Applied Microeconomics - Graduate Course

This course provides advanced discussion and examination of applied economics with a specific emphasis on issues related to the welfare state. The student will learn:

- Problems and concepts related to measurements of poverty and inequality
- Central economic arguments regarding provision of health care
- Central economic arguments regarding provision of school education
- Central economic arguments regarding provision of higher education
- Basic differences between a number of countries regarding various welfare state structures or organisations.
- To formulate advanced economic analysis of the welfare state both in terms of efficiency and in terms of distribution
- To analyse political ideologies by using economic theory
- Fundamental knowledge of links between the welfare state and economic growth
- The ability and skills to analyse the incentives for a social insurance system and other public interventions

The purpose of the course is to analyse the main elements of the welfare state by using an economic theoretical perspective. A recurring theme is to analyse the economic motives for government intervention in some central markets within a developed economy, such as the health and education markets and the market for old-age pensions. The consequences of such intervention are also analysed both in terms of economic efficiency and economic equality. The course also provides several cross-country comparisons related to different welfare state arrangements.

A written exam and assignments.

Lectures and work on a set of assignments with both analytical and essay-like features.

The Swedish grades U–VG.

There is a maximum of five resit opportunities to take the exam.
Replaces NAD 011, NAD 010, NAD 009, NAD 006.