Economics of Public Policy

This course has two objectives: First, to develop students' skills in research and writing. Students will learn how to formulate a research question and place it in the context of existing literature and public policy importance, and how to bring economic and econometric tools to bear to answer such questions. Second, the course provides an introduction to the key issues in the economics of public policy. Broadly, we want to know how, when, and why the government should intervene in the economy. We will explore these questions through the lens of a number of key policy areas, including taxation, redistribution and social insurance, and the provision of public goods and services.