Course # 32220 Section Number 1 Day(s) Tu- Th Time(s) 2:00pm-3:20pm Term Spring 2025 Course Instructor Nathan Barker Syllabus Syllabus 2/25/25 Public Economics is the study of the role that the government plays in the economy, including both the theoretical rationale for government intervention, and the efficiency and equity consequences of its actions. In this course, we will study four broad themes related to the role of the government: (1) public goods and externalities, including education, infrastructure and the environment, (2) redistribution and social insurance, including health insurance, social security, and cash transfer programs, (3) taxation, and (4) policies to promote economic growth. For each thematic area, we will study the economic theory, and read and evaluate the empirical evidence regarding the impacts of government intervention. As part of this course, we will consider government programs in policies in both higher- and lower-income countries. Quarter Title Instructor Day(s) Time(s) Syllabus Spring 2025 Public Economics Nathan Barker Tuesday, Thursday 2:00pm-3:20pm Syllabus Recent News More news Alumni Profile: Ricardo Sande, MPP’23 Tue., May 06, 2025 New Research Shows 60% of Historic Homelessness Increase Prompted by Immigration Policy Tue., May 06, 2025 Oeindrila Dube, Other Faculty with Harris Ties Appointed to Anthropic Economic Advisory Council to Examine AI’s Evolving Role in Global Economy Tue., May 06, 2025 Upcoming Events More events Get to Know Harris! A Virtual Information Session Wed., May 07, 2025 | 12:00 PM Policy Research and Innovation Bootcamp (PRIB) Policy Hackathon Challenge Deep Dive Thu., May 08, 2025 | 7:30 PM DPSS Capstone Deepdive and TA Roundtable (in Chinese) Mon., May 12, 2025 | 7:00 AM
February 17, 2025 Assistant Professor Eduardo Montero Explores Results of Chagas Disease Campaign in Brazil in New Working Paper