61 - 70 of 173 results for: ECON

Examines the empirics on the economics, management and strategy of organizations (e.g. firms). Topics include the organization of firms in US and internationally. Management practices around information systems, target setting and human resources. Focus on management practices in manufacturing, but also analyze retail, hospitals and schools, plus some recent field-experiments in developing countries. Prerequisites: ECON 51 (Public Policy majors may take PUBLPOL 51 as a substitute for ECON 51), ECON 102B.

The relationship between microeconomic analysis and public policy making. How economic policy analysis is done and why political leaders regard it as useful but not definitive in making policy decisions. Economic rationales for policy interventions, methods of policy evaluation and the role of benefit-cost analysis, economic models of politics and their application to policy making, and the relationship of income distribution to policy choice. Theoretical foundations of policy making and analysis, and applications to program adoption and implementation. Prerequisites: PUBLPOL 50 or ECON 50. Students are also strongly encouraged to either complete ECON 102B prior to taking this course or take ECON 102B concurrently with this course. Undergraduate Public Policy students are required to take this class for a letter grade and enroll in this class for five units.

Big data can help us provide answers to fundamental social questions, from poverty and social mobility, to climate change, migration, and the spread of disease. But making sense of data requires more than just statistical techniques: it calls for models of how humans behave and interact with each other. Social data science combines the analysis of big data with social science theory. We will take a project-oriented, many models-many methods approach. This course will introduce students to a variety of models and methods used across the social sciences, including tools such as game theoretical models, network models, models of diffusion and contagion, agent based models, model simulations, machine learning and causal inference. Students will apply these tools to tackle important topics in guided projects. Prerequisite is Econ 102A, Polisci 150A or equivalent.

This is an advanced course in macroeconomics. We build the analytical foundations for understanding key macroeconomic issues, such as the sources of business cycles, the causes of inflation, and the effects of monetary and fiscal policy on the economy. We will cover the main theoretical frameworks used by modern macroeconomists, discuss the empirical evidence in favor of these models, and use quantitative macro models to answer macro policy questions. Prerequisites: Working knowledge of multivariate calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, and probability theory, at the level of Math 51 or ECON 50.

The purpose of the course is to enrich students' understanding of economic policy decision- making across a wide range of issues, including budget, tax, monetary, international trade, regulation, energy, environmental and antitrust among others. Historical case studies and current policy debates will be framed by the professors and guest speakers with introductory analytical insights and relevant information. Questions raised for discussion and debate will include: how is the policy enacted, by whom, and by what authority? What were/are the goals? What tools were/are used to try to achieve them? Has the policy succeeded? At what cost? Is there a more cost effective/equitable policy and why hasn't it been adopted? Can the policies be made more systematic and predictable? How has policy evolved over time and why and how might it evolve in the future? How are the US policy-making institutions performing? Have they stayed with their proper remit or have they experienced mission creep? What do Economics, History and Political Science provide as guidance in understanding the policy process and evaluating outcomes? Primary attention will be devoted to U.S. policy making, but experiences in other countries and via international institutions and agreements will also be discussed. Students will be expected to do background reading and research to prepare for weekly class discussion. Grades will be based on seminar participation, periodic short written assignments and the final written assignment, a policy briefing memo on a subject of the student's choice to the policy principal(s) involved, e.g. the Chair of the Federal Reserve, the Treasury Secretary, the President. etc. or their analogues in other countries.

In this course, we explore the role of law in promoting social well-being (happiness). Law, among its other benefits, can serve as a mechanism to harmonize private incentives with cooperative gains, to maintain an equitable division of those gains, and to deter social defection and dystopia. Law is thus an implementation of the social contract and essential to civilization. Economic analysis of law focuses on the welfare-enhancing incentive effects of law (and of law enforcement). More generally, we study the law's role in reducing the risks of cooperation, achieved by fixing expectations of what courts or the state will do in possible futures. Prerequisite: ECON 50 or PUBLPOL 50. Final paper instead of an exam. Instructor consent required for enrollment. Please email the instructor a short statement of interest (300 words max) explaining why you would like to enroll in the course.

This course tackles the challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change. We will study the consequences of climate change and the government policy aimed at limiting carbon emissions. We will place particular emphasis on global impacts, including in lower-income countries that face disproportionate damages from climate change, as well as unique difficulties in implementing environmental regulation. Prerequisite for Undergraduates: ECON 1.

This is a course on how energy and environmental markets work, and the regulatory mechanisms that have been and can be used to achieve desired policy goals. Throughout the course students play the roles of electricity generators, electricity retailers, energy traders, and electricity consumers in order to gain an understanding of how energy and environmental policies (including environmental regulations and renewable energy mandates) affect the business strategy of market participants - and in turn economic and environmental outcomes. The goal of the course is to provide students with both theoretical and hands-on understanding of important energy and environmental market concepts that are critical to market functioning but not always widely appreciated. The course is useful background for private sector roles in energy production, research, management, trading, investment, and government and regulatory affairs; government positions in policymaking and regulation; research and policy functions in academia, think tanks, or consultancies; and non-profit advocacy roles related to energy and the environment. Econ 1 recommended.

Latin American energy sectors and regulatory institutions differ significantly from those in North America and Europe. Over the past 20 years, annual electricity consumption in many Latin American countries (LACs) has grown at more than three to four times the rate observed in North America and Europe. This course will be co-taught by Center for Latin American Studies Tinker Visiting Professor Alexandre Street of Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro using the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development's (PESD) Energy Market Game modified to fit the LAC context as the main teaching tool. The goal of the course is to provide students with both theoretical and hands-on understanding of important energy and environmental market concepts that are critical to market functioning as they apply in Latin American countries. Concepts covered that are specific to LACs include: 1) administrative cost-based markets popular throughout Latin America versus offer-based markets that exist in North America and Europe, 2) the challenges created by hydroelectric energy-dominated industries that face periodic El Nino (low water inflows) and La Nina events (high water inflows), 3) thin markets for fossil fuels--natural gas, fuel oil, and coal, 4) transmission congestion and locational marginal pricing, 5) fixed-price forward financial contracts and their effect on short-term market outcomes, 6) day-ahead and real-time energy markets, and 7) limited experience with market design and regulatory oversight. This course is useful background for those interested in working in the energy sector, particularly those in Latin American countries.