PPPA 8022 Spring 2022

Course Logistics

• Wednesdays, 6:10-8:00
• When online: Zoom link by email
• When in person: MPA B07
• Lab: Wednesdays, 8:10 - 10
• When online: Zoom link by email
• When in person: Gov 103

The essence of research is posing a question about how the world works, generating a hypothesis, and using evidence to test that hypothesis. This course focuses on how we use evidence to test hypotheses.

For masters' students, you should leave this course as an informed consumer of research. Is the research design you're reading credible? Why or why not? What are red flags in published research that should make you look more carefully? What are the steps required to generate a credible research product? What is causal inference, and how do you evaluate causal strategies?

For PhD students, my additional goal is to teach you how to understand estimation techniques. You may or may not use the techniques we learn in this course. Regardless, understanding their logic will help you interpret and apply empirical techniques in your own work.

This course is the second in a two-part graduate sequence in econometrics. It follows the content from PPPA 6013 and is substantially more challenging.

As a result of completing this course you should be able to

• Apply reduced-form empirical techniques to research questions you develop
• Replicate the data assembly and analysis in a published paper
• Know how to apply the tools of causal policy evaluation
  • Differences-in-differences
  • Instrumental variables
  • Regression Discontinuity
  • Matching
• Read and critique causal arguments in academic papers
• Use statistical software to implement the tools of policy evaluation

Professor: Leah Brooks

Media and Public Affairs Building, Room 601F
Office Hours: Tuesdays 10:30 AM to 1 PM, Thursdays 8 PM to 9:15 (last appt ends at 9:30) PM

• Use the scheduler to book a 15-minute slot
• If there are no other students waiting, I am happy to talk beyond the 15 minute limit
• Thursday evening office hours are always by Zoom. I will let you know when Tuesday office hours can be in person.
• Your confirmation email from the scheduler will contain the Zoom link
• No office hours Tuesdays Jan. 11, Feb. 22 or April 12; or Thursday April 14.

lfbrooks at gwu.edu, but please use Piazza email for all non-private issues

Contact policy: I will do my best to answer emails within 24 hours during weekdays, or within 24 hours on the soonest weekday if you email on the weekend. If you do not hear from me within this time frame, you should assume that your email has been lost and you should re-send.

If you have missed a class, your first line of defense to ask what you have missed is another student.

Graduate Assistant: Daniel Burge

daniel_burge at gwu.edu
Office Hours: Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 am to noon. If you cannot make these times, please be in touch directly.

Contact policy: On weekdays, I will try to respond within 24 hours. Please resend your email if you haven't heard from me after 24 hours. On weekends, expect a reply within 24 hours on the soonest weekday.

PPPA 6013: Econometrics for Policy Research I

This class is substantially more difficult than PPPA 6013 and requires either familiarity with statistical programming, or the ability and willingness to learn this skill while taking the course. Please see me to discuss if you are unsure whether this course is appropriate for you.

While we use statistical software in this class, we do not directly teach the use of this software. Our TA will do some instruction on Stata, but not a complete introduction. As this is a PhD level course, I expect that you will do substantial work on your own outside of class, and learning statistical software is part of this.

I present problem set answers in Stata, but you are welcome to use the statistical package of your choice if you prefer. The TA and I can support work in Stata and R.

If you would like to learn some Stata on your own in advance of the problem sets, I highly recommend the UCLA website, which has many self-directed tutorials. If you complete the “Fundamentals of Stata 1 and 2” and the two data management tutorials here and this old (but good -- all the basic commands remain the same) tutorial, that is more than sufficient background to proceed in this class. See the resources tab for additional Stata links.

Do not do these tutorials with the expectation of mastering Stata. What you need to do is to learn enough to know diagnose problems and find solutions. This will give you the tools to find solutions for problems outside of material that you've learned directly.

Required textbook: Angrist, Joshua D. and Pischke, Jorn-Steffen. Mastering Metrics.

The textbook is on order at the campus bookstore, and is widely available online. I have tried to link to all remaining readings from this syllabus. You need to be logged in to GW's VPN to access the majority of the readings. When you are logged in, you should have access to all linked articles. Please let me know if you have difficulties with any of the links, or with permissions.

Readings are subject to change, given the pace at which we move through the material.

You are not required to use Stata for analysis in this course, but it is the program for which the TA and instructor can provide support. We can also support work in R.

Your options to access Stata are to use it in the GW library, use it on GW's cloud, buy a student version, or get an account on GW's high performance computing cluster (only feasible if you have some familiarity with Unix/linux and vi/emacs/other text editors). Reviews of GW's cloud Stata are universally poor, and I encourage you to make the investment to purchase the student version. The TA can discuss these options during lab. See the link to purchase the student version on the resources tab.

You will turn in all work to the google folder link available on Piazza. See full directions there.

Weekly Plan When Online

To better work with the online format, I will pre-record half of the lecture. I expect you to do the associated reading and listen to the lecture before arriving in class. In class, we will discuss your questions from the online lecture and I will ask you questions about the assigned journal article. To recap,
Before Class

• Thursday preceding class, by midnight, I post lecture videos for the following week's lecture (first lecture posted 1/6)
• You read the assigned Mastering Metrics text, watch the lecture video, and read the assigned journal article

During Class

• Administration overview
• Answer questions from online lecture or reading
• Discuss (I ask questions!) assigned journal article
• Sometimes work in groups

I anticipate that in most weeks we will use less than the full class time. My goal is to have class last about 70 minutes. I will stay online until 8 pm for questions about your replication paper or the course material.
Online Expectations

• Generally, I expect you to have your camera on during class sessions. This helps me understand when explanations are lacking and creates accountability. While everyone may not always be able to do this, and I understand, camera on is the preferred option.
• By default, mute yourself.
• Raise your hand to ask questions. If the instructor doesn't see your hand, unmute and speak up.

Weekly Plan When In Person

With an in-person format, we will use the entire lecture period and I will not pre-record half any of the lecture. I expect you to do the associated reading before arriving in class. In class, we will discuss the technical reading and I will ask you questions about the assigned journal article. To recap,
Before Class

• No pre-recorded lectures.
• You read the assigned Mastering Metrics text and read the assigned journal article

During Class

• Administration overview
• Lecture, ideally less than half the class, on technical background for article
• Discuss (I ask questions!) assigned journal article
• Sometimes work in groups

1. Problem Sets (15%)
   • The three problem sets are designed to practice the skills we learn in class
   • And to help you prepare with Stata (or other statistical software) for writing the paper
   • Turn problem sets in online at the beginning of class that they are due
   • Late problem sets receive half credit for the first 24 hours and then zero credit.
   • Problem sets should be typed
   • You're welcome to work with others, but you should each turn in your own work, in your own words
   • Grading is check plus/check/check minus (A/A-/B+)
2. Research Paper (60%)
   • 10 to 15 pages; no more than 15 pages
   • Paper is due at the final class, in class
   • Extensions given only the case of illness
   • Essays graded out of 100 points
   • Grades for essays submitted late decline by ten points for each twelve hours the essay is late, e.g. if the essay is due on Friday and is received Monday, if it would have received 70%, and now receives 30%
   • To make sure you are on track, we have two way-markers that each count for two and a half percent of the paper grade
     • A proposal due Lecture 3
     • Evidence that you've made progress on the quantitative front, due in March
     • In-class workshop, where you comment on drafts, Lecture 11
     • Late work for these way-marker projects receives a grade of zero
3. Paper Summaries (10%)
   • For the semester, each of you will write four paper summaries
   • The three highest of these summaries count toward your course grade
   • I'll randomly assign you to these weeks; feel free to trade weeks amongst yourselves and let me know.
   • Write a one page summary of the paper we are discussing that week. At least a third of the summary should be a critique or extention of the article.
4. Class Participation (5%)
   • I expect that you will come to class having done the reading and that you will be prepared to engage with me and other students in discussing the material
5. Research Paper presentations (10%)
   • Comments on your classmates' presentations (5%)
   • Your presentation (5%)

• The Syllabus
  This syllabus is your guide to the course. If any questions arise, please check the syllabus before contacting me or the TA. Sound educational practice requires flexibility and I may revise content and requirements during the semester.
• Late or Missed Class
  If you are late or absent from class, it is your responsibility to obtain all announcements, assignments, and handouts from this website or from your classmates. As participation is part of your grade, and because attendance in class helps you learn, missing many classes will be detrimental to your final grade. Missing one class should have no effect. You do not need to notify me in advance if you are going to miss class.
• Due Dates
  Please notify me in the first two weeks of class if you are aware of a pre-existing conflict, such as a religious holiday you observe, that will preclude you from completing work at the assigned time. To the extent possible, we will work together to reschedule as close to the original date as possible. As most work in this class is given with substantial advance notice, I am hopeful that re-scheduling is unlikely to be necessary.
• Submission of Written Work Products Outside of the Classroom
  It is your responsibility to ensure that I receive your assignment on time. It is not permissible to submit assignments digitally unless I indicate so.
• Collaboration on Assignments
  You are welcome to work in groups; however, you are expected to write up your answers individually. This means that no phrases on your assignment should mimic phrases on any other student's work.
• Submission of Written Work Products after Due Date
  All work must be submitted by the assigned due date in order to receive full credit. Only extreme circumstances warrant exceptions. Late assignments will be marked down for each day that they are late.
• Academic Integrity Code
  Academic integrity is an essential part of the educational process, and all members of the GW community take these matters very seriously. As the instructor of record for this course, my role is to provide clear expectations and uphold them in all assessments. Violations of academic integrity occur when students fail to cite research sources properly, engage in unauthorized collaboration, falsify data, and otherwise violate the Code of Academic Integrity. If you have any questions about whether or not particular academic practices or resources are permitted, you should ask me for clarification. If you are reported for an academic integrity violation, you should contact the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (SRR) to learn more about your rights and options in the process. Consequences can range from failure of assignment to expulsion from the university and may include a transcript notation. For more information, please refer to the SRR website, email rights@gwu.edu, or call 202-994-6757.
  Note especially the definition of plagiarism: “intentionally representing the words, ideas, or sequence of ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise; failure to attribute any of the following: quotations, paraphrases, or borrowed information.”
• Incompletes
  You must consult with me to obtain an incomplete no later than the last day of classes in the semester. At that time, we will both sign the CCAS contract for incompletes and submit a copy to the School Director. Please consult the TSPPPA Student Handbook or visit this link for the complete CCAS policy on incompletes.
• Changing Grades After Completion of Course
  No changes can be made in grades after the conclusion of the semester, other than in cases of clerical error.
• Disability Support Services
Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a disability should contact Disability Support Services to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. Phone is 202-994-8250.
• Counseling and Psychological Services
GW's Colonial Health Center offers counseling and psychological services, supporting mental health and personal development by collaborating directly with students to overcome challenges and difficulties that may interfere with academic, emotional, and personal success. Phone is 202-994-5300.
• Religious Holidays
  Students must notify faculty during the first week of the semester in which they are enrolled in the course, or as early as possible, but no later than three weeks prior to the absence, of their intention to be absent from class on their day(s) of religious observance. If the holiday falls within the first three weeks of class, the student must inform faculty in the first week of the semester. For details and policy, see “Religious Holidays” here.
• Safety and Security
Monitor GW Alerts and Campus Advisories to Stay Informed before and during an emergency event or situation.
In an emergency: call GWPD/EMeRG 202-994-6111 or 911.
For situation-specific actions: refer to GW's Emergency Response Handbook and Emergency Operations Plan.
In the event of an armed Intruder: Run. Hide. Fight.
• Out of Class Learning
  Average minimum amount of independent, out-of- class, learning expected per week: In a 15 week semester, including exam week, students are expected to spend a minimum of 100 minutes of out-of- class work for every 50 minutes of direct instruction, for a minimum total of 2.5 hours a week.
• Title IX Information
The George Washington University (GW) and its faculty are committed to creating a safe and open learning environment for all students. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment, including sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, and stalking, please know that help and support are available. GW strongly encourages all members of the community to take action, seek support, and report incidents of sexual harassment to the Title IX Office. You may contact the Title IX Office at 202-994-7434 or at titleix@gwu.edu or learn more by visiting titleix.gwu.edu. Please be aware that faculty members are required to disclose information about suspected or alleged sexual harassment or other potential violations of the Title IX Sexual Harassment and Related Conduct Policy to the Title IX Office. If the Title IX Office receives information about an incident, they will reach out to offer information about resources, rights, and procedural options as a member of the campus community. Community members are not required to respond to this outreach. If you, or another student you know, wishes to speak to a confidential resource who does not have this reporting responsibility, please contact Counseling and Psychological Services through the Colonial Health Center 24/7 at 202-994-5300, or the Office Of Advocacy and Support at 202-994-0443 or at oas@gwu.edu.
• Use of Electronic Course Materials and Class Recordings
Students are encouraged to use electronic course materials, including recorded class sessions, for private personal use in connection with their academic program of study. Electronic course materials and recorded class sessions should not be shared or used for non-course related purposes unless express permission has been granted by the instructor. Students who impermissibly share any electronic course materials are subject to discipline under the Student Code of Conduct. Please contact the instructor if you have questions regarding what constitutes permissible or impermissible use of electronic course materials and/or recorded class sessions. Please contact Disability Support Services if you have questions or need assistance in accessing electronic course materials.
• Writing Center
GW's Writing Center cultivates confident writers in the University community by facilitating collaborative, critical, and inclusive conversations at all stages of the writing process. Working alongside peer mentors, writers develop strategies to write independently in academic and public settings. Appointments can be booked online.
• Academic Commons
Academic Commons provides tutoring and other academic support resources to students in many courses. Students can schedule virtual one-on-one appointments or attend virtual drop-in sessions. Students may schedule an appointment, review the tutoring schedule, access other academic support resources, or obtain assistance here.