Seminar: Public Economics
Course content
The seminar invites students to analyze theoretical and empirical issues within public economics.
Possible topics include:
- Labor supply and taxation
- Optimal income taxation
- Universal basic income
- Inequality and the tax system
- Public good provision and marginal cost of public funds
- Optimal commodity taxation
- Individuals’ understanding of and preferences for public interventions.
- Taxation of multinational firms
- Taxation and regulation of the financial sector
- Tax havens
- Tax evasion
- Green taxes
- Taxation of sin goods (tobacco, alcohol etc.)
- Optimal social insurance (unemployment, disability, etc.)
- Retirement and taxes / public transfers
- Tax competition
- Border trading
- Taxation and international migration
- Tagging
Students are encouraged to write papers in pairs. Examples of what papers may do include:
- A thorough review of related articles on a specific topic
- An independent extension of an existing theoretical model
- Simulations of a theoretical model with the aim of, e.g., testing an estimation strategies or policy recommendations.
- A replication and extension of the empirical analysis of a published article using the article’s dataset
- An independent empirical analysis using, e.g., data available through one’s work or publicly available data
- A policy paper on a relevant topic of economic policy
The seminar is primarily for students at the MSc of Economics.
After completing the seminar, the student is expected to be able to fulfil the learning outcome specified in the Master curriculum and to be able to:
Knowledge:
- Define and discuss the differences between a research question and strategy.
- Define and discuss the structure of a good (seminar) paper.
- Identity relevant literature.
Skills:
- Use existing knowlegde to analyze new theoretical or empirical problems.
- Evaluate the feasibilty of a research strategy.
- Present a research project to peers.
Competences:
- Independently plan and execute a research project.
Students receive individual guidance from the instructor.
Students prepare a draft assignment, which they present to the
teacher and the other students. The students take turns acting as
opponents during each other’s presentations. The feedback should
especially focus on the written presentation in the draft
assignment, with particular emphasis on the
introduction.
For relevant literature, please refer to the syllabuses of the courses Public Finance and Tax Policy as well as top journals (American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics etc.), top field journals (American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Journal of Public Economics) and the journals Journal of Economic Perspectives and Journal of Economic Literature.
The seminar builds on the courses Public Finance and Tax Policy.
BSc in Economics or similar
Exact dates will be available in the seminar’s course room no
later than 14 days before the start of the semester
• Kick-off meeting: Week 6 / 36. See exact date in Absalon.
• Additional meetings/introductory teaching/guidance: Optional. See
Absalon.
• Deadline for submission of commitment paper/project description:
No later than February 28 / September 30.
• Deadline for uploading seminar paper draft in Absalon: No later
than one week before the presentations. See exact date in Absalon.
• Presentations: In the period November 20 – December 11 for the
autumn semester and May 1 – 23 for the spring semester.
See exact dates in Absalon.
• Common submission date for all seminars: December 20 at 10:00 for
the autumn semester and June 1 at 10:00 for the spring
semester.
Examples of the feedback given:
- The teacher gives the students individual guidance on formulating a feasible research question and strategy.
- Each student receives individually oral feedback on a written outline and presentation of the project from peers and teacher.
- The teacher gives the students individual guidance during the execution of the project.
- Each student receives individually oral feedback on the paper and at the presentation from peers and teacher.
For enrolled students: More information about registration, schedule, rules etc. can be found at Master (UK) and Master (DK ).
More information about seminars is available at Seminars (UK) and Seminars (DK).
Read about the study programme and curricula at MSc in Economics
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Home assignment
- Type of assessment details
- Individual or in groups of up to 3.
A seminar paper of 15 standard pages for one person, 22.5 standard pages for 2 and 30 standard pages for 3 students.
See further exam information in the Masters Programme Curriculum. - Examination prerequisites
-
Attendance in all seminar activities as stated in the Master curriculum.
Reexam: Hand in and have approved a synopsis.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
Use of AI tools is permitted.
Students must complete and upload a GAI declaration along with their submission regardless of whether GAI has been used or not. Failure to upload the GAI declaration will be considered a violation of formal requirements.
If GAI-generated material is included as a source (either directly or in edited form), the same rules regarding the use of quotation marks and source referencing apply as for any other source. Failure to comply with these rules will be regarded as plagiarism.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
- Exam period
-
The seminar paper must be uploaded in Digital Exam.
Common submission date for all seminars: December 20 at 10:00 for the autumn semester.
For enrolled students more information about examination, rules, aids etc. is available at the intranet for Master (UK) and Master (DK ).
- Re-exam
-
Individual seminar paper of 15 standard pages. See further exam information in the Masters Programme Curriculum.
Deadline and more information is available at MSc in Economics - KUnet
More information about reexam etc. is available at Master(UK) and Master(DK).
Criteria for exam assessment
Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the seminar and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes in the Curriculum of the Master programme.
- Category
- Hours
- Project work
- 186
- Seminar
- 20
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- AØKK08340U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 semester
- Placement
- Spring
- Capacity
- One class of up to 20 students
- Studyboard
- Department of Economics, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Economics
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinator
- Thomas Rasmusen Damsgaard Tørsløv (6-7079693836344368667271316e7831676e)
Teacher
Thomas Damsgaard Tørsløv
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