32702

WiSe 22/23: Introduction to US Economic Inequality I

Julia Püschel

Kommentar

In this course, we will review and analyze various aspects of economic inequality. Household heterogeneities related to credit restrictions, indebtedness, or marginal propensities to consume out of different sources of income or wealth are important to explain aggregate consumption behavior. Measures that directly aim to affect inequality at the aggregate level, such as wealth taxes, inheritance taxes etc., are often perceived as detrimental to economic efficiency. We will discuss key concepts of the economics discipline such as ‘economic efficiency’ and ‘welfare’ as they often are building blocks for economic advice on policy measures. This course will shed light on the trade-offs and distributional consequences of macroeconomic policies and train students to explicitly articulate the underlying value assumptions. Students should have introductory knowledge in economics and statistics. Students are expected to be present and active for at least 4/5 of all classes and to perform sufficiently on all assignments over the course of the semester and in the exam. Assignments during the semester include: a group presentation, a role of a discussant for other students’ presentation, as well as a role of an expert on specific concepts covered in class. The final exam will take place on February 16th, 2023 from 12:15-13:45. The final grade will be the weighted sum of the assignments during the semester (50%) and the exam at the end of the term (50%). Both classes of the module will have to be taken together. Places are restricted to 25. Once you have been accepted to the course Introduction to Economic Inequality I you will be added to Introduction to Economic Inequality II after the registration period has ended. Schließen