1. Public Economic Lectures
Syllabus
Public Economic Lectures
Summer Term 2016
Dina Chhorn (Mr.)
University of Lumière Lyon 2
Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE)
Centre Universitaire de Recherche en Économie et en Gestion (CUREC)
Copyright © Worth Publishers

2. Contents Course Objectives Next? Prerequisites Course Website
Evaluation
Course Outline
Requirement
References
Principles
About Me

3. Course Objectives
This course is paying significant attention on the role of the government in the economy.
The aim is to offer an understanding of the reasons why government intervene in the economy, analyzing the benefits of possible government policies and the response of economic agents to the government’s actions.
The course covers two major parts.
The first part emphasizes theoretical frameworks applied in public economics by adding empirical evidences happening around the world. In this part, we will focus on tax policy and redistribution, and role of government dealing with market failure (public goods and externalities).
The second part gives emphasis to introducing quantitative research thesis based on empirical study.

4. Next? Professional fields: This course is a designed for:
“Exam of Young Economist”, ministry of finance and economics,
“National examination” of General department of taxation
Applying for jobs relating to research, statistics, etc.
Academic field:
Master in Quantitative Economic, Université Lumière Lyon 2
Master in Ananlyse et Politique Économiques (parcours Évaluation Économique du development durable) , Univerisité de Nantes
Master in Économie Appliquée, Université de Lille 1
Master Thesis

5. Prerequisites Students should be comfortable with:
Principle of Economics,
Micro-economics and
Multivariate calculus (applied statistics and econometrics)

6. Course Website
All lecture notes, handouts, and announcements will be posted online at:
Lecture notes might be slightly update so it is the best to print them only shortly before the lecture date.

7. Evaluation
Quiz & Assignment: 10 % (This might be taken during lectures)
Exam: 40 % (The final exam date will be informed after last lecture)
Research Thesis: 50% (en Française)
Summit research thesis proposal (at 5th lecture),
Summit first part of research thesis (at 9th lecture), and
Summit final research thesis (at 12th lecture)

8. Course Outline
Part 1. Introduction to public economics and review of tools – (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Lecture)
World Economic Outlook
1. Why Public Economics?
2. Theoretical Tools of Public Economics
3. Empirical Tools of Public Economics
4. Budget Analysis and Deficit Financing
Part 2. Taxation and redistribution: – (6th, 7th and 8th Lecture)
5. Income inequality, poverty, well-being, taxes and transfers
6. Role of fiscal policy in reducing income inequality
7. How to deal with extreme inequality?: Economist/non-economist debates
Part 3. Role of Government and Market Failures: Public Goods & Externalities – (10th and 11th Lecture)
8. Political Economy and local public goods
9. Public provision of private goods: Education
10. Externalities: Problems and Solutions

9. Requirement 1. Lecture – Wednesdays 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM (D22 HALL)
2. Reading – Jonathan Gluber, Public Finance and Public Policy, 4th edition, 2012 is optional but recommended book (the lectures follow loosely the Gluber book). For the other reading, please see references.
Lecture note will be posted on the course website. These notes are not comprehensive and not self-explanatory.
Note also that lectures do not always cover 100% of the material from the slides. For that reason, attending the lectures is critical for learning and understanding in the class.

10. References Highly recommend readings:
Angus Deaton (2013). The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origin of Inequality. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Jonathan Gruber (2010), Public Finance and Public Policy. 3th Edition, New York: Worth Publishers
Joseph E. Stiglitz (2013). The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future. W. W. Norton & Company, 1 edition, New York, London.
Lee Kuan Yew (2013). One man’s view of the world. Straits Times Press. Singapore.
Maya B. B. and Florian M. (2006), Le rôle de l’Etat Fondements et Réformes, Edition Bréal.
Thomas Piketty (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Harvard University Press, Harvard.

11. Principles
French/English is a common language here but it is not our native language.
Class attendant will be NOT marked.
“Feel free to do what you want and be responsible for what you have done”

12. About Me: Dina Chhorn, (Mr.) Operations Manager; Research Lecturer,
French Cooperation Unit, Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE),
Tel: (+855)
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 – 12:00 and 14: :30, Chef de Projet Hall
Others:
Research and Statistics Advisor for NGOs, private firms, etc.
Member of affiliations: Cambodian Economic Association (CEA); Cambodian Investor Club (CIC),
M.S. in Monetary Macro-economics, Ecole Normale Supérieur of Lyon (Top 4 Universities in France)
M.S. in Quantitative Economics, University of Lyon 2, France