This course introduces the basic concepts in the field of public finance. It focuses on the role of the government and the rationale for governments’ actions, market failures, inequality, theory of public spending and budgets, the welfare state, public choice theory, taxation, and the impact of taxes on economic activities. See the 2020 Syllabus for more information about the course.
The course and slides are partly based on courses taught at the University of California at Berkeley (link) and Harvard University (link, link) to whose authors we are grateful.
Downloadable
2020 course materials
Lecture 1 – Introduction, Economic rationale for the government: Slides
Lecture 2 – Public budgets, fiscal decentralization: Slides
Lecture 3 – Inequality: Slides
Lecture 4 – Old-age pensions: Slides
Lecture 5 – Health economics: Slides, Recording
Lecture 6 – Public choice theory: Slides, Recording
Lecture 7 – Cost-benefit analysis: Slides, Recording
Lecture 8 – Externalities: Slides, Recording
Lecture 9 – Public procurement: Slides, Recording
Lecture 10 – Taxation, tax incidence: Slides, Recording
Lecture 11 – Optimal taxation, personal income taxation: Slides, Recording
Lecture 12 – Corporate taxation: Slides, Recording
Lecture 13 – Tax avoidance: Slides, Recording
Problem Set 1, Problem Set 1 solution, Problem Set 2, Problem Set 2 solution
All files (.zip), All recordings (YouTube playlist), Source codes (Overleaf project)