Listed in: Economics, as ECON-220
Christopher G. Kingston (Section 01)
The state plays a large role in the economy, employing a substantial fraction of the labor force, producing and consuming a wide variety of goods and services, building infrastructure, taxing economic activity, enforcing contracts, redistributing wealth, regulating industries, and so on. Therefore, the allocation of society’s resources - the subject matter of economics - depends crucially on how political decisions are made. This course is an introduction to rational-choice and game-theoretic analysis of collective decision-making in the public sphere: voting systems and democratic governance; legislative bargaining and policymaking; the role of interest groups and collective action; corruption, rent seeking and government failure; constitutional change; and the economic analysis of law.
Requisite: ECON 111 or equivalent. Limited to 30 students. Spring semester. Professor Kingston.
How to handle overenrollment: Preference will be given to those students who have previously taken the fewest economics courses.
Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Quantitative reasoning; regular problem sets and exams; In class discussions; a 3-page paper. Students with documented disabilities who will require accommodations in this course should be in consultation with Accessibility Services and reach out to the faculty member as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations can be made in a timely manner.
Section 01
M 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM SMUD 204
W 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM SMUD 204
F 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM SMUD 204