Business sciences

The aim of the course is to provide the student with the background essential to analyse the public sector activities, with special reference to European countries and Italy. The course offers insights into the reasons and scope of the public sector activities, including its development during the last century. Special attention is devoted to the analysis of the public expenditures and revenues and to their economic effects. The course also focuses on budgetary procedures, on fiscal policy issues in the EMU and on the dynamics of debts and deficits.At the end of the course the students will be able to understand the reasons for government's intervention (allocation, stabilization and redistribution). They will understand how the public budget is decided on and which are the principal steps and problems connected with budgetary policy. They will be able to understand the meaning and scope of the main budgetary rules, both domestic and international. Students will understand the basic tax instruments and their economic (tax incidence and welfare effects). Students will be provided with the essential notions regarding the fiscal activities of local governments, with a particular focus on the impact of intergovernmental grants. Their knowledge about public expenditure programs will mainly include the financing of the pensions systems and of anti-poverty programs. Finally, students will acquire the basic notions of market regulation.