SluitenHelpPrint
Switch to English
Cursus: USEMPCIW
USEMPCIW
Policy Competition in an International World
Cursus informatie
CursuscodeUSEMPCIW
Studiepunten (EC)5
Inhoud
The course gives an overview of the international macroeconomic framework in which economic and social policy can operate. With this it builds on the general course on macroeconomics. Furthermore, it shows the constraints and possibilities for national economic and social policy for different policy fields, such as welfare policy, which are presented in other courses of the curriculum.

With increasing internationalisation and mobility of capital, politics are put under more and more pressure. Firms threaten to relocate; tax havens emerge in order to attract investors.
Different types of countries reacted differently to these international challenges. Some have entered tax competition to try to reduce effective tax rates in order to attract companies. Some have cut back on welfare arrangements in order to invest more into business, others have reduced the influence of the public sector. This course analyses whether countries should compete with regard to taxes, labour standards, regulatory norms, welfare expenditures and social provisions, and what the potential effects of such policy competition are. Will there be a race to the bottom or will other outcomes be more likely within Europe? We will analyse this problem under theoretical and empirical aspects.

Learning objectives 
At the end of the course the student is able to:
  • Analyse and evaluate political economic phenomena;
  • Apply economic models of competition to international policy areas;
  • Co-operate with other students in solving problems;
  • Advise about economic consequences of social situations;
  • Co-operate professionally;
  • Present conclusions and also present the knowledge and motivation on which this is based to a team of specialists and non-specialists;
  • Set up and implement a theoretical/empirical study.
 
Format 
Lectures, tutorials and paper sessions.

Assessment method
  • Written exam based on the basic literature used (30%, individual);
  • Write a research paper (40%, group);
  • Discussion and presentation of the paper (30%).
In case online access is required for this course and you are not in the position to buy the access code, you are advised to contact the course coordinator for an alternative solution. Please note that access codes are not re-usable meaning that codes from second hand books do not work, as well as access codes from books with a different ISBN number. Separate or spare codes are usually not available.
SluitenHelpPrint
Switch to English