!!! Please see the registration information below !!!
There is currently no national government in the European Union (EU) that is not indebted to a certain extent. The same applies to the USA, Switzerland, and the other member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Moreover, many sub-national jurisdictions (e.g. states, cities) in these countries are also more-or-less heavily indebted. From time to time, whole countries or single sub-national jurisdictions even find themselves in danger of becoming insolvent because of not being able to finance past debts and take out new ones -- or, indeed, become insolvent.
Against this background, in this seminar we will investigate selected topics that are currently discussed in politics, the public debate, and within the research field "The Political Economy of Public Debt". For example: What level of public debt is "too high"? Should we bailout whole countries, federal states or municipalities? Why do Hans-Werner Sinn and Yanis Varoufakis have different opinions on the subject of "austerity policy"? What are the advantages and disadvantages of so-called "debt brakes"? And what do citizens in different countries actually think of government debt, bailout packages, austerity policies, debt brakes, etc.?
!!! A detailed Syllabus (seminar program, literature, etc.) will be presented in the first seminar session which will take place on Wednesday 04-Nov-2020 from 10:15 a.m. online via Zoom. The other sessions will also take place on Wednesdays from 10:15-11:45 a.m. online via Zoom.
!!! If you would like to participate, please klick the "apply/cancel application" ["belegen/abmelden"] button above. In early November, you'll receive a Zoom invitation email for the first session.
Required Coursework (Studienleistung): Short introductory presentation (Referat) to one of the topics covered in the seminar.
Final Examination (Pruefungsleistung): Seminar paper (Hausarbeit).
- Lehrende/r: Karsten Mause