POL 541 - State and Local Public Finance

3 credits
POL 540 or permission of instructor; Matriculated students must be a graduate student in good standing. Non matriculated students must possess an earned bachelor’s degree. Any exceptions require the permission of one of the following: the course instructor, the graduate program director or the Department Chair. Explores the major economic decisions of subnational governments regarding taxation and expenditures. Considers how these decisions affect the allocation of both private and public resources. Focuses on constraints imposed on state and local governments that are not placed on the federal government, including the requirement of annually balanced budgets. Includes a detailed examination of economic and other data available on state and local governments, a review of existing relevant laws and policies pertaining to state and local public finance and examination of issues involving public goods and externalities in the particular context of states and municipalities.