AØKK08328U Seminar: Policy Evaluation Methods

Volume 2015/2016
Education

M.Sc. of Economics
The seminar is primarily for students at the MSc of Economics

Content

This seminar offers students with an in-depth and thorough overview of various evaluation methods and their applications. The seminar will focus on empirical methods to solve an evaluation problem that require causal inference. The seminar encourages students to use various evaluation methods to identify the causal effect of a specific intervention. The seminar will familiarize students with some assumptions associated with each evaluation method and its implication under various empirical contexts. Thus, the seminar will enable students identify the advantages and shortcomings of alternative evaluation methods in various empirical contexts. Students may use alternative evaluation methods including regression analysis, matching methods, instrumental variable approach, difference-in-differences and regression discontinuity design to identify the causal effect of a specific program of interest. 

Learning Outcome

The seminar covers a wider scope of economic and behavioral problems that require identification of causal effects. Thus, students may work on various economic problems that involve some evaluation problem requiring causal inference. For instance, topics may include evaluating the effect of a specific policy on various economic outcomes and behavioral decisions.

By the end of the seminar students will be able to:

  • Identify and apply appropriate microeconometric evaluation methods to estimate causal effects

  • Identify potential advantages and shortcomings of alternative evaluation methods

  • Understand the identification challenges associated with evaluating public policies

  • Identify and apply potential strategies to improve the validity of causal inference for a specific identification problem.

Angrist, J.D. and J. Pischke (2009).Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist's Companion, Princeton University Press.

Wooldridge, J.M. (2010). Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data. Second Edition, MIT Press. Chapter 21.

Further reading on specific topics of interest will be given at the beginning of the seminar.

B.Sc. in Economics
Students are required to have some econometrics knowledge at the level of Econometrics B and knowledge of advanced microeconometrics would be an advantage.
The teaching and learning method for the seminar involves: planning meeting at the beginning of the semester, then students write seminar paper during the semester and presentations are made at the end of the semester.

More specifically the structure of the seminar is organized as follows:
1. Introduction and first group meeting: During this meeting the teacher will talk about contemporary policy evaluation methods and general overview of the seminar. Students can ask questions on the scope of the topics covered in the seminar. Afterwards, students can start working on their term paper on a specific topic.
2. Student presentations and the final group meeting. During these meetings, students will present their term paper and serve as discussants for others in the group.
3. Term paper: students are required to write a 12-page paper and submit within 2 weeks after their presentation. Students can use two types of data for writing the term paper: (a) appropriate micro data of their own that requires evaluation problem and causal inference.(b) They can also thoroughly reanalyze some influential papers in the literature. Students choosing this approach should discuss with the teacher at beginning of the semester to ensure the relevance of the paper they want to reanalyze.

Throughout the semester the teacher will have some time for individual meetings with the students.

Autumn 2015:
First meeting: 03 September 2015 at 10am to 11am

Spring 2016:
First meeting: 10 February 13-15
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Project work
  • 188
  • Seminar
  • 18
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
A written seminar paper.
Included in the seminar is an oral presentation for the others participans at the seminar of app. 20 minuts oral presentation and 10-15 minuts of discussion.
Exam registration requirements

Attendance on the seminar. The mandatory commitment paper and seminar paper have been handed in at deadline.

Aid
All aids allowed

Al aids for the written seminarpaper.

For the oral presentation: Informed by the teacher.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
up to 20 % censorship at the seminarpaper
Exam period

Autumn 2015:

Deadline for handing in a one-page outline of the paper is not later than 15 October 2015.

Presentations: 23  and 26 November 10am-12am

Deadline for submitting the final term paper is 3 December 2015 at midnight.
 

Spring 2016:

Dealine commitment paper: 1 Marts 2016 

Presentations:19 and 20 May 12-15
Deadline final term paper: 31 May 26 at 10 am.

For enrolled students more information about examination, exam/re-sit, rules etc. is available at the student intranet for Examination (English) and student intranet for Examination (KA-Danish).

Re-exam

Submission of a written assignmetn and an oral exam in which you may be examined in the presentations of the other students participating in the seminar during the enrolment period in question.

Criteria for exam assesment

The student must in a satisfactory way demonstrate that he/she has mastered the learning outcome of the course.