written by Jonathan Gruber

This book is a required text for ECON 504: Public Economics, one of the core CDE courses taught in the fall. The CDE currently uses the sixth edition in its classes.

Lessons assigned for class include the following:

  • Chapter 1
    • Section 1.1: "The Four Questions of Public Finance"
  • Chapter 2
    • sections on equibrium, social efficiency, competitive equilibrium maximizes social efficiency, and "From Social Efficiency to Social Welfare: The Role of Equity"
  • Chapter 3 "Empirical Tools of Public Finance"
  • Chapter 5 "Externalities: Problems and Solutions"
    • Sections 5.1 to 5.3
  • Chapter 6
    • Section 6.3, "The Economics of Smoking"
  • Chapter 7 "Public Goods: Problems and Solutions"
    • Introduction, Section 7.1, and 7.2
  • Chapter 10
    • Section 10.2, "Optimal Fiscal Federalism"
  • Chapter 11
    • Section 11.4: "Measuring the Returns to Education"