Public Economics - Public Policy

Knowledge:

You should be able to

• explain market failures that warrant public provision of social insurance, and discuss theoretical and empirical literature on the moral hazard cots of social insurance
• explain how we can determine the optimal level of public goods, analyse when the private sector is not likely to provide optimal levels of a public good and discuss challenges in public goods provision
• approach a cost-benefit analysis using economic tools
• discuss reasons for public provision of education be familiar with the literature on the returns to education

Skills:

You should be able to

• identify policy problems in public economics
• explain the economic contents and trade-offs captured by theoretical models
• identify the assumptions, relevance, and limitations of different empirical methods
• assess arguments appearing in the policy debate relating to the impact of public policy

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

• Students who do not have ECON3150 / ECON4150 or equivalent, are advised not to take this course.

You must fulfill one of these prerequisites:

• Bachelor`s degree in Economics, or equivalent.
• ECON3220 / ECON4220, or equivalent.

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 (Samfunnsøkonomisk analyse), can apply for admission to one of our study programmes, or apply for guest student status.

Lectures and seminars.

Voluntary tuition activities:

• A term paper
• An oral presentation

Course responsible can at the beginning of the semester update the syllabus list by changing no more than three articles, though in a way that it will not change the overall scope or thematic content of the course.

The syllabus also includes any lecture notes that will be made available for the students in Canvas.

The examination will be a 3-hour written school exam.

Previous exams and examiner guidelines

Exam papers with comments from examiner

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.

Students who wish to retake the exam in a later semester are not guaranteed that the course will be given with the same content and syllabus, or that the examination scheme will be the same.