Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2020 - ECON 480 D100

Seminar in the Economics of Labor Market Policy (3)

Class Number: 5890

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Mon, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Wed, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 18, 2020
    Fri, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    ECON (or BUEC) 333.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Seminar focusing on public policy as it relates to employment and income security. Special emphasis will vary from term to term, but may include such topics as examinations of current manpower, welfare and public insurance programs, labor legislation, and private institutional practices (such as union-management pension arrangements) that may affect income security.

COURSE DETAILS:

We will consider policy evaluation in a labour market context. We will take a broad view of labour market policy, ranging from (un)employment insurance and income assistance policies, to aspects of immigration and education policy that have consequences for the labour market.

Our main focus will be the econometric basis of policy evaluation. That is, what kind of empirical evidence can usefully inform policy decisions? Our focus will therefore be the identification and estimation of causal effects, and the role of such estimates in policy-making. Our discussion of econometric tools for causal inference will overlap with ECON 335 (also taught as a special topics course, ECON 383, in Spring 2020), but with a different focus. In ECON 480 we will focus more on theory, and less on application, than in ECON 335. Unlike ECON 335, you will not use R or work with data in ECON 480. Instead, you will read lots of papers that apply the methods we discuss, and you will be responsible for presenting some of those papers to the class.

This course will have a substantive quantitative component.  We will spend a lot of time talking about and thinking about econometrics. If you found BUEC 333 difficult, be forewarned: you will probably find this course very challenging.

Grading

  • Class presentation(s) 25%
  • Term paper 35%
  • Final exam 40%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

D. Angrist and J.-S. Pischke “Mastering ‘Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect,” Princeton University Press (2014).

RECOMMENDED READING:

J. D. Angrist and J.-S. Pischke “Mostly Harmless Econometrics,” Princeton University Press (2008).

In addition to the texts, we will read a lot of papers. You will each be responsible for presenting some of these papers to the class.


Department Undergraduate Notes:

Please note that, as per Policy T20.01, the course requirements (and grading scheme) outlined here are subject to change up until the end of the first week of classes.

Starting Fall 2020, final exam schedules will be released in October. This will allow students to avoid enrollment conflicts, and will significantly reduce instances of exam hardship. If your course has a final exam, please ensure that you are available during the final exam period December 9 - 20 until you receive confirmation of your exam dates. 

Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability must contact the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) at 778-782-3112 or caladmin@sfu.ca.

***NO TUTORIALS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES***

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020

Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).