What government does and why it does it

Are all problems public policy problems?

Public goods, private goods, toll goods, & common pool resources

Market failures

Externalities

Monopolies

Information asymmetries

Transaction costs

RES #4: Michael Kraft and Scott Furlong. 2004. Public Policy: Politics, Analysis, and Alternatives. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press. pages 3 - 31.

RES #5: Dipak K. Gupta, 2001.  Analyzing Public Policy: Concepts, Tools, and Techniques. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press. pages 20 - 45.

Handout - Risks of Second Hand Smoke

Handout - Second Hand Smoke & Government Intervention

Handout - Noise pollution

Handout - Catastrophic insurance

Handout - Tariffs and ethanol

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Figures - Rationales for government intervention

To be added

Weimer, David L. and Aidan R. Vining. 2005. Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice. Fourth Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-109083-6