The relationship between microeconomic analysis and public policy making. How economic policy analysis is done and why political leaders regard it as useful but not definitive in making policy decisions. Economic rationales for policy interventions, methods of policy evaluation and the role of benefit-cost analysis, economic models of politics and their application to policy making, and the relationship of income distribution to policy choice. Theoretical foundations of policy making and analysis, and applications to program adoption and implementation. Prerequisites: PUBLPOL PUBLPOL 50 or ECON 50. Students are also strongly encouraged to either complete ECON 102B prior to taking this course or take ECON 102B concurrently with this course. Undergraduate Public Policy students are required to take this class for a letter grade and enroll in this class for five units.
5 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit · GER: WAY-AQR
The relationship between microeconomic analysis and public policy making. How economic policy analysis is done and why political leaders regard it as useful but not definitive in making policy decisions. Economic rationales for policy interventions, methods of policy evaluation and the role of benefit-cost analysis, economic models of politics and their application to policy making, and the relationship of income distribution to policy choice. Theoretical foundations of policy making and analysis, and applications to program adoption and implementation. Prerequisites: PUBLPOL 50 or ECON 50. Students are also strongly encouraged to either complete ECON 102B prior to taking this course or take ECON 102B concurrently with this course. Undergraduate Public Policy students are required to take this class for a letter grade and enroll in this class for five units.
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.