University of Technology Sydney

23022 Public Economics

6cp
Requisite(s): 23567 Intermediate Microeconomics OR 25567 Intermediate Microeconomics
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 25022 Public Economics

Undergraduate

Description

This subject applies and extends the knowledge and skills students have developed in Intermediate Microeconomics to an analysis of the economic rationale for collective choice and government intervention in the economy. It explores and evaluates the government's ability to identify and achieve more efficient and equitable outcomes. Students extend their knowledge of welfare economics and examine the motivation behind government intervention in the economy. They see why a market economy fails to achieve efficient solutions in the presence of public goods, externalities, natural monopoly and asymmetric information. The subject explains the mechanisms of collective choice, cost–benefit analysis and income redistribution and explores the theory of taxation. Students enhance their ability to distinguish between progressive and regressive taxes, between formal and effective incidence, and between efficient and equal taxes. They also examine how individuals react to income taxes and benefits by modifying their labour supply and consumption behaviour. Finally, the subject presents specific sectors where government intervention is traditionally active, such as health care and education, with emphasis on the Australian economy.


Detailed subject description.

Access conditions

Note: The requisite information presented in this subject description covers only academic requisites. Full details of all enforced rules, covering both academic and admission requisites, are available at access conditions and My Student Admin.