Fiskalföderalismus (Bachelor)
Content:
Federalism refers to a hierarchical government structure in which each individual is concurrently a citizen of multiple governments. Students residing in Mainz are, for example, citizens of the city of Mainz, the state RLP, Germany, and the European Union. These arrangements are widespread across the globe. The module addresses the interaction between the various tiers. Through grants-in-aid, for instance, central governments impose restrictions and influence the behaviour of states.
This course examines the federalist arrangement in Germany and the European Union (equalisation schemes, European funds), the theory of collective decision-making in federalist frameworks, and contemporary theories of federalism, focusing on yardstick competition. The presentation will be given in German.
Main reference:
Robert P. Inman and Daniel L. Rubinfeld: Democratic Federalism: The Economics, Politics, and Law of Federal Governance. Princeton University Press, 2020.
Winter Term 2025 / 2026
Lec: Wed 4pm - 5:30pm, HS III
Tut: Thur 4pm - 5:30pm, HS III (by Maike Roth)
Collective Decision Making and Applied Public Finance (MIEPP)
Content:
The course covers three disciplines of public economics that are intricately interrelated. The initial section focuses on preference aggregation. In order to make effective economic policy decisions, an amalgamation of preferences is necessary. The course will therefore provide an introduction to the fundamental concepts of social choice theory.
The second area is taxes. This section discusses tax schemes, optimal taxation, and international tax policy.
The third section concludes with a discussion of fiscal federalism, i.e., the interaction between the various governmental divisions within a political system.
Main reference:
Amartya Sen: Collective Choice and Social Welfare. Harvard University Press (Penguin Books) 2017
Anthony Atkinson and Joseph Stiglitz: Lecture on Public Economics, Princeton University Press, 2015.
Winter Term 2025 / 2026
The module consists of a lecture and an exercise component. Students are required to write a term paper and give a seminar presentation. Attendance is mandatory; if you are unable to attend a session, please notify us in advance.
Lec: Mon 10:15am - 11:45am, RW5 and Tue 10:15am - 11:45am, HS IX
The last lecture is on 9th December, followed by the tutorial starting on 15th December 2025.
Tut: Mon 10:15am - 11:45am, RW5 and Tue 10:15am - 11:45am, HS IX