Political Economy and Public Finance I

This course starts by providing an introduction into the theory of electoral choice. Building on that, the students learn about fundamental relationships between characteristics of the political system and policy outcomes. Understanding the effects of political institutions on economic policy has become a vibrant field of research, and the students get acquainted with recent research findings. For instance, it is explained how the level and composition of government spending is affected by the degree of direct democracy, or the electoral system. In addition to the lectures, the students work on a project in groups, understanding the determinants of voting behavior, using data from post-election surveys.

Learn fundamental relationships between characteristics of the political system and policy outcomes

In presenza

Classes combined with tutorials, and a project

80% exam, 20% project