Developing Effective Economic Policy

This course is currently at capacity. We are admitting students to the waitlist only, and students who currently are on the waitlist will be given priority if places become available.

At UChicago, we believe that developing effective public policy is a science, based on data and measurable impact. UChicago scholars have been fostering leaders who fearlessly ask the hard questions and follow the evidence to find the answers, leaders who are adept at using the best science of our day to confront the most important problems of our time. This course is designed for enterprising high school students who want to join this work at the frontiers of data collection and analysis, using the latest technology and social science methods to design economic policies that will work for society. Students will be introduced to the basic toolkit of quantitative policy analysis, which includes probability theory, sampling, hypothesis testing, regression, experiments, differences in differences, and regression discontinuity. Students will also learn how to use a statistical software program to organize and analyze data. Most importantly, students will learn the principles of critical thinking essential for careful and credible policy analysis.

See sample syllabus here.