Economic Intel in Policymaking

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This course provides graduate students an overview of how economic intelligence, both quantitative and qualitative economic information, is used in US foreign and national security policymaking. The class will explore the many facets of economic intelligence and how its application in the policymaking process differs from the use of competitive business and market intelligence by commercial entities and nongovernmental institutions. The course will equip students with structured approaches to critically interpreting economic trends and their implications for policymakers, integrating economic insights into strategic assessments, and communicating findings in a concise and actionable way to decision makers. Presentations and readings will introduce students to various sources of economic information--US agencies, commercial entities, multilateral organizations, and foreign governments--and explore how to best evaluate sources' usefulness, gaps, and biases in addressing specific policy questions. Finally, the course will look at how the use of economic intelligence in policymaking is evolving both in the type of data and information available to policymakers and in the need to address new and evolving risks such as climate change. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions, deliver two policy papers, a briefing, and a final paper.