There are no prerequisites, but consider:
No prerequisites required except for interest in
OPEN TO IE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE FOLLOWING DEGREES (SINGLE AND DUAL): OPEN TO ALL PROGRAMS
This class provides an introduction to public policy making and design through the lens of behavioral science.
The goal of “behavioral public policy” is, put simply, to lead to better outcomes for society through light-touch interventions in public life. It tries to bridge a concern for individual freedom with better social outcomes.
This approach has implication for policymaking, law, politics, ethics, and economics. It is one of the most important developments in recent times and has so far generated two Nobel prizes in economics.
We will study critically behavioral public policy, its building blocks, its implications, and we will spend some time with critiques of it.
You will have to do a significant group public policy design project tackling a question of your interest.
1) Understanding the challenges the policymaker faces and her goals
2) Being familiar with quantitative approaches for policy evaluation
3) Acquiring the basic toolkit of behavioral sciences and understanding how it applies to a range of public policy domains
4) Applying individually and in groups this basic toolkit to designing behavioral-science infused policies
