1997 Swinburne Higher Education Handbook

BE331 Public Finance
3 hours per week Hawthorn Prerequisite: BEllO
Microeconomics Assessment: examination/assignment
A subject in the Bachelor of Business
Objectives and Content
This subject involves the analyses of the economic rationale
of government expenditure and revenue raising.
It will cover the following topics:
an introduction to the welfare economics and public
choice ~aradi~ms and their implications for ~ublic sector
revenue and expenditure;
taxation analysis; criteria for evaluating taxes and
commonwealth and state tax systems; analysis of
personal and corporate income tax consumption and
capital gains and wealth taxes; subsidies to producers and
consumers; taxes on the factors of ~roduction and
proposals for reform of the Australian tax system;
techniques for evaluating government expenditure
programs (with particular emphasis on cost-benefit
analysis).
Recommended reading
Hollick, M., An Introduction to Project Evaluation, Longman
Cheshire, 1993
Brown, C.V. and Jackson, P.M. Public Sector Economics. 3rd edn,
Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1986
Groenewegen, P. Public Finance in Australia, Theory and Practice.
3rd edn, Sydney, Prentice Hall, 1990
Musgrave, R.A. and Musgrave, P.B. Public Finance in Theory and
Practice. 5th edn, New York, McGraw-Hill, 1989
BE332 Economic Research
3 hours per week Hawthorn Prerequisite: BE1 10
Microeconomics and BE220 Macroeconomics Assessment:
assignments
A subject in the Bachelor of Business
Objectives and Content
The intention in this subject is to broaden students' fdarity with
the nature and scope of research undertaken in economics, and to
increase students' ability to analyse and carry out economic research
of a practical nature.
Topics may include methodology in economic research; data
sources; collection, analysis and presentation of data;
selected topics in applied economic research (economic
8 model building, cost-benefit analysis, industry studies,
a aspects of industrial relations).
%
An integral part of this subject is a major research project.
Students are expected to conduct an investigation and write
a report on their research which will constitute a major
proportion of the assessment in this subject.
Recommended reading
There is no single prescribed reference for this course, but
extensive use is made of current journal articles.
BE333 Financial Institutions and Monetary
Policy
3 hoursper week Hawthorn Prerequisites: BEllO
Microeconomics and BE220 Macroeconomics Assessment:
examination, assignment, multiple choice test
A subject in the Bachelor of Business
Objectives
To provide students with:
an up-to-date view of Australian financial
intermediatories; their nature and operation in a
changing business environment;
an appreciation and understanding of the application of
monetary policy; its origins and currrent controversies.
Content
This course includes:
a study of Australian financial intermediaries;
the process of deregulation and its impacts on financial
intermediaries and Reserve Bank policies;
the role of the Reserve Bank as a prudential supervisor
and as a regulator of economic instability;
the development of monetary policy, current monetary
policy controversies and the application and operation
of monetary policy.
Recommended reading
Bruce, R. Handbook of Australian Corporate Finance. 4th edn,
Sydney, Butterworths, 1991
McGrath, M., Financial Institutions, Instruments and Markets in
Australia, Sydney, McGraw-Hill, 1994
Mishkin, F. The Economics of Money Banking and Financial
Markets. 4th edn, New York, Harper Collins, 1995
MacFarlane, I., (ed.), The Deregulation of Financial Intermediaries:
The Proceedings of a Conference. Sydney, Reserve Bank of
Australia, 1991
The Reserve Bank Bulletin recent issues
BE334 International Trade
3 hours per week Hawthorn Prerequisite: BE110
Microeconomics and BE220 Macroeconomics Assessment:
examination/assignment
A subject in the Bachelor of Business
Obiectives
To encourage students to recognise the importance of
international trade to the Australian economy;
to equip students to appreciate and evaluate the ways in
which government and business can improve Australia's
international trade performance.
Content
The subject combines an examination of the nature of
economic theory relating to international trade, trade
restrictions and industry policy, with discussion of key
international trade issues of importance to the Australian
business community and government.
Topics covered include:
International trade and the Australian economy
composition and direction of trade
Australia's lace in world trade