PP419 Half Unit
Advanced Empirical Methods for Policy Analysis
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Prof Daniel Sturm
Availability
This course is available on the Double Master of Public Administration (LSE-Columbia), Double Master of Public Administration (LSE-Sciences Po), Double Master of Public Administration (LSE-University of Toronto), MPA Dual Degree (LSE and Hertie), MPA Dual Degree (LSE and NUS), MPA Dual Degree (LSE and Tokyo), MPA in Data Science for Public Policy, Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
Priority is given to students from the School of Public Policy, students from other programmes will be considered if places remain. MPA Double Degree (LSE-Sciences Po), MPA Dual Degree, MPP students and students from outside of the School of Public Policy should submit a statement in support of their request. Previous economics and econometrics are required for all students (please give details in your statement).
Deadline for application: 9am on Monday of week 1 of Autumn Term (including requests from School of Public Policy students). We aim to inform students of the outcome of their request by 12noon on Tuesday of week 1 of Autumn Term.
For queries contact: mpa@lse.ac.uk
Deadline for application: 9am on Monday of week 1 of Autumn Term (including requests from School of Public Policy students). We aim to inform students of the outcome of their request by 12noon on Tuesday of week 1 of Autumn Term.
For queries contact: mpa@lse.ac.uk
Requisites
Assumed prior knowledge:
The expectation is that MPA students taking PP419 will have previously passed PP455 and will have also taken PP440 or more advanced economics courses. Students who have not taken and passed PP455 (including MPA Dual and Double Degree students spending Year 2 at LSE) will have to demonstrate a background in empirical methods that is similar to PP455 and will require permission from the course lecturer to attend the course.
Course content
This course provides an advanced treatment of the empirical methods that are used to evaluate the effectiveness of public policies. The course builds closely on the course Quantitative Approaches and Policy Analysis (PP455) and also Micro and Macroeconomics for Public Policy (PP440). Topics covered include the problem of causality, the theory and practice of randomised experiments, difference-in-differences, synthetic controls, regression discontinuity, robust and clustered standard errors, and calibration.
Teaching
20 hours of lectures and 13.5 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.
Formative assessment
The formative coursework will comprise a graded problem set.
Indicative reading
There is no single textbook for the course and many of the key readings are journal articles. James Stock and Mark Watson "Introduction to Econometrics'' remains a useful reference particularly for the material at the beginning of the course. A very good source for background reading is Joshua Angrist and Jörn-Steffen Pischke "Mastering 'Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect''. A full reading list will be available at the beginning of the course.
Assessment
Exam (75%), duration: 120 Minutes, reading time: 10 minutes in the January exam period
Project (25%, 2000 words)
The project will be due shortly after the end of Autumn Term.
Key facts
Department: School of Public Policy
Course Study Period: Autumn Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 40
Average class size 2024/25: 13
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Application of numeracy skills
- Specialist skills