Economics

Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. The subject of this course is microeconomics, which examines the decision making of individuals and firms with regard to consumption, production, and allocation of good and services in a market system. We examine the benchmark "perfectly competitive" market setting as well as market settings that are not perfectly competitive. We discuss the appropriate role of government in addressing these "market failures". Two one-hour lectures, and one precept.

The theory, and some of the evidence, of how and why national economies fluctuate, with periods of boom and bust, and periods of high and low inflation. Substantial emphasis is given to fiscal policy and monetary policy and the ensuing recessions in the US and abroad. Attention is also paid to international economic issues and to problems of economic growth. Special attention will be paid to the effects and implications of the pandemic and its aftermath for the economy and for policy. Two lectures, one precept.

An introduction to probability and statistical methods for empirical work in economics. Descriptive statistics, probability, random variables, sampling, estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, introduction to the regression model. The class uses STATA as statistical software package. Prerequisite: MAT 103. Two 90-minute classes, one precept.

This course builds on your knowledge of microeconomics from ECO 100. The general themes are (1) choices made by individual consumers and firms, (2) equilibrium from the interaction of these choices in markets or similar institutions, and (3) the role of government policy in improving economic outcomes. In each case, the analysis will be more in depth than it was in ECO 100. Some new concepts and techniques will be developed, especially for studying behavior under uncertainty, and strategic interactions (game theory).Prerequisites: 100, MAT 175 or equivalent. Two 90-minute lectures, and one precept.

The determinants of national income, unemployment, inflation, interest rates and exchange rates. Includes analyses of business cycles, monetary and fiscal policies, consumption, investment, economic growth, and issues in international monetary macroeconomics. Two lectures, one precept. Prerequisites: ECO100 and ECO101.

The objective of this course is to prepare students for basic empirical work in economics. In particular, topics will include basic data analysis, regression analysis, testing, and forecasting. Students will be provided with the opportunity to use actual economic data to test economic theories. Prerequisites: 100 or 101, and 202, or ORF 245; MAT 103 or equivalent. Two 90-minute classes and one precept.

Topics include consumer and firm behavior, market equilibrium, efficiency, an introduction to game theory, and information economics. Uses multivariable calculus and linear algebra to treat the topics in greater depth and to better prepare for advanced courses. Prerequisites: MAT 201 or ECO 201, or instructor permission. Two lectures, one precept.

This course examines the determinants of economic growth, business cycle fluctuations, and the conduct of monetary and fiscal policy. The first part of the course develops a framework for the analysis of households' consumption and savings behavior and firms' production decisions, and uses that to analyze long-run growth and financial crises. The second part of the course extends that analysis to examine business cycle fluctuations, including inflation, unemployment. Current issues in macroeconomic and financial policy are discussed throughout. Prerequisites: MAT 201 or ECO 201, or instructor permission. Two lectures, one precept.

Statistical analysis of economic data. The two-variable regression model, multiple regression. Techniques for dealing with violations of the regression model's assumptions, including autocorrelation, heteroscedasticity, specification error, and measurement error. Dummy variables, discrete-choice models, time series models, and forecasting. Introduction to simultaneous equations. Estimation and testing of economic models will be an important part of the course. Prerequisites: MAT 201 or equivalent and ECO 202 or equivalent or instructor permission. MAT 202 is recommended. Two 90-minute lectures, one precept.

This course provides hands-on experience in econometric analysis designed to help students to acquire the skills necessary to carry out their own empirical analyses in economics. Various aspects of empirical research in economics will be covered, including development of testable economic models, appropriate use of data, identification and causal inference, and specification and techniques for estimation of econometric models. Prerequisites: 302 or 312; and calculus. Two lectures, one precept.

By extending ECO 300-level macroeconomics, we develop alternative macroeconomic frameworks with financial frictions to understand business cycles, financial crises and public policy. The lecture begins with a historical overview of financial crises and basic financial accelerator models which emphasizes the interaction between borrowing constraint, asset prices and aggregate production. We then introduce financial intermediaries and government to study banking crisis, credit policy and macro prudential policy. Two 90-minute lectures, one precept.

The microeconomic theory of individual decision making under uncertainty and economic interaction under asymmetric information. Topics include expected utility, value of information, risk-sharing in insurance and asset markets, contracting with moral hazard and adverse selection, and auctions. Applications include health insurance and finance. Prerequisites: 300, MAT 175 or equivalent, and basic probability. Two lectures, one precept.

An economic analysis of the structure of markets and of corporate behavior. The development and interpretation of public policies, including antitrust legislation and direct regulation related to market structure, corporate mergers, restrictive and discriminatory practices, advertising, and research and development. Two lectures, one class. Prerequisites: 300 or 310, and MAT 175 or equivalent.

An introduction to the economics of law. Application of price theory and welfare analysis to problems and actual cases in the common law - property, contracts, torts - and to criminal and constitutional law. Topics include the Coase Theorem, intellectual property, product liability, deterring crime, incarceration as punishment, and social choice. Prerequisite: ECO 100. Two 90-minute lectures.

Using applied microeconomic theory and case studies, this course examines the impact of digital technology on markets. In a connected market, information is freely and instantly available to all participants. We ask how these features affect the way markets function. Topics include the economics of platform markets and multisided markets, the impact of the internet on the news media, education, health care and new industries, such as big-data driven industries, social networks, technological innovation and intellectual property, internet security, privacy and other regulatory issues.

This course considers firms, markets and competition. We will study the theory of industrial organization, focusing on models of the way firms make decisions and compete and the impact of those decisions on market outcomes such as prices, quantities, the type of products offered and social welfare. This is a more math-focused version of ECO 321. For most topics considered, we will write down and solve a model of firm behavior, before considering real-world examples of the phenomenon the model seeks to analyze. We will use the examples to assess the model's ability to capture real-world outcomes.

The dynamics of the emergence and spread of disease arise from a complex interplay among disease ecology, economics, and human behavior. Lectures will provide an introduction to complementarities between economic and epidemiological approaches to understanding the emergence, spread, and control of infectious diseases. The course will cover topics such as drug-resistance in bacterial and parasitic infections, individual incentives to vaccinate, the role of information in the transmission of infectious diseases, and the evolution of social norms in healthcare practices. One three-hour lecture, one preceptorial.

An introduction to the use of economics in thinking about and dealing with environmental issues. Stress on economic externalities and the problem of dealing with them as instances of organizing gains from trade. Applications to a wide variety of problems, among them air pollution (including, importantly, global climate change), water pollution, solid waste and hazardous substances management, species preservation, and population policy.

Applies microeconomic analysis to the demand for labor, labor supply, and the determination of wages. Examines investments in human capital, unemployment, discrimination, unions, government intervention in the labor market. Empirical findings as well as theoretical models are studied. Prerequisites: 100, 302, and MAT 175 or equivalent. Two lectures, one precept.

This course will provide an opportunity to apply the concepts and methods studied in economics core courses to analyze selected topics in health economics. Topics will change from year to year. Prerequisites depend on topic. Two 90-minute lectures and one precept.

This course develops a conceptual framework for examining government taxing and spending, and uses this framework to analyze current public policy issues. We focus on both the efficiency and equity aspects of the government.

This course explores the role that money, financial markets and institutions, and monetary policy play in shaping the economic environment. The class investigates why these markets and institutions arise and may lubricate the resource allocation analytically (rather than descriptively), using tolls of economic theory. Two lectures, one class.

An introduction to the use of mathematical models and, especially, game theory in the study of politics. The basics of game theory are presented through applications to a broad range of political phenomena: voting, legislative politics, political campaigns, comparison of electoral systems, the evolution of cooperation, and international relations. Two lectures, one preceptorial.

Surveys development economics including current issues, historical background, growth theories, trade and development, markets and planning, strategies for poverty alleviation, agriculture, technology, employment, industry, population, education, health, and internal and external finance. Selective attention to particular countries and regimes. Prerequisites: 101 and 300 or 310, or instructor's permission. Two lectures, one precept.

Examination of the causes and economic consequences of international trade in goods and services, investment and migration. Stress on the possibility of aggregate national gains from trade, and the distributional conflicts generated by trade. Analysis of policies regarding these issues from the perspective of economics and political economy. Two lectures, one preceptorial. Prerequisites: WWS 100 or ECO 300 or ECO 310.