This course critically assesses the role the government plays in the economy and how this affects federal, state and local public policy making and vice versa. We first deconstruct and critique basic economic concepts like public goods and externalities and cover the central theoretical principles that apply to public economics. We then use these to evaluate the federal budget, taxation and income redistribution with a special focus on social security, education, health care and defense policy. Students will develop a critical sense of their own economic policy positions and apply these to their area of concentration.

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