ECON 3508 - Public Economics III
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2015
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code ECON 3508 Course Public Economics III Coordinating Unit Economics Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites ECON 2506 Incompatible ECON 3024 Assessment Typically mid-semester test & final exam Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Eran Binenbaum
Dr Eran BinenbaumCourse Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
1 Students learn the basic tools, concepts and models required to understand key topics in Public Economics 2 Students learn to appreciate policy challenges facing governments around the world, learn about potential solutions to these challenges, and also learn to appreciate the difficulties involved in solving these challenges 3 Students learn a set of perspectives into the economic activities of the government sector that will help them become enlightened participants - engaged citizens, voters, politicians, and/or civil servants - in society University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised. 1,2 The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner. 1,2 An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems. 1,2,3 Skills of a high order in interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication. 1,2 A proficiency in the appropriate use of contemporary technologies. 1,2 A commitment to continuous learning and the capacity to maintain intellectual curiosity throughout life. 1,2,3 A commitment to the highest standards of professional endeavour and the ability to take a leadership role in the community. 3 An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities. 2,3 -
Learning Resources
Required Resources
Intermediate Public Economics, second edition (2013), by Jean Hindriks and Gareth D. Myles (MIT Press)Recommended Resources
A recommended textbook is Economics of the Public Sector by Joseph Stiglitz (Norton).
It is strongly recommended that students read at least one prominent newspaper/magazine (e.g. The Australian or the Australian Financial Review or the New York Times) to familiarise themselves with the important policy debates of the day. Additional readings will be provided as the course progresses.Online Learning
The course makes extensive use of MyUni to post notes, assignments and for communication with the students -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
The course will be delivered in the standard lecture-mode. Students are expected to actively participate in the lectures, which includes doing the requisite reading, answering questions and participating in the conversations. Tutorials will use the problem-solving approach to underscore the concepts covered in the lectures.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
Typical weekly workload for the course is 12 hours per week, distributed as follows: 2 hours for the lecture, 1 hour for the tutorial, 3 hours for requisite revision/required readings, 4 hours for homework problems and 2 hours for additional readings.Learning Activities Summary
The tentative lecture schedule is as follows:Week 1 Introduction and Overview Week 2 General Equilibrium Week 3 Welfare Economics: Efficiency, Welfare Theorems, Social Welfare Functions and
Nonmarket ValuationWeek 4 Players: The Basic Building Blocks of Analysis Week 5 Midterm Review lecture
(NOTE: last lecture before the in-class MIDTERM exam)Week 6 Subsystems, Political Philosophy and Rent-Seeking
(NOTE: first lecture after the midterm exam)Week 7 Public Goods Week 8 Theories of the Public Sector Week 9 Incentive Problems and the Theory of the Second Best Week 10 Innovation and the Role of Government Week 11 Final Review lecture Small Group Discovery Experience
The homework problems will be closely related to Eran Binenbaum's research. Through discussion in the tutorials, the students will gain an appreciation of the lecturer's work as a researcher. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Midterm Exam 20% Final Exam * 80% if essay option is not chosen
* 55% or 80% if essay option is chosenOptional Essay 25% if mark is higher than Final Exam mark Assessment Detail
The midterm exam is scheduled for Wednesday 2 September, 2015. It is a 2 hour long, closed-book exam to be held in class. It will cover material taught in the first 5 lectures.
The final exam will be held during the University exam period (at a date to be announced). It will be a 3 hour long, closed-book exam.
The optional essay is between 5 and 16 pages long. The student first submits a topic for approval. The student may then submit a draft version of the essay before the deadline so as to get feedback. The final version of the essay is due by 4 November, 2015. More details on the essay are provided in class.Submission
The final version of the optional essay is due by 4 November 2015.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
Additional Assessment
If a student receives 45-49 for their final mark for the course they will automatically be granted an additional assessment. This will most likely be in the form of a new exam (Additional Assessment) and will have the same weight as the original exam unless an alternative requirement (for example a hurdle requirement) is stated in this semester’s Course Outline. If, after replacing the original exam mark with the new exam mark, it is calculated that the student has passed the course, they will receive 50 Pass as their final result for the course (no higher) but if the calculation totals less than 50, their grade will be Fail and the higher of the original mark or the mark following the Additional Assessment will be recorded as the final result. -
Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
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- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
- YouX Student Care - Advocacy, confidential counselling, welfare support and advice
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Elder Conservatorium of Music Noise Management Plan
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.
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