Case Studies in Economic Policy

This course is available for in-person and remote (online) learning. In this course, the emphasis is on how economics matters for policy analysis. Thus, measures of economic performance, and fiscal, monetarist, and trade policies matter primarily in how these are applied across countries. A big component of this course is to understand how government policies may work, so that economic understanding serves this primary purpose. We will examine policy instruments such as exchange rates, interest rates, international debt, budget deficit, and trade deficit, to understand their composition and effects on domestic economy, employment, investment, development, and international trade, the promises they provide, the problems they pose, and what needs to be considered in conjunction with these instruments. Once we have achieved these basics, we will apply our understanding into analyzing how and why government acts and evaluate the effects of such actions across countries, including the US, Asia, and Latin America. The course covers five general topics: • General economic indicators: definitions, advantages and drawbacks • Fiscal policies: multiplier and demand side policies • Complications for fiscal policies: supply side considerations, crowding-out • Money and monetarist policies: money supply and money multiplier • Complications for monetarist policies: budget deficits and debt