Applied Public Policy and Development Economics

ECTS : 6

Description du contenu de l'enseignement :

This course introduces real-world applications of economic analysis in the field of economic policy from a development perspective. It offers students the opportunity to apply central economic concepts and gain hands-on experience with real-world data in areas of pressing importance to contemporary societies, including inequality, wellbeing, and climate change. The course offers both core analytical economic tools and data handling skills, through a series of class projects and applications.  

Course structure
 
WeekTopic
1Public policy and economic development: An introduction
 Applied tools for empirical research
2The measurement of economic development and wellbeing I
 Empirical project: GDP as a measure of material wellbeing
3The measurement of economic development and wellbeing II
 Empirical project: Global indices of wellbeing
4Economic inequality
 Recent research on inequality of opportunity
5Measuring and alleviating poverty
 Empirical project: Inequality measures
6Social interactions and public goods
 Empirical project: Experimental data from a public goods game
7Group presentations and discussion
  
8Group presentations and discussion  
9Public policy and climate change I
 Empirical project: Measuring climate change
10Public policy and climate change II
 Empirical project: Willingness to pay for climate change mitigation
11Review sessions
12Final Exam

Compétence à acquérir :

• Learn how to evaluate the evolution of economic and human development of societies and countries in a comparative perspective.
• Understand different methods to measure development, inequality and poverty, and their advantages and disadvantages.
• Gain an understanding of evidence-based policymaking, with a focus on the economics of development.
• Analyze the economic and policy challenges related to the climate crisis.
• Develop data-handling, software and statistical skills to tackle real world public policy and economic development problems.

Mode de contrôle des connaissances :

Homework (4 sets, 20%) + Group project presentations (30%) + final exam (50%)
The numerical grade distribution will dictate the final grade. The passing grade for a course is 10/20.
 
Class participation: Active class participation – this is what makes classes lively and instructive. Come on time and prepared. Students need to bring a laptop with MS Office installed to class. Class participation is based on quality of comments, not quantity.
 
Exam policy: In the exam, students will not be allowed to bring any document (except if allowed by the lecturer). Unexcused absences from exams or failure to submit cases will result in zero grades in the calculation of numerical averages. Exams are collected at the end of examination periods.
 

Bibliographie, lectures recommandées :

Reading list and documents will be posted online on Moodle, as well as course presentations. No specific textbook is required.