Course Schedule | Ripped from the Headlines | Exams

Course Schedule

Lecture Class Materials Assignments and Deadlines
1
8/30
Intro, Supply and Demand 		Read
  • GLS, Chapters 1 and 2, skimming 2.5
  • multiple equilibria in the vanilla market, courtesy of NPR
  • Optional: More detail on vanilla
Handouts
2
9/6
Elasticity 		Read
  • GLS, Section 2.5
  • Alvarez et al, “Price and income elasticities of demand for cigarette consumption...” Public Health, 2020. [link].
Handouts
  • Problem set 2
Due
  • Problem set 1
3
9/13
Supply and Demand and Policy 		Read
  • GLS, Chapter 3, but not 3.4 or 3.5
  • Consumer surplus from Wikipedia: “Net Benefits: How to quantify the gains that the internet has brought to consumers”, The Economist, 2013 [link], and GW [subscriber version] that requires vpn
  • Supplemental
Handouts
  • Problem set 3
Due
  • Problem set 2
4
9/20
Consumer Behavior 		Read
  • GLS, Chapter 4
Handouts
  • Problem set 4
Due
  • Problem set 3
5
9/27
Individual and Market Demand 		Read
  • GLS, Chapter 5. Omit income Engel curves from 5.1, and inferior goods and Giffen goods at the end of 5.3.
Handouts
  • Problem set 5
    • Due
    • Problem set 4
    • Use Numbers 1 of 3
    6
    10/4
    Tax Incidence     		Read
    • Gruber, Chapter 19, pages 557-586
    • limited coverage of 19.4
    • Read introductions
      • Chetty, Looney and Croft, “Salience and Taxation” NBER Working Paper 13330, 2007. [link]
      • Bradley and Feldman, “Hidden Baggage: Behavioral Responses to Changes in Airline Ticket Tax Disclosure” American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2020. [link]
    • Supplemental
    		 Handouts
    • Problem set 6
    Due
    • Problem set 5
    7
    10/11
    Firms and Profit     		Read
    • GLS, Chapter 6, but not 6.5 or 6.6
    • Supplemental
    		 Handouts
    • Problem set 7
    Due
    • Problem set 6
    8
    10/18     		Midterm Due
    • Problem set 7
    Fall Break
    10/25
    9
    11/1
    Costs     		Read
    • GLS, Chapter 7, but not 7.5; we return to 6.5
    • Supplemental
    		 Handouts
    • Problem set 8
    Due
    • Use Numbers, 2 of 3
    10
    11/8
    Competition     		Read
    • GLS, Chapter 8, but not 8.5.
    		Handouts
    • Problem set 9
    Due
    • Problem set 8
    11
    11/15
    Market Power     		Read
    • GLS, Chapter 9; omit Lerner Index
    • Helpful examples
    		 Handouts
    • Problem set 10
    Due
    • Problem set 9
    12
    11/22
    Pricing     		Read
    • GLS, Chapter 10
    • Dean, Sam, “The truth about LA's most notoriously expensive gas stations,” Los Angeles Times, March 9, 2022. [link]
    		 Handouts
    • Problem set 11
    Due
    • Problem set 10
    13
    11/29
    Public goods and externalities     		Read
    • GLS, Chapter 17, sections 17.1, 17.2, and 17.3
    • Gruber, Chapter 7, pages 184-189; Rosen and Gayer, Chapter 4, pages 54-70.
    • Two podcasts on public goods
      • Lighthouses, Autopsies, and the Federal Budget, [link]
      • How to Stop an Asteroid, [link]
    • Supplemental
    		 Handouts
    • Problem set 12
    Due
    • Problem set 11
    • Use Numbers, 3 of 3
    14
    12/6
    Economic History of Nails     		Read
    • Sichel, Dan. “The Price of Nails Sine 1695: A Window Into Economic Change,” Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2022. [link]
    • Supplementary
    		 Due
    • Problem set 12
    Final
    In person     		Your choice of one of the following
    • Wednesday December 14, 1776 G, C-115, 3 to 5 pm or 5:20 to 7:20 pm, or
    • Thursday December 15, Phil 109, 3 to 5 pm or 5:20 to 7:20 pm
    Done! Enjoy your break.

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