Instructor: Charles Lin

Instructor Email: lin.charles@gmail.com
Prerequisites: High school course in Economics or Government preferred.

Course Description: This course examines the function of public policy in economic activity, with an emphasis on the analytical tools used to evaluate government programs. This course will use the theory of externalities, public goods, cost/benefit analysis, and social insurance to examine practical topics such as public education, environmental policy, health care, and welfare programs. In-class games simulating market and policy scenarios will be used to examine incentives and motivate discussion of government programs. Additional topics may include taxation and/or social choice theory.

Course Objectives: The goal of this course is to introduce high school students to the type of economic analysis used by policy planners when judging the efficacy of government programs. By the end of the course, students will understand:

• The difference between equity and economic efficiency
• When government intervention is necessary in a market
• How an incentive-compatible government program is designed
• The issues surrounding education, health care, and welfare programs

Expectations:

Students will be respectful to their peers and open-minded. Class participation is crucial for the course, and students are encouraged to work together on their homework.

Course Outline:

Week I:

Classroom: Review of basic microeconomics. Externalities and public goods. Public education.

Workshop: The Invisible Hand. The Under-provision of Public Goods.

Week II:

Classroom: Cost/benefit analysis. Environmental Policy. Social Insurance. Health care. Social Security.

Workshop: The Tragedy of the Commons

By the end of this week, student will identify their topic for their final project (A short essay analyzing a government program or policy of the student's choice)

Week III:

Classroom: Efficiency vs. Equity. Welfare Programs. (Taxation. Social Choice. Or Student-Picked.)

Workshop: The Birth Lottery

Final project presentations