printer friendly pageECON 1: Principles of Economics
This is an introductory course in economics. We will cover both microeconomics (investigating decisions by individuals and firms) and macroeconomics (examining the economy as a whole). The primary goal is to develop and then build on your understanding of the analytical tools and approaches used by economists. This will help you to interpret economic news and economic data at a much deeper level while also forming your own opinions on economic issues. The course will also provide a strong foundation for those of you who want to continue on with intermediate microeconomics and/or intermediate macroeconomics and possibly beyond.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr, Sum
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI, GER:DB-SocSci
ECON 1V: Principles of Economics
The course covers all of economics at a basic level. It stresses the key idea that economics is about making purposeful choice with limited resources and about people interacting with other people as they make these choices. Most of those interactions occur in markets, and the course is mainly about markets, including labor markets and capital markets. We show why free competitive markets can improve people's lives and how they have removed millions from people from poverty, with many more, we hope, to come; we show how monopolies and environmental spillovers cause market failures; we show how to remedy these failures through government policy; and we explain why government failure can also be a problem. The overall goal is to use economics to understand the big issues of the day including economic growth, inequality, crises, and unemployment. The goal of this course is to learn how to use economic analysis to reach reasoned conclusions about the big issues of the day from the workings and benefits of a market economy to the causes of economic growth, financial crises, and unemployment.
Last offered: Spring 2020
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
ECON 3: Big Ideas: Conversations with Stanford's Own Nobel Laureates & MacArthur "Genius" Fellows (CHEM 5, SOC 5)
10 weekly one-on-one conversations with Nobel Laureates and MacArthur fellows, talking about their life story, how they got to their ideas, what they discovered, how the world is a better place as a result, what advice they have for students and young researchers, etc. Readings related to guest research will be assigned. Open to undergraduate and graduate students.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
Instructors:
Abramitzky, R. (PI)
;
Kowalski, J. (TA)
ECON 4: Democracy Matters (PHIL 30, POLISCI 42, PUBLPOL 4)
Should the U.S. close its border to immigrants? What are the ramifications of income inequality? How has COVID-19 changed life as we know it? Why are Americans so politically polarized? How can we address racial injustice? As the 2020 election approaches, faculty members from across Stanford will explore and examine some of the biggest challenges facing society today. Each week will be dedicated to a different topic, ranging from health care and the economy to racial injustice and challenges to democracy. Faculty with expertise in philosophy, economics, law, political science, psychology, medicine, history, and more will come together for lively conversations about the issues not only shaping this election season but also the nation and world at large. There will also be a Q&A following the initial discussion. Attendance and supplemental course readings are the only requirements for the course.
Last offered: Autumn 2020
ECON 10: Microcosm of Silicon Valley and Wall Street
Seminar in applied economics with focus on the microcosm of Silicon Valley, how growth companies are originated, managed and financed from start-up to IPO. Round-table discussion format. Applicable to those students with an interest in technology company formation, growth and finance including interaction with Wall Street. Enrollment limited to 10 juniors, seniors and co-term students. Application found at
https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/forms
Last offered: Autumn 2022
ECON 11N: Understanding the Welfare System
Welfare-reform legislation passed by the federal government in the mid-1990s heralded a dramatic step in the movement that has been termed the devolution revolution, which is again being discussed in the context of healthcare reform. The centerpiece of devolution is the transfer of more responsibilities for antipoverty programs to the states. We will explore the effects of these reforms and the role that devolution plays in the ongoing debates over the designs of programs that make up America's social safety net. In addition to discussing conventional welfare programs (e.g., Medicaid, food stamps, TANF, SSI) and other governmental policies assisting low-income families (EITC, minimum wages), we will examine the trends in governmental spending on anti-poverty programs and how our nation defines poverty and eligibility for income support. We will apply economics principles throughout to understand the effectiveness of America's antipoverty programs and their consequences on the behavior and circumstances of families. Prerequisites: A basic understanding/knowledge of introductory economics is recommended.
Last offered: Autumn 2022
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
ECON 17N: Energy, the Environment, and the Economy
Examines the intimate relationship between environmental quality and the production and consumption of energy. Assesses the economics efficiency and political economy implications of a number of current topics in energy and environmental economics. Topics include: the economic theory of exhaustible resources, Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) control (cap and trade mechanisms and carbon fees), GHG emissions offsets, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), the "smart" transmission grid for electricity, nuclear energy and nuclear waste, the real cost of renewable energy, natural gas and coal-fired electricity production, the global coal and natural gas markets, Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) and Low-Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS), Energy Efficiency Investments and Demand Response, and Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). For all topics, there will be reading to explain the economics and engineering behind the topic and class discussion to clarify and elaborate on this interaction. Prerequisite:
Econ 1 is recommended.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
ECON 21SI: Perspectives on Economics, Diversity, and Discrimination (PEDD)
In this student-initiated and student-facilitated reading group, we will read and discuss economics papers on racial and ethnic diversity and discrimination. We draw on papers from different economics literatures, including health, education, intergenerational mobility, and political economy. Our aim is to have a structured but informal conversation about each paper. Guest speakers will also present their research on these topics and have Q&A sessions with the students. There are no prerequisites, and discussions will be accessible for students with little or no prior exposure to Economics research. Freshmen and sophomores are particularly encouraged to enroll. To apply, complete the application at
https://economics.stanford.edu/undergraduate/forms. The deadline is 3/13/21.
Last offered: Spring 2021
ECON 25N: Public Policy and Personal Finance (PUBLPOL 55N)
The seminar will provide an introduction and discussion of the impact of public policy on personal finance. Voters regularly rate the economy as one of the most important factors shaping their political views and most of those opinions are focused on their individual bottom lines. In this course we will discuss the rationale for different public policies and how they affect personal financial situations. We will explore personal finance issues such as taxes, loans, charity, insurance, and pensions. Using the context of (hypothetical) personal finance positions, we will discuss the public policy implications of various proposals and how they affect different groups of people, for example: the implications of differential tax rates for different types of income, the promotion of home ownership in the U.S., and policies to care for our aging population. While economic policy will be the focus of much of the course, we will also examine some of the implications of social policies on personal finance as well. There will be weekly readings and several short policy-related writing assignments.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
Instructors:
Rosston, G. (PI)
ECON 41: Pasta, Soccer, and Opera: An Intro to Applied Micro and Data Analysis
This course will provide an introduction to applied microeconomics and data analysis. The course material will derive from academic journal articles on a variety of fun topics, such as penalty kicks in soccer, copyright law for opera, and the economic costs of the Mafia. Students will learn to interpret regression equations, tables, figures, and other results from academic papers. The course will teach very basic regression tools and skills for implementing these tools in R. Students will be required to complete three problem sets involving coding in R, along with weekly write-ups about the topics covered. Prerequisite:
Econ 1
Last offered: Spring 2022
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