Economics 334 - Quantitative Methods in EconomicsHome Page |
Last Updated on 08/28/2006 |
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COURSE DESCRIPTION |
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Economics is the study of how humans interact within their social and biophysical environments for the purpose of providing individuals, groups, and society as a whole, with the material basis of their lives. This focus leads economists to ask questions about, for example, the ways in which workers, consumers and firms contribute to economic provisioning, the effectiveness of a nation's economy in enabling that provisioning, and the effects of specific public policies on economic provisioning. But how do economists generate evidence for addressing these questions? One avenue is using quantitative methods to produce empirical evidence appropriate for the question at hand. In this course, we will explore some of the more popular quantitative methods used by economists when analyzing economic issues. More specifically, we will examine how economists systematically evaluate data series and statistical relationships between economic variables. And because a primary goal of this course is for you to use these quantitative methods, you will learn, through exercises and projects, each method's specific techniques. In addition, you will learn how to evaluate appropriate sources of information for the economic issues at hand, and you will learn how to interpret the results and reach conclusions about the issue based on the empirical evidence developed. Another important component of the course is that you learn to evaluate effectively which quantitative methods are appropriate to use when answering particular economic questions. |