BEX5479 · Empirical strategies for policy evaluation

Overview

Do small classes improve learning? Does the Cashless Welfare Card reduce drug addiction? What are the impacts of Brexit on investment in the UK? These are a few of the questions that you will be equipped to answer when completing this unit. Emphasis is placed on how to design credible evaluation strategies that allow you to provide causal estimates of the impact of a policy. Core topics cover the econometric techniques that should be known by an applied economist, including randomisation, matching, regression discontinuity design, differences-in-differences and synthetic controls. Extensions include quantile regression, mediation analysis, and analysis of distributional impacts. The unit emphasises an intuitive understanding of the validity of each approach, and the use of real data, in the computer lab, as an essential complement to lectures.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. understand the central role of the concept of counterfactual in policy analysis
2. understand the importance of randomisation as the credibility standard, as well as its limitations and difficulties
3. understand the value of different observational designs.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.