AØKK08340U Seminar: Public Economics

Volume 2016/2017
Education

MSc programme in Economics

The seminar is primarily for students at the MSc of Economics

Content

This seminar invites students to analyze theoretical and empirical issues within public economics. While it is recommended that students have followed the undergraduate course Public Finance and the graduate course Tax Policy, the only formal requirement is that students have knowledge of microeconomics and econometrics at the level of the undergraduate program.

 

 

Learning Outcome

Possible topics include:

  • Labor supply and taxation
  • Optimal income taxation
  • Taxation of multinational firms
  • Taxation and regulation of the financial sector
  • Green taxes
  • Optimal unemployment insurance
  • Tax havens
  • Inequality and the tax system
  • Retirement and taxes / public transfers
  • Tax competition
  • Taxation and international migration
  • Tax evasion
  • Tagging
  • Border trading

 

Students are encouraged to write papers in pairs. Examples of what papers may do include:

  • a thorough review of related articles on a specific topic
  • an independent extension of an existing theoretical model
  • a replication and extension of the empirical analysis of a published article using the article’s dataset
  • an independent empirical analysis using, for instance, data available through one’s work or publicly available data
  • a policy paper on a relevant topic of economic policy

 

Literature

There will be a limited number of topics for which I can provide a suitable dataset (more info later):

For relevant literature, please refer to the syllabus of the graduate course Tax Policy as well as top journals (American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics etc.) and top field journals (American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Journal of Public Economics).

 

BSc of Economics and similar knowledge of microeconomics and econometrics at the level of the undergraduate program. It is recommended that students have followed the undergraduate course Public Finance and the graduate course Tax Policy,
Planning/start-up meeting, research and writing process of the seminar paper, sessions with presentation of own paper and critical evaluation/feedback to another student´s paper, actively participating in discussions at class.
Schedule (dates are preliminary):

First meeting: 8 February, 2017 at 10am (around 1hour). During this meeting, I will
• introduce some selected topics
• discuss the form of your papers
• discuss the form of your presentations / discussions at the end of the course


Second meeting: 8 March, 2017 at 10am (around 2-3 hours). During this meeting you will give a short presentation of your project and receive feedback from the other students and me.

You are required to hand in your paper on 3 May at midnight.

Presentation meetings: May 10 and 11, 2017 (full days).

Throughout the period, I will have (a limited amount of) time available for individual meetings with you.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Project work
  • 186
  • Seminar
  • 20
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination
- a seminar paper in English.
Exam registration requirements

Attendance in all activities at the seminar as stated in the formal requrements in the Curriculum and at the KUnet for seminars (UK) and Kunet for seminars (DK).

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
- up to 20 % censorship
Exam period

Deadline commitment paper: 1 March 2017, at 10 AM

Deadline final paper: May 3, 2017 at midnight.

Presentations: May 10 and 11, 2017.

For enrolled students more information about examination, exam/re-sit, rules etc. is available at the student intranet for Examination (English) and student intranet for Examination (KA-Danish).

Re-exam

A written paper as stated in the  Curriculum and at the KUnet for seminars (UK) and Kunet for seminars (DK). 

Criteria for exam assesment

The student must in a satisfactory way demonstrate that he/she has mastered the learning outcome of the course and the objectives stated in the Curriculum.