The purpose of this course is to use tools from Principles of Economics to study current public policy issues, and to analyze and evaluate existing and proposed policies for dealing with a variety of contemporary economic and social problems in the United States. Students will learn quantitative and qualitative skills useful for assessing public policy issues and their implementation and effectiveness. Topics may include (but are not limited to) health economics (Medicaid, Medicare, health care reform), environmental economics and policy (cap and trade policies), welfare and social services, income distribution, education, and energy economics.
