This course aims to enable students to understand what a government (either local or national) does and what it should do. In particular, according to the Dublin descriptors, the course aims at reaching these targets.
Knowledge and understanding
The course aims to provide students with the basic concepts and principles of public finance, including some recent developments in this discipline. In particular, this course aims to provide students with the fundamental knowledge about: the reasons for public intervention, market failures, the effects of public intervention on economic agents’ behaviour, aspects of national accounting regarding the public sector size, the theme of efficiency and equity of public interventions.
Applying knowledge and understanding.
The student must be able to support and discuss clearly, through appropriate arguments, possible proposals and reflections on issues about the topics covered in this course, with reference, for example, to aspects of efficiency and equity of public interventions, and to key themes such as environmental policies, the fight against poverty and unemployment, as well as the impact of different forms of taxation.
Making judgements
At the end of the course, the student must have acquired the ability to critically interpret the main facts related to the debate (national and international) in terms of public finance.
Communication skills
The student must be able to communicate in an effective way and with an appropriate language, his/her own opinions on the topics of public economics treated.
Learning skills
The student must have acquired the ability to undertake, in an autonomous way, more complex and in-depth studies, through the improvement of an adequate study method.