PP404 Half Unit
Economics for Public Policy
This information is for the 2020/21 session.
Teacher responsible
Dr Ethan Ilzetzki
Availability
This course is compulsory on the Master of Public Policy. This course is not available as an outside option.
Course content
This is graduate level course for mid-career policy-makers to develop their knowledge and understanding of key principles of economics as applicable to policy-making. The emphasis is on developing an understanding of analytical frameworks and models that can be applied to a wide variety of contexts. Both micro- and macro-economics will be covered, including price theory, understanding markets, externalities, public goods, principal-agent problems, economic growth, inflation business cycles, unemployment, and fiscal and monetary policies.
Teaching
This course is delivered through a combination of a minimum of 13.5 hours of classes, 20 hours of lectures and 10 help sessions across the Lent Term, plus 1.5 hours of classes in the ST. This year, some or all of this teaching will be delivered through a combination of virtual classes and flipped-lectures delivered as short online videos. This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of Lent Term.
Formative coursework
Students will be expected to produce 10 problem sets in the LT.
There will be weekly formative course work to give students the opportunity to develop fluency with the tools covered in the course.
Indicative reading
Mankiw, N. Gregory and Mark Taylor (2017) Economics, 4th Edition, Cengage Learning EMEA.
Moss, David A. A Concise Guide to Macroeconomics.
Reinventing the Bazaar: A Natural History of Markets - McMillan, John 2002
Intermediate microeconomics: a modern approach - Hal R. Varian 2014
Participation and the provision of discrete public goods: a strategic analysis - Thomas R. Palfrey, Howard Rosenthal 1984-7
The undercover economist strikes back: how to run or ruin an economy - Tim Harford 2013
The given texts are preparatory reading only. A full reading list will be provided at the start of the course.
Assessment
Exam (70%, duration: 2 hours, reading time: 15 minutes) in the summer exam period.
Coursework (30%) in the LT.
Important information in response to COVID-19
Please note that during 2020/21 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the situation of students in attendance on campus and those studying online during the early part of the academic year. For assessment, this may involve changes to mode of delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.
Key facts
Department: School of Public Policy
Total students 2019/20: 32
Average class size 2019/20: 11
Controlled access 2019/20: Yes
Value: Half Unit
Personal development skills
- Leadership
- Self-management
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Application of numeracy skills
- Specialist skills
