Description
This collection of mostly original articles is addressed to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in courses in public policy, public finance, health policy, urban affairs and related courses, and also to policy professionals in these areas. The readings are in diverse and current areas of public policy such as AIDS, the economics of child care and the Americans with Disabilities Act, using different types of economic analysis. Each contribution is designed to meet three goals – to teach a lesson in economics, to take a stand on an issue of public policy and to examine empirical evidence on the issue. The health economics issues specifically addressed in the book include the economic costs of HIV/AIDS, the principles of managed competition and regulation of health care markets. The labour market issues addressed include the analysis of black-white wage and employment differentials, and the economic effects of mandated job accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The housing issues addressed include analysis of the economic effects of zoning, and analysis of the role of secondary mortgage markets and government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae. The issues of public and private choice addressed include school vouchers and public-private school choice, government intervention in the market for child-care services, and the role of public infrastructure in economic growth. The contributors do not represent any particular ideological school of thought.
