Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives On completion of this subject students should be familiar with the way in which economists apply economic theory and institutional knowledge of relevant parts of the economy to analyse government microeconomic policy options, and to make recommendations on policy actions; be able to understand and critically evaluate current policy debate on issues of microeconomic policy; and be able to evaluate the contributions and limitations of economic analysis for helping to understand and to evaluate microeconomic policy options.
Synopsis The subject builds on the first-year compulsory core economic subjects to provide an applied in-depth evaluation of three issues in the general area of microeconomics. The three issues will be drawn from: taxation and public expenditure; competition, ownership and price policies for public utilities; immigration; information; although the chosen three topics may change according to issues of contemporary interest. For each issue, the subject will move from a general discussion of the types of economic issues and questions to be considered; a review of, and where necessary extension of, the key analytical techniques used by economists to evaluate the topic; and illustration of the application of economic principles to critically evaluate different policy options.
Assessment Examination (3 hours): 100%