Econ 205B - Graduate Workshop in Research and Policy Analysis, 2010
Survey of major areas of economic policy with an emphasis on research methods in the social sciences. Attention to philosophy of science, methodology, and current applied research will enable students to become producers of quality public policy analysis. Students prepare a written research project on a chosen topic of policy analysis and present the results to the class.
Economic tools and assumptions explain how
individuals make choices—private
choices.These tools have been traditionally
applied to consider choices made in the marketplace by individuals in
the role
of consumers and producers.This class
uses the economic way of thinking to analyze how individuals
make collective choices in their roles as voters, legislators, and
bureaucrats—public choices.
This course covers three broad categories.The first third of the course focuses on
voting models. Using the medium voter
model as a base model, the course demonstrates the concepts of rational
ignorance, rational irrationality, vote cycling, etc. The second section covers models of legislators,
bureaucracies and bureaucrats by establishing a theory of rent seeking as the foundation for
discussing other
topics such as the political business cycle and bureaucratic
inefficiency.The final part of the course takes a constitutional approach to the public choice
problems of a democratic society.Here
we consider the choice over rules and evaluate the role of rules and
governance
in creating the conditions for economic prosperity.
Labor Economics 151 in an applied microeconomics course, focusing on understanding labor
institutions and markets.Students will
learn to apply the economic way of thinking to analyze labor
market regulation, unions, collective bargaining, discrimination, immigration,
and specific issues relating to minorities in labor markets.This class uses economic models, assumptions,
and methods to analyze how labor markets operate – focusing on the roles of
employees, employers, firms, and government regulators.
Previous Sections:
Fall 2010
Fall 2009
Econ 1B - Principles of Microeconomics, 2010
The general goal in a Principles of Microeconomics class is to develop a framework for critical thinking and decision making -- in other words, think like an economist.The tools of economic reasoning are applicable to a wide range of fields in business, academics, governance and nonprofit sectors. Students will develop the economic way of thinking, emphasizing the application of three aspects:
(1) Incentives (the role of self-interest; the laws of supply and demand; rational choice: evaluating additional benefits versus additional costs)
(2) Opportunity Costs (sunk costs; production possibilities; trade-offs; comparative advantage)
(3) Supply and Demand (social coordination through mutually beneficial exchange, movements along the curve, shifts in the curve, the responsiveness to changes in the price of a good)
Previous Sections:
Fall 2010
Summer 2010
Spring 2010
Fall 2009
Econ 306 - Intermediate Microeconomics
This course covers the basics of price theory and focuses on understanding the coordinating forces of the market process. Students are expected to develop strong analytical skills using consumer choice theory. Successful completion of the course requires mastery of the tools of price theory and a demonstrable ability to apply these tools to real world problems. Students develop an advanced understanding of supply and demand analysis by covering a range of applications. Such topics include public policy issues such as health care, environmental protection and occupational regulations. Furthermore, this course explores price and output determination under various market structures including the perfectly competitive model, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly. Concepts of entrepreneurship, market process, and strategic interaction are also discussed throughout the semester.
This course examines the nature of the state and its relationship to individuals within society.Students will become familiar with the application of economic theory to a variety of public policy issues.In this class attempts will be made to see all the main consequences of public policy – both in terms of the short-term ramifications on special groups, but also the long run effects on the general population.Students should complete this course with a set of principles that will aid in evaluating the general consequences of public policies.Price controls, labor policy, consumer protection, education, and environmental policy are just a few of the areas covered in this course.All policy issues will be examined from a methodological individualist perspective in the context of constitutional political economy.