Programme

OBJECT OF THE COURSE: the economic analysis of public intervention in the allocation and distribution of resources with a focus on the tax-transfer activities of the State.

PROGRAM - The course is divided into two modules:
I) Public intervention in the economic system
1. Foundations of Welfare Economics
2. Market failures
3. Non-market failures
4. The public budget

II) The tax system
1. The functions of a tax system
2. Equity and efficiency of a tax system
3. Tax shifthing and tax incidence
4. Composition of a tax system. Structure and effects of: personal income taxation; business taxation; capital income taxation; property taxation and consumption taxation
5. The vertical distribution of fiscal powers

Core Documentation

B. Bises, Lezioni di Scienza delle finanze, volumes 1 e 2, 2018 third edition

Type of delivery of the course

Lectures

Type of evaluation

Compulsory written examination and oral examination (compulsory if the grade in the written examination is between 15 and 17/30; optional in all other cases)

Programme

SYLLABUS
I) Public intervention in the economic system:
1. Public intervention in the economy: economic justifications; theoretical settings; objectives and tools. The public sector in Italy.
2. Fundamentals of welfare economics.
3. Normative theories of social choice
4. Market failures and public intervention.
5. Formation and implementation of public decisions.
6. Macroeconomic goals and tools. Fiscal and budgetary policy in the context of the European Union.
II) The tax system:
1. Functions, requirements and problems of managing a tax system.
2. Equity and efficiency of a tax system.
3. Tax shifting and tax incidence.
4. The composition of a tax system. Structure and effects of taxes: personal income tax; business income and corporate taxation; the taxation of financial income; property taxes; consumption taxes.
5. The assignment of fiscal powers to central and local governments.

Core Documentation

TEXT-BOOKS:
B. Bises, Lezioni di Scienza delle finanze – Parte I: L’intervento pubblico nel sistema economico, Giappichelli Editore, Torino, III edizione, 2019.
B. Bises, Lezioni di Scienza delle finanze – Parte II: Il sistema tributario, Giappichelli Editore, Torino, III edizione, 2019.

Type of delivery of the course

Frontal lessons supported by Powerpoint slides available in advance and downloadable from the department website.

Type of evaluation

Written and oral exam according to the two following ways. I) Evaluation through a final exam – It consists of both: a) a 90-minute written test, in which three topics out of the four that are proposed on the entire program of the course should be developed; b) an oral test direct to integrate the assessment of the written test, which is carried out after discussing the written test with the teacher. The oral test is optional if a mark of at least 18/30 is obtained in the written test, while it is compulsory if the above assessment is between 15/30 and 17/30 and the student decides not to withdraw from the exam. II) Assessment during the course – It is carried out on the basis of an intermediate written test and a final written test which take place in April and at the end of May, respectively, as well as an oral test held in the first half of June. The intermediate and final written tests, both lasting 60 minutes, concern the first part and the second part of the program, respectively, and consist in the development of two topics out of the three that are proposed. A mark of at least 15/30 in the intermediate test allows admission to the final test. The overall mark reflects the evaluations obtained in the two tests. After discussing the written tests with the teacher, an oral test, direct to integrate the above assessments, may take place. It is optional if the overall mark is at least 18/30, while is mandatory in case of an overall assessment between 15/30 and 17/30 and the student decides not to withdraw from the exam. Failure in either written tests or in the optional oral test does not preclude to seat for the exam according to the procedures referred to in point I above.

Programme

The program is divided in two parts:
I) The economic role of the State
1. The economic role of the State: economic rationales; theoretical framework; aims and scope.
2. Welfare economics.
3. Normative principles for redistribution.
4. Market failures and public intervention.
5. Government Budget and Public Debt

II) The tax system and the economic analysis of taxation

1. Aims and characteristics of tax systems.
2. Equality and Efficiency issues.
3. Tax shifting and tax incidence.
4. Effects of taxes: personal income tax; corporate income tax; wealth tax; consumption tax.

Core Documentation

Parte I
Da B. Bises, Lezioni di Scienza delle finanze. L’intervento pubblico nel sistema economico, Giappichelli Editore, Torino, III edizione, 2019.

Cap. 2
Cap. 3, except "Appendice".
Cap. 4, except "Appendice".
Cap. 5, except par. 3
Cap. 6, except parr. 6.2.2, 6.2.3, 6.2.4, par. 7
Cap. 8 par. 5

Da P. Bosi (a cura di), Corso di Scienza delle Finanze, Il Mulino, Bologna, Ottava edizione, 2019.

Cap. 2, escluso par. 2
Cap. 4
Cap. 6

Parte II
Da B. Bises, Lezioni di Scienza delle finanze. Il sistema tributario, Giappichelli Editore, Torino, III edizione, 2019 (in corso di pubblicazione).

Cap. 1
Cap. 2, esclusi i parr. 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 4.3, 4.4, 5.
Cap. 4, esclusi parr. 5.3.3, 5.4, 6, 7.
Cap. 5
Cap. 6, escluso il par. 5.3.
Cap. 7
Cap. 9, escluso il par. 2.2.2.
Cap. 10, esclusi i parr. 2.2.4, 2.3.2.

Type of evaluation

Written exam