03568 - Economic Policy

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Statistical Sciences (cod. 8873)

Learning outcomes

The course would make the students be able to analyse the economic policies and their effects on the economic and social development.

The student knows the structural economic problems of Italian economy (local development, public debt, Southern-Northern differences, employments).

The student could be understand and analyse the principal economic documents.

To reach these objectives the students will be able to use the most important national and international data bases to study the economical policies (Regio- Data Base Eurostat, Istat-Data Base).

Course contents

Introduction to political economy;

- The development and the Italian economic trends in the latter postwar;

- The Italian endogenous models and local systems, the industrial districts and the globalization;

-The economic growth theory and the growth determinants

-Quality of the Institutions, Corruption and Economic Development

- Some Italian structural problems: the national debt, the South of Italy, the employment and the unemployment;

- The role of the Italian economic policy in the European contest;

- The European budget;

- The single market, the Maastricht agreements, the economic and monetary union;

- The main EU policies: The Cohesion Policy and some elements of Agricultural Policy.

Readings/Bibliography

Documents about European and Italian Economic Policy that can be downloaded from the web-site of Prof. Brasili and some chapters/paragraphs indicated in the last slide related to the topic:

Politica Economica – Valli, 2005 Cap.1 e Cap. 4

Politica Economica Volume I – Valli, 1998 Cap.13 e paragrafi 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.4, 14.5 e 15.5

Politica Economica – Valli, 2005

Mezzogiorno a tradimento – Viesti – Cap.3

Politica Economica – Valli, 2005 - Par. 5.8

Lo sviluppo locale – Ciapetti, 2010

Il distretto industriale Marshalliano come concetto socio-economico - G. Becattini, 1991

L’“effetto distretto”: motivazioni e risultati di un progetto di ricerca – L. Federico Signorini, 2000

I distretti industriali del Terzo Millennio – F. Guelpa, S. Micelli, 2007 Cap.1

I distretti industriali del Terzo Millennio – F. Guelpa, S. Micelli, 2007 Cap.7

Le nuove politiche regionali dell'Unione Europea – Viesti, Prota – Cap.1 e 2

Politica Regionale – Commissione Europea [http://www2.stat.unibo.it/brasili/polec_2017/regional_policy_it.pdf]

I fondi strutturali europei: otto lezioni dall'esperienza italiana – Viesti, Luongo 2014

Le nuove politiche regionali dell'Unione Europea – Viesti, Prota – Cap.7

Le nuove politiche regionali dell'Unione Europea – Viesti, Prota – Cap.8

Investire nelle regioni: la riforma della Politica di coesione dell’UE 2014-2020

Sintesi dell’accordo di partenariato per l’Italia, 2014-2020, European Commission 2014

Accordo di partenariato 2014-2020 Italia allegato 1 risultati attesi - azioni

Politica Economica Europea - Valli, 1999 par.2.2 e 2.3

Politica Economica e Macroeconomia Vittorio Valli e altri, paragrafi 7.6, 7.7, 7.8 (2010), Ed. Carocci

Padoa-Schioppa Tommaso, L’Euro in prospettiva storica, il Mulino, n.399, 1/2002

La finanza pubblica e il debito pubblico Dott.ssa Arianna Moschetti Da pag 10 a pag 13 E da pag 21 a pag 45

I numeri della corruzione – C. Brasili (2012)

Relazione dell’Unione sulla lotta alla corruzione

Relazione dell’Unione sulla lotta alla corruzione – foglio paese Italia

Letture integrative:

Rapporti BES 2016 e 2017

Istat, I distretti industriali 2011

Italia e Germania: due vie per l’uscita dalla crisi – A. Brasili C.Brasili, 2011

Lo sviluppo è libertà – Sen, 2000

La povertà in Italia - Sintesi Rapporto Istat 2016 (13/07/2017)

Città e sviluppo locale – Bertini, Brasili, 2014

I “nuovi” distretti agroalimentari tra i “nuovi” distretti industriali- C. Brasili, R. Fanfani

Nel DEF 2017 per la prima volta gli indicatori BeS

Il Quadro Strategico Nazionale 2007-2013

Mantovani A., Mattarin L, Economia dell’integrazione europea, Il Mulino, Bologna 2008 (cap 5 pp. 163-200)

Teaching methods

The teaching method followed is to theoretically address a problem of economic policy (through lectures, 30 hours) and then to show the empirical analysis approach through the use and discussion of databases and data related to the problem addressed in the lectures in the computer lab (15 hours).

Assessment methods

Verification of the degree of learning of the topics covered will be conducted through the oral examination. The first calls (December and January) will be made written checks: three open questions to be chosen on four, for a total of one and a half hours. Each will be evaluated with a maximum score of 10. If only one of the questions is insufficient (evaluation 5) can be supplemented by an oral exam. Three ten, obtained in the three open questions correspond to an evaluation of 30 cum Lode.


The Lode can be achieved even by those who will acquire scores in the laboratory exercises evaluated: 0, 0.5 or 1. Evaluation that will be added to that of the written.


The assessments obtained in the laboratories will be added to the oral evaluation and the exceeding of 30 automatically implies Lode.
At the end of the course students are expected to hold the following competences:

  • Knowledge of EU economic policies and their relations with Italian and International economic policies;

  • Ability to apply methods and tools presented during the course;

  • Ability to discuss the outcomes of the empirical analysis in the light of recent literature and current political economy strategies.

Teaching tools

Reading materials can be found at: http://www2.stat.unibo.it/brasili

Office hours

See the website of Cristina Brasili