Advanced Sequence: Applied Empirical Economics

4 units · Undergraduate upper division (100-199)

Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. Requisites: courses 103, 103L. Advanced study covering empirical methods for causal inference in microeconomic research, with emphasis on identification strategies used when randomized experiments are infeasible. Covers topics drawn from regression discontinuity designs, instrumental variables, difference-in-differences, matching methods, and panel data techniques and other approaches to establishing causal relationships from observational data. Students analyze the theoretical foundations of each method alongside seminal empirical studies, evaluating the assumptions, advantages, and limitations inherent to different identification strategies. Integrates applications from a range of applied microeconomic fields that demonstrate practical implementation. Letter grading.