BGP-257M: Privatization Analysis

Semester: Not Offered

Credit: 0.5

Faculty: John Donahue

Schedule

Day Time Location
First Day
Meet Day
Review

Description

This module offers students an opportunity to discuss a range of issues that typically surround privatization and to improve their capacity to identify and analyze the central aspects of specific privatization proposals. The emphasis is on assessing proposals to delegate the delivery of services, with a secondary focus on proposals to transfer assets or shed responsibilities. (Students who are mostly or exclusively interested in infrastructure privatization should consider BGP-256 rather than BGP-257M.) Class discussion will be based primarily on cases, with most of the cases U.S.-based. While a number of technical issues will be touched upon in the course of the module, privatization analysis seldom hinges on specialized techniques, involving instead the practical application of a variety of concepts drawn from economic, political, and organizational theory. Participation in class discussions will require at least a fundamental grounding in microeconomics and political economy, and some experience with accounting and financial analysis will be quite helpful for many of the sessions.

Not offered in 2007–08.