Public Economics for the Global South

MGDI20242 Public Economics for the Global South 20 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 2 Upasak Das Unit coordinator Global Development Institute 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Middle part of Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 This course unit introduces students to basic concepts of public economics, that includes externalities, taxation and public goods. The course starts with a broad overview of basic microeconomic theory and discusses issues related to three important aspects of public economics: externalities, public goods and taxation. The larger aim is to understand the theoretical foundations of the arguments for and against public policies and government interventions. The course will also discuss issues related to education and health in the Global South and the associated government interventions. In addition, the course provides insights from behavioural economics that assume importance in the design and analysis of public policies. There is a particular focus on policies concerning health, education and poverty.The course unit assumes that students are familiar with GCSE maths and have completed MGDI 10032 or equivalent. The course will be delivered to a mixed-ability class: Some students will have studied maths and/or statistics to a higher level than others.   This course unit introduces students to basic concepts of public economics, that includes externalities, taxation and public goods. The course starts with a broad overview of basic microeconomic theory and discusses issues related to three important aspects of public economics: externalities, public goods and taxation. The larger aim is to understand the theoretical foundations of the arguments for and against public policies and government interventions. The course will also discuss issues related to education and health in the Global South and the associated government interventions. In addition, the course provides insights from behavioural economics that assume importance in the design and analysis of public policies. There is a particular focus on policies concerning health, education and poverty.The course unit assumes that students are familiar with GCSE maths and have completed MGDI 10032 or equivalent. The course will be delivered to a mixed-ability class: Some students will have studied maths and/or statistics to a higher level than others.   This unit aims to:<ol><li>Introduce students to key concepts in basic public economics that include externalities, taxation, public goods, and government policies on health, education and poverty reduction</li><li>Equip students to apply the concepts while analysing policies pertaining to the global south</li><li>Develop students’ ability to think critically on government interventions  </li></ol> On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to apply core concepts from public economics to analyse real-world policy problems in the Global South using economic reasoning. They will develop the understanding required to evaluate government interventions, drawing on both theoretical models and empirical evidence. The course will also strengthen students’ critical understanding through engagement with academic literature, policy documents, and publicly available datasets. Students will also enhance their analytical writing skills by constructing coherent, evidence-based arguments in formative and summative assessments. In addition, the unit provides skills that can enhance employability through data interpretation, policy evaluation, and better writing skills.  <ul><li>Explain specific concepts and theories in externalities, public goods and taxation</li><li>Explain the consequences of specific government interventions related to health and education</li><li>Describe how behavioural insights can play a key role in the design and analysis of public policies  </li></ul> <ul><li>Compare different strands of literature on taxation, public goods, and externalities in developing country contexts.</li><li>Critically evaluate the government intervention in the context of the Global South  </li></ul> <ul><li>Evaluate government interventions on well-being  </li><li>Use data to understand the issues in the Global South  </li></ul> <ul><li>Develop coherent, theory informed arguments supported by evidence, demonstrating strong analytical and academic writing skills</li><li>Use publicly available datasets to identify trends and communicate evidence-based policy arguments.  </li></ul> Indicative weekly lecture and class scheduleTentative outline of the topics covered:<ul><li>Introduction to public economics</li><li>Some basic principles of economics</li><li>Market controls, Price ceiling, Price floor</li><li>Externalities, Coase Theorem</li><li>Public Goods, Free-rider problem, Tragedy of Commons</li><li>Taxation, Laffer Curve</li><li>Government interventions in education and health in the Global South with some focus behavioural aspects</li><li>Social Protection programmes  </li></ul> Teaching and learning will be based on ten lectures (one lecture per week for two hours) and ten tutorials (one tutorial weekly, 1 hour each). Lectures will combine presentation of the learning material with some interactive discussion and group activities. Reading lists, lecture slides and tutorial questions/ materials will be posted on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Tutorials will mainly consist of analysing data and develop understanding of the theoretical aspects while developing writing skills. They provide ample opportunities for students to engage critically with the theoretical and empirical aspects and develop their writing and understanding of the topics discussed.  1 Written exam 50% 2 Written assignment (inc essay) 50% Feedback on the assessments via the VLE within SEED’s guidelines. BSc Global Development BSc (Hons) Global Development Second Year Optional N This course unit is majorly based on a single textbook: Principles of Economics by N. Mankiw (Core)Some lectures will also be based on:Ashraf, S., Kuang, J., Das, U., Shpenev, A., Thulin, E., & Bicchieri, C. (2022). Social beliefs and women’s role in sanitation decision making in Bihar, India: An exploratory mixed method study. Plos one, 17(1), e0262643.Basu, K., Foster, J. E., & Subramanian, S. (2000). Isolated and proximate illiteracy: And why these concepts matter in measuring literacy and designing education programmes. Economic and Political Weekly, 35-39.Bicchieri, C. (2005). The grammar of society: The nature and dynamics of social norms. Cambridge University Press.Biswas, S., & Das, U. What’s the worth of a promise? Evaluating the indirect effects of a program to reduce,  Economica (forthcoming)Das, U., Sarkhel, P., & Ashraf, S. (2020). Love Thy Neighbour? Perceived Community Abidance and Private Compliance to COVID-19 Norms in India. South Asia Economic Journal, 13915614211053928.Dinku, Y., Fielding, D., & Genç, M. (2019). Neighbourhood ethnic diversity, child health outcomes and women’s empowerment. The Journal of Development Studies, 55(9), 1909-1927.    Glewwe, P., & Muralidharan, K. (2016). Improving education outcomes in developing countries: Evidence, knowledge gaps, and policy implications. In Handbook of the Economics of Education (Vol. 5, pp. 653-743). Elsevier.Habyarimana, James, Macartan Humphreys, Daniel N. Posner, and Jeremy M. Weinstein. 2007. “Why does ethnic diversity undermine public goods provision?” American Political Science Review 709-725.Kremer, M., & Glennerster, R. (2011). Improving health in developing countries: evidence from randomized evaluations. In Handbook of health economics (Vol. 2, pp. 201-315). Elsevier.Musaddiq, T., & Said, F. (2023). Educate the girls: Long run effects of secondary schooling for girls in Pakistan. World Development, 161, 106115.Mwabu, G. (2007). Health economics for low-income countries. Handbook of development economics, 4, 3305-3374.Owens, J. (2004). A review of the social and non-market returns to education. Education and Learning Network, Wales, 2019-06.   Lectures 20 Tutorials 10 0 170 The course syllabus will incorporate research papers authored by women, BAME and non-European researchers. Learning materials, including textbooks and journal and other relevant articles, are made accessible to all students before the lecture, and the lectures will be recorded for them to refer later. Discussions, and group work are encouraged to engage diverse learners. The class environment and formative assessments will provide opportunities for peer learning. Examples from across the Global South are used during the lectures and tutorials. In both the summative assessments, there would a choice set of questions from which the student has to answer one question, thereby catering to diverse interests.