SPEA V202: Contemporary Economic Issues in Public Affairs

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Course Description

This course reinforces and deepens economic skills by applying basic microeconomic concepts and models to a variety of policy areas. Using economic models, the course will examine the motivation for intervention in the economy, the types of intervention, and the predicted effects of policies.

Policy areas covered will include tax, social, health, regulatory, environmental, and trade policy, among others. To better understand these issues, the course will first briefly discuss some of the institutional details of the policy area, and then use economic models to examine impact of policy on behavior and market outcomes.

Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

a. Explain the economic rationales for government intervention (and non-intervention) in the economy.

b. Explain the economic rationales for how regulation may be used to correct market failures.

c. Identify features of various government policies and programs.

d. Use economic models to predict the impact of these policies and programs on welfare and behavior.

e. Explain the results of economic models demonstrating the impact of policies and programs on welfare and behavior.

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Course Outline and Material

  1. Introduction
  2. Supply and Demand Review
  3. Market Equilibrium, Market Failure and Government Intervention
  4. Tax Policy
  5. Externalities
  6. Public Goods
  7. Labor Market
  8. Poverty and Income Inequality
  9. Health Care and Insurance
  1. Monopoly and Antitrust Regulation
  1. Trade Policy
  2. Money, Credit Markets, Monetary Policy and Macroeconomics
Luis Navarro
Authors
Luis Navarro
PhD Candidate
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Public Affairs at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington. My research interests include public finance, state and local tax policy, fiscal federalism, financial management, municipal debt, and generally the intersection of public economics and public administration. I am currently in the Academic Job Market (Fall 2024/Spring 2025).