Course Description

Syllabus The course will meet twice a week for one and a half hours each. There will be additional meetings to discuss problem sets at times to be arranged. There will be three problem sets, a mid-term take-home exercise, and an in-class final exam. The problem sets will count for 10% of the grade, the mid-term exercise will count for 35% of the grade, and the final will count for the other 55%. Public Finance Field Requirements The Public Finance field requirement consists of two courses: 14.471 (Public Finance I) and 14.472 (Public Finance II). In some cases, 14.474 (Advanced Topics in Public Economics) may be combined with 14.471 to satisfy the field requirement. Public Finance Seminar and Meeting The Public Finance Seminar plays an important part in raising current "hot topics" and permitting students to meet some of the outstanding scholars in the field. Seminars take place once in a week for one and a half hours. The seminar is not restricted to thesis writers, and first and second year students are encouraged to attend. During meetings thesis writers present their work in progress; students planning to specialize in public finance are welcome to attend.