Economic Policy and Public Choice
Lecture with Tutorial in WS 2017/2018
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Neumärker
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Department for Economic Policy and Constitutional Economic Theory
Schedule
Lecture: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Neumärker
Time: | Wed, 10-12h |
Room: | HS 2121, KG II |
Start: | Semester week 2 |
Tutorial: Matthew Bonick
Time: | TBA |
Room: | TBA |
Start: | TBA |
Supplementary Tutorials:
Target Group and Language
- This course is designated for first-year students of the M.Sc. Economics program (economics and politics), the M.Sc. VWLprogram, the M.Sc. BWL program and Diplom-Students (Hauptstudium). Exchange students are equally welcome to participate.
- If students of other faculties (e.g. political science) wish to participate, they should contact the tutor by email before the third week of the semester.
Participation and registration for experiments in the course is mandatory for writing the exam.
- Recommended prerequisites: Good knowledge of microeconomics.
- This module is entirely taught in English.
Credits: 6 ECTS
- M.Sc. Economics: First-year course for profile "Economics and Politics".
- M.Sc. VWL (PO2014): "Wirtschaftspolitik" and "Constitutional Economics and Competition Policy".
- M.Sc. VWL (PO2011): "Wirtschaftspolitik (Ordnungspolitik)".
- Diplom VWL: "Wirtschaftspolitik (Ordnungspolitik)" and "Ordnungs- und Wettbewerbspolitik".
Downloads & Content
- Outlines and slides will be provided at this website.
- Literature will be provided on Ilias.
- The passwords will be provided in the first sessions of the lecture and tutorial.
Lecture:
Tutorial:
Sub-Tutorial:
Outline:
- Introduction
- Economic problems of economic policy
- Economic man and collective action
- Allocation and exchange
- Distribution and conflict
- Liberty and welfare
- Implementation and reform
- Stability and sustainability
- The public choice of economic policy
- Rational and behavioral public choice
- Positive and normative public choice
- Institutions and hierarchies of public choice
- Authoritarian policy formation
1.1 Leviathan governments
1.2 Autocratic regimes - Democratic organization and voting rules
2.1 Rational voting and basic voting systems
2.2 Direct and representative democracy
2.3 Legislature and Bureaucracy
2.4 Interest groups, rent-seeking and lobbying - Spatial hierarchy
3.1 Federalism
3.2 Supranational policy choice
- Authoritarian policy formation
- Liberal concepts of economic policy formation
- Ordoliberal design and Constitutional political economy
- Liberal paternalism
- New Ordoliberalism
- Application to special policy issues
- Redistribution in democracy
- Organizing the just welfare state
- Market regulation and privatization
- Constitutional budget constraints and their effects on economic policy
Readings:
Introductory Textbooks:
- Hillman, A.L.: Public Finance and Public Policy, 2nd Ed., Cambridge 2009.
- Mueller, D.C.: Public Choice III, Cambridge 2003.
Additional readings will be announced in the lecture and tutorial.