ENV 570b (Online) / 2020-2021

Public Finance

Credits: 1 Teaching Mode: Online Spring 2021: W, 5:30-6:45, online

Spring-2, Begins Week of March 22

This one-credit directed reading will provide a broad overview of the fundamentals of public finance in the United States, including key stakeholders/dynamics, challenges, and innovations. We will cover the role of key stakeholders in the operation of local government, current challenges, and recent innovations. Students will learn about the theoretical and practical (management, politics, collaboration) underpinnings of municipal fiscal policy, and how they are implemented in cities. Case studies and interactions with practitioners will provide real world reference points for material covered during the first half of the course. Public finance is a critical component of society’s response to challenges and ensuring
collective well-being, especially as underlined by the climate crisis and the current pandemic. The objective of this course, through lectures and discussions, is to introduce students to key trends, problems, and possibilities in public finance that future urban leaders must approach and leverage.