The central theme of much of my research has been trying to understand the details of people's preferences--what people want--both through mathematical theory and surveys data. Within that, the most important area of my current research is on developing national well-being indices and other tools to foster evidence-based government. I also have a broad interest in public policy informed by research, an interest I pursue in the main through my blog: https://blog.supplysideliberal.com/key-posts/ Improving monetary policy has been the single biggest emphasis in my public policy interests: https://blog.supplysideliberal.com/emoney/ This is connected to my other research interest: understanding business cycles. Methodologically, I approach economics from the perspective of cognitive economics: https://blog.supplysideliberal.com/post/107961784445/cognitive-economics
ECON 3080 - Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2024
Introduces theories of aggregate economic activity including the determination of income, employment, and prices; economic growth; and fluctuations. Macroeconomic policies are explored in both closed and open economy models. ECON 3070 ECON and 3080 may be taken in any order; there is no recommended sequence.
ECON 4060 - Choice Theory
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2022 / Spring 2023
How do individuals make choices? In economics, it is standard to assume that individuals are rational utility maximizers. This standard model usually provides a good approximation to people�s behaviors. However, we will see in this course that sometimes the standard model fails to explain people�s choices. The goal of this course is to understand how individuals make choices and their implications. Recommended prerequisite: ECON 3080.
ECON 8010 - Economics of Risk and Time
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2023
Develops the mathematical tools necessary to analyze optimal decision-making by individual households and firms over time and in the face of risk. This is a building block for general equilibrium models, statistical models of behavior and theoretical analyses of economic policy.
ECON 8020 - Business Cycle Theory and Monetary and Fiscal Policy
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2020 / Spring 2024
Develops key skills for understanding monetary, fiscal and financial stability policy: (a) deep mathematical analysis of business cycle models, including the mechanisms within models, their comparative statics and comparative dynamics, and the difference parameter values make to the behavior of business cycle models, (b) comparing model predictions to statistical data analyses, and (c) understanding real-world policy debates.
ECON 8219 - Economics Research Methods Workshop 2
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2019
Continuation of ECON 8209. Assists students starting their doctoral thesis by discussing relevant economic research. Presents and discusses research papers.
