Facultatea de Științe Economice și Gestiunea Afacerilor
Str. Teodor Mihali nr. 58-60
Cluj-Napoca, RO-400951
Tel.: 0264-41.86.52-5
Fax: 0264-41.25.70
econ@econ.ubbcluj.ro
www.econ.ubbcluj.ro
DETAILED SYLLABUS
Public Finance
1. Information about the study program
1.1 University
1.2 Faculty
1.3 Department
1.4 Field of study
1.5 Program level (bachelor or master)
Babes-Bolyai University
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Finance
Finance
Graduate
1.6 Study program / Qualification
Finance and Banking
2. Information about the subject
2.1 Subject title
Public Finance
2.2 Course activities professor
Prof.univ.dr. Adrian Mihai INCEU
2.3 Seminar activities professor
Prof.univ.dr. Adrian Mihai INCEU
2.4 Year of study
1st 2.5 Semester
1st 2.6 Type of assessment
EC 2.7 Subject regime
Compulsory
3. Total estimated time (teaching hours per semester)
3.1 Number of hours per week
3 out of which: 3.2 course
2
3.3 seminar/laboratory
3.4 Total number of hours in the
42 out of which: 3.5 course
28
3.6 seminar/laboratory
curriculum
Time distribution
Study based on textbook, course support, references and notes
Additional documentation in the library, through specialized databases and field activities
Preparing seminars/laboratories, essays, portfolios and reports
Tutoring
Assessment (examinations)
Others activities ...................................
3.7 Total hours for individual study
83
3.8 Total hours per semester
125
3.9 Number of credits
5
1
14
Hours
40
18
20
2
3
4. Preconditions (if necessary)
4.1 Curriculum
4.2 Skills
5. Conditions (if necessary)
5.1. For course
development
5.2. For seminar /
laboratory development
Portable or cellular telephones, beepers, pagers, televisions, radios, hand-held video
games, and CD and radio headsets are not permitted. They are to be turned off and are
not for use in the classroom. Laptops, only for note taking, are permitted.
Students are not permitted to eat food in class (coffee, water and sodas only). While
attendance is not required, students are graded on their class participation.
Students who do not answer questions in class because they are not in class will receive
zero scores.
1
NOTE: This document represents an informal translation performed by the faculty.
6. Acquired specific competences
Professional
competences
•
•
•
Transversal
competences
Appropriate use of fiscal concepts, theories, methods and financial instruments in entities /
organizations to private and public;
Performing works in the economic-financial institutions / private organizations and public;
Applying the fiscal concepts in financial and economic activities performed in private and public
companies.
• Apply the principles, norms and values ethics in their work strategy rigorous, effective and
accountable;
• Identify roles and responsibilities in a team multi - specialized and apply effective techniques and
working relationships within the team;
• Identify opportunities for lifelong learning and the effective use of learning resources and personal
development techniques;
7. Subject objectives (arising from the acquired specific competences)
7.1 Subject’s general objective
7.2 Specific objectives
The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the theory and
practice of how government finances itself from both positive and normative
points of view. To accomplish this, the course reviews rationales for
government intervention in the market place, analyzes methods of resolving
conflicts over the size of the public sector budget, extensively analyzes the
rationales and issues of various sources of public revenue, and reviews the
effects of public sector spending and taxes on the aggregate economy.
The course covers the role and size of the public sector, including the rationale
for public sector interventions such as market failure and distributional
concerns;
Analyze the key factors determining a nation’s fiscal architecture; public
resource mobilization via user charges and taxation (including the economics
of taxation, taxation of income, wealth, consumption and trade, tax incentives,
tax compliance and enforcement, and tax reform); public expenditure policy,
including assessment of government social protection programs and public
sector efficiency and effectiveness; fiscal balance and deficit financing; and
fiscal decentralization and intergovernmental fiscal relations.
Emphasizes utilization of theoretical and applied techniques in a comparative
context for evaluation of the impact of alternative resource mobilization and
expenditure policies on allocative efficiency, social equity, and economic
growth.
8. Contents
8.1 Course
Introduction in Public Finance. Public sector and public goods.
Public budget. Taxation and income distribution
Principles of taxation
The personal income tax (the individual)
Teaching
methods
Lectures using
projector and
notices.
Lectures using
projector and
notices.
Lectures using
projector and
notices.
Lectures using
projector and
notices.
Observations
2 lectures
2 lectures
2 lectures
2 lectures
2
NOTE: This document represents an informal translation performed by the faculty.
Lectures using
projector and
notices.
Lectures using
projector and
notices.
Lectures using
projector and
notices.
The corporate tax
Taxes on consumption and wealth
Fiscal burden and tax evasion
2 lectures
2 lectures
2 lectures
References:
1. A. Atkinson and J. Stiglitz, Lectures on Public Economics, McGraw-Hill (1980)
2. Gruber, Jonathan. Public Finance and Public Policy. 3rd ed. Worth Publishers, 2009.
3. Harvey S. Rosen and Ted Gayer, Public Finance, Eighth Edition (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007).
4. Mara, E.R., 2011, Finanţele publice si fiscalitatea între teorie şi practică, Editura Risoprint, Cluj-Napoca
5. Pigou, A.C. (1947), A study in public finance, MacMillan, London;
6. Richard A. and Peggy B. Musgrave, Public Finance in Theory and Practice, Fifth Edition (New York:
McGraw Hill, 1989).
7. Rosen, H.S. and T. Gayer, 2010, Public Finance, 9th Edition, McGraw - Hill Publishing.
8. Samuel H. Baker and Catherine S. Elliott, eds., Readings in Public Sector Economics(Lexington, MA: D.C.
Heath and Co., 1990).
9. Stiglitz, Joseph, E. (2000), Economics of the Public Sector, 3rd Edition, Editura Norton & Co., New York
Teaching
Observations
8. 2 Seminar/laboratory
methods
Characteristics of public/private goods. Externalities.
Explanations
2 tutorials
Types of taxes. Case Study.
Solving
3 tutorials
applications
Progressive and Regressive Taxation. Applications.
Solving
3 tutorials
applications
The Laffer Curve
Solving
2 tutorials
applications
Personal income tax – case studies
Solving
4 tutorials
applications
References:
1. A. Atkinson and J. Stiglitz, Lectures on Public Economics, McGraw-Hill (1980)
2. Gruber, Jonathan. Public Finance and Public Policy. 3rd ed. Worth Publishers, 2009.
3. Harvey S. Rosen and Ted Gayer, Public Finance, Eighth Edition (New York: McGrawHill/Irwin, 2007).
4. Mara, E.R., 2011, Finanţele publice si fiscalitatea între teorie şi practică, Editura
Risoprint, Cluj-Napoca
5. Rosen, H.S. and T. Gayer, 2010, Public Finance, 9th Edition, McGraw - Hill
Publishing.
6. Samuel H. Baker and Catherine S. Elliott, eds., Readings in Public Sector
Economics(Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath and Co., 1990).
7. Stiglitz, Joseph, E. (2000), Economics of the Public Sector, 3rd Edition, Editura Norton
& Co., New York
9. Corroboration / validation of the subject’s content in relation to the expectations coming from
representatives of the epistemic community, of the professional associations and of the representative
employers in the program’s field.
 The course is structured to provide practical knowledge necessary both as an employee and as an employer of
tax obligations owed to the state authorities.
10. Assessment (examination)
Type of activity
10.1 Assessment criteria
10.2 Assessment methods
10.4 Course
Ability to understand theoretical concepts
Understanding and interpretation of legal
concepts.
Final exam 40% (minimum
required 20%)
Mid-term test 20%
10.3 Weight in
the final grade
60%
3
NOTE: This document represents an informal translation performed by the faculty.
Capacity of synthesis and analysis of
Both are theoretical evaluation
knowledge taught in the course and from the based on multiple choices,
materials recommended for individual study. true/false answers, and open
questions.
10.5
Evaluation of student performance is based
Seminar/laboratory on presented essay examinations, problem
sets, test from applications, and class
participation.
Presentation of the essay 10%
Answers to problem sets must
contain explanations of all
numerical results.
Test 20%
Class participation and solving
applications 10%
40%
10.6 Minimum performance standard
• It is necessary to obtain a minimum grade of 5 (five) in order to pass this subject;
• The grades being granted are between 1 (one) and 10 (ten);
• The exam is written and takes approximately 100 minutes;
Date of filling
21.01.2015
Signature of the course professor
Prof.univ.dr. Adrian Mihai INCEU
Date of approval by the department
22.01.2015
Signature of the seminar professor
Prof.univ.dr. Adrian Mihai INCEU
Head of department’s signature
Professor Cristina Ciumaş
4
NOTE: This document represents an informal translation performed by the faculty.