Empirical Market Design

2.0 credits

This is a course in empirical market design, intended mainly for second year economics PhD students (but also open for all other interested graduate students). We will study the economic theory and empirical methods used to analyze rules, institutions, and market failures in two-sided matching markets and allocation environments. We will begin by covering the basics of auction and matching theory. Then we will study structural empirical methods that build on this theory and are useful in empirical analyses of markets in matching contexts (e.g. random utility models estimated using rank order lists or only final match outcomes). The course will then focus on the use of theory and structural methods to analyze market properties and failures in empirical contexts such as the design of the US medical residency match, school choice programs, college admissions, the allocation of transplant organs, the allocation of public housing, environmental auction contexts.