Public economics is a vibrant research area in both the Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods of the University of Milan and the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Pavia that were ranked among the best Italian Departments by the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR) in February 2017. The distinctive feature of studies in government and public policies is that they require a unique blend of theoretical and applied perspectives, with a serious understanding of context-specific policy issues. Over the last century, Government has emerged as a surprisingly dynamic factor of economic growth in advanced economies, with expenditures around 40% of GDP. But the role of the government extends beyond expenditure allocation, given the pervasiness of legislation, regulation and policies implemented to steer the economy, particularly after the Great Recession. Moreover, Government shapes institutions which are at the core of growth and innovation. The Faculty in this area has a particularly strong track record in advisory roles for national and international organizations, including the European Parliament, European Commission, European Investment Bank, World Bank, UNCTAD and has published in top international journals such as Journal of the European Economic Association, Journal of Public Economics, International Tax and Public Finance, Public Choice, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Urban Economics, European Journal of Political Economy, Energy Economics.

Research Topics

Structure, Scope and Performance of Government; Political Economy; Taxation and Redistributive Policies; Income Inequality and Poverty; Tax Evasion; Tax-Benefit Microsimulation Models; Empirical Analysis of Taxation; Public Debt; Cost-Benefit Analysis of Projects and Policies; Infrastructure Economics; Public Enterprises and Privatization; Network Industries and Public Services; Regulation and Competition Policy; Regional and Urban Economics and Policy; Economics and Policy of Science.

Coordinator

• Massimo Florio

Faculty

• Alberto Cavaliere
• Chiara Del Bo
• Carlo Fiorio
• Luca Micheletto
• Riccardo Puglisi
• Francesco Scervini
• Lorenzo Zirulia
• Simona Gamba

PhD Students