An Economic Exploration of Inequality

This course shows how economists approach questions and issues that interest them by focusing on how they study economic inequality and what they have found out. The course begins by examining the ways that economists define and measure economic inequality, and then turns to economic theories about the causes of economic inequality and how well these theories have performed. Next, the course focuses on the impacts of inequality on the overall economy and finishes by discussing economic policies that could be used to reduce inequality, including their benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Throughout the course, the emphasis will be on examining both the strengths and weaknesses of the economics-based approach to analyzing and understanding economic inequality. Offered only in the First-Year Constellations program.