Schedule

Readings should be completed before each class session. Deadlines and instructions for submitting the assignments are on the individual assignment pages.

Date Topic Reading Assignment Class
Core principles
January 8 (M) Markets and measurement I
January 10 (W) Markets and measurement II
January 12 (F) Lab 1
January 15 (M) No class; Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 17 (W) Scarcity and productivity I
January 19 (F) Lab 2
Problem set 1 due
January 22 (M) No class; I’m out of town
January 24 (W) Scarcity and productivity II
January 26 (F) Social interactions and incentives I (replaces Lab 3)
Problem set 2 due
January 29 (M) Social interactions and incentives II
January 31 (W) Incentives and human behavior
February 2 (F) Lab 4
February 5 (M) Firms and labor I
February 7 (W) Firms and labor II
February 9 (F) Lab 5
Problem set 3 due
February 12 (M) Firms and customers I
February 14 (W) Firms and customers II
February 16 (F) Lab 6
Problem set 4 due
February 19 (M) No class; Presidents’ Day
February 20 (T) Firms and customers III
February 21 (W) Firms and markets I
February 23 (F) Lab 7
February 26 (M) Firms and markets II
February 28 (W) Markets and macroeconomics
March 2 (F) Lab 8 (review session)
Problem set 5 due
Justifying policies
March 5 (M) Institutions I
March 7 (W) Institutions II
March 9 (F) Lab 9 (just kidding, no lab because of the midterm)
Midterm 1 due by 11:59 PM
March 12 (M) Government institutions I
March 14 (W) Government institutions II
March 16 (F) Lab 10 (just kidding, no lab because this is fake spring break)
March 19 (M) When governments go wrong
March 21 (W) Institutional alternatives
March 23 (F) Lab 11
Problem set 6 due
Evaluating and implementing policies
March 26 (M) Cost-benefit analysis I
March 28 (W) Cost-benefit analysis II
Sign up for an economic briefing
March 30 (F) Lab 12
Midterm 2 due by 11:59 PM
April 2 (M) Cost-benefit analysis III
April 4 (W) Other policy analysis methods
April 6 (F) Lab 13
Problem set 7 due
April 9 (M) Policy analysis and formation I
April 11 (W) Policy analysis and formation II
Complete economic briefing
April 13 (F) Lab 14
Problem set 8 due
April 16 (M) Politics and institutions
April 18 (W) Markets, public policy, and public administration
Final
April 25 (W) Final project due (submit online by 11:59 PM)