student proven to be guilty of such a crime will receive and F in the course and may face dismissal from the university.

*In the interest of conserving resources, a detailed outline of the course topics and reading materials can be found at http://lilt.ilstu.edu/kbarbou/eco350.htm.  Again, you should consult this site regularly as I will be updating the assignments as we move through the material.