Faculty Contact Information:
Instructor: Gordon Leitch
Mailing Address: UMUC, Unit 29216 APO AE 09102
Email: gleitch@faculty.ed.umuc.edu | |
Consultation:
Consultation: via email or by appointment.
Syllabus available from
http://www.ed.umuc.edu/graduate/current_syllabi/index.html | | |
Required Texts and Readings:
American Psychological Association. 2001. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, (5th ed.). Washington DC: Author.
Hyman, D.N. 2002. Public Finance: A Contemporary Application of Theory to Policy,(7th ed.). Fort Worth: Dryden Press. | |
Supplementary Readings:
Some distributed additional readings or those that are available free of charge through online resources such as the UMUC Online Library may
be assigned. In addition, all graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at http://www.umuc.edu/library/. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills. | |
Recommended Journals:
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Course Description:
| Prerequisites: ECON 201 Principles of Economics-Macro and ECON 203 Principles of Economics-Micro, or ECON 505, or equivalent, and undergraduate American political science or American government, or permission of the Program Director. An analysis of the elements, structure, functions, and processes of public finance. This course covers theory and practice of the allocation, distribution, and stabilization roles of the government at national, state, and local levels. | |
Course Goals:
Upon completion of the course, participants should have an understanding of:
1. The rationale for the economic activity of the government in a capitalistic economy
2. The use of visual and mathematical economic analysis
3. The structure, sources, functions, and trends of U.S. public funds
4. The role of government in resource allocation, distribution, and stabilization policies
5. Economic policy options in a capitalistic economy
6. The specific structure of the U.S. personal and corporate income tax structure
7. The nature of the federal deficit and debt | |
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
1. Analyze how a market system operates with government influence
2. Evaluate issues of market failure such as externalities and public goods
3. Critique government policies that effect the market economy
4. Develop a feeling for the complex nature of the business/government environment
5. Utilize government-provided data to evaluate economic performance
6. Prepare a written project to discuss some aspect of the public sector 7. Provide an oral presentation covering the written project information | |
Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 92%
B 80 – 91%
C 70 – 79%
F Below 70%
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog, available online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs or in your local Education Center. | |
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society. In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
Participate in classroom discussions 10%
Write graduate level papers or case studies 30%
Orally/visually present prepared material 20%
Complete one or more written examination(s) 40% | |
Description of Course Requirements:
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner. Usually this requires two to three hours of additional for every hour of a face-to-face class and approximately ten hours of preparation per week for a DE class.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Plan on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level deliverables.
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In a face-to-face course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. In a DE class, this means creating a visual/textual presentation for your instructor and classmates.
Complete one or more written examination(s): The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used for this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam.
The term project is a chance for you to explore, examine, write,
and talk about a topic within the realm of our studies this term that interests you. During the first weekend of class, I shall be happy to discuss possible topics and guide you as you select a project subject.
Think carefully and diligently about your organization. Your project should have some form of introduction or abstract that indicates the direction and structure of your paper.
Ensure you then follow that outline you have described.
You are required to use the APA reference style. Your references should come from a cross-section of sources, i.e., books,professional journals, newspapers, court cases, etcetera. There is no established number of references or pages. However, prudence would dictate four or five references as too few and 200 too many. Similarly, five or six pages of text is going to be too short and 50 too long.
Your project must be stapled together but not enclosed in any form of folder or cover.
Your oral presentation may be in a format that suits you. You may stand, sit, use Powerpoint, provide handouts, et cetera. Your presentation should be about 10 -15 minutes long. | |
Course Schedule:
This schedule presents 16 units or modules, with each unit corresponding to a regular three-hour weekday meeting, a half-day on weekends, or a full week of DE.
Initial meeting:
Introductions
Review of syllabus
Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
Orientation to subject
Individuals and Government Chapter 1 w/(Appendix 1)
Second meeting:Efficiency, Markets, and Gov't Chapter 2 w/(Appendix 2)
Third meeting: Externalities and Governments Policy Chapter 3
Fourth meeting:Public Goods Chapter 4
Fifth meeting: Government Finance Chapter 10
Sixth meeting: Taxation, Price, Efficiency,
and Income Distribution Chapter 11
Seventh meeting: Budget Balance and Debt Chapter 12
Eighth meeting: The Theory of Income Taxation Chapter 13
Ninth meeting: Personal Income Taxation Chapter 14
Tenth meeting: Taxation of Corporate Income Chapter 15
Eleventh meeting: Taxes on Consumption and Sales Chapter 16
Twelfth meeting: Taxes on Wealth, Property,
and Estates Chapter 17
Thirteenth meeting: Project submission/presentation
Project Presentations
Fourteenth meeting: Project Presentations
Fifteenth meeting: Project Presentations
Sixteenth meeting: Final Examination /Course evaluations | |
Academic Policies:
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs/ or from your local Education Center, for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities | |
Faculty Bio:
| Gordon Leitch. I received my M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Tulane University. An extract from my dissertation "Profitability and the Evaluation of Economic Forecasts" was published in American Economic Review. Prior to joining the European Division in 1996 I taught at UMUC's program at Far Eastern State University in Vladivostok, Russia. I have also taught economics, finance, management and statistics courses at Tulane University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Loyola University (New Orleans), and the University of Portland. | | |