This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

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    Syllabus

    Course Meeting Times

    Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

    Recitations: 1 session / week, 1 hour / session

    Description

    This course examines the role of the public sector in the economy. The aim of the course is to provide an understanding of the reasons for government intervention in the economy, the extent of that intervention, and the response of private agents to the government's actions.

    Prerequisites

    14.01

    Requirements and Grading

    There are three sets of requirements for this course:

    1. Readings - The only required reading is: Amazon logo Gruber, Jonathan. Public Finance and Public Policy. New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2005. ISBN: 0716786559.
    2. Exams - There will be a midterm exam worth 25% of the grade, and a final exam worth 50%.
    3. Problem Sets - There will be 5 problem sets throughout the semester, each of which will consist of both mathematical exercises and essay questions. This requirement will be worth the remaining 25% of the grade. No late problem sets will be accepted for any reason.