Econ 980MM: Designing Real-World Experiments to Improve Firm Decision-Making and Public Policy

Semester: 

Spring

Offered: 

2022

Field experiments (experiments that take place in real-world settings) are increasingly being used to analyze public policies, make business decisions, and test theories. The most recent economics Nobel Prize recognized experiments’ role in alleviating global poverty. This class will dive into how to design a field experiment and learn about some of the most exciting recent experimental research. It will also use experiments to learn about the research process. We will discuss how to frame a question so that the research informs policy, when to trust research discussed in the popular press, and how to interpret and apply results to improve decision-making.