ECX5810 Public economics
Faculty of Business and Economics
ECX5810 Public economics is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 4 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ECX5810
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ECX5810
No unit lists ECX5810 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must be enrolled in course B6001, B6036, B6030, B6043, B6045 or B3701 to undertake this unit.
Overview
This unit examines how collective decisions affect the welfare of a society. It will first discuss how free-riding and coordination problems in collective decision making by the citizens, and incentive and credibility problems in the public sector, determine economic policies. It then applies this incentive approach to study how various kinds of interactions between citizens and their government determine social welfare, paying special attention to the importance of voting; political competition; distributional conflicts and institutions in determining collective decision making.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Exercise20%
- Presentation25%
- Demonstration5%
- Quiz / Test50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
analyse important issues pertinent to collective decision making by the citizens and the functioning of the public sector
- 2
understand how to investigate the role of voting, interest groups, political competition, and distributional conflicts in affecting public policies
- 3
understand the role of the state in affecting economic performance and social welfare, with an emphasis on the role of the institutional environment and strategic interactions between citizens and politicians in shaping government behaviour.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops36 hours
- Assessments-
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
This unit includes problem-based learning approaches, where you engage in research, integrate theory and practice and apply knowledge and skills to develop viable solutions in response to a problem or set of problems.
Where it fits
ECX5810 is part of 1 area of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Timothy Moore
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ECX5810?
ECX5810 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ECX5810 offered?
In 2026, ECX5810 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield.
How much work is ECX5810?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ECX5810 have an exam?
No. ECX5810 has 4 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ECX5810?
ECX5810 is part of Economics.