Semester:
Offered:
N. Gregory Mankiw (Department of Economics)
First-Year Seminar 43J 4 credits (fall term) Enrollment: Limited to 12
Prerequisites: Students are expected to have had some background in economics, such as an AP economics course in high school or simultaneous enrollment in Economics 10a.
This seminar's goal is to probe how economists of various perspectives view human behavior and the proper role of government in society. Over the semester, seminar participants will read several brief, nontechnical, policy-oriented books by prominent economists. The participants will discuss each work's strengths and weaknesses, exploring the positive scientific judgments and normative value systems that underlie the author’s policy prescriptions. To prepare for each book discussion, seminar participants are expected to send the instructor a brief email describing their views of the reading. In addition, each participant will have the opportunity to write his or her own essay addressing an economic policy issue. The essay will be read and discussed by all seminar participants.