Grinnell College

Semesters taught: Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024

Textbook: Stevenson and Wolfers, Principles of Economics. 2020

This course provides an introduction to a wide variety of economic concepts and tools. The course aims to give students an understanding of basic economic theory as well as how economists apply this theory to everyday issues. The course can be broken up into two broad areas: microeconomics (the study of consumer and firm behavior and the interactions of these economic agents in markets) and macroeconomics (the study of aggregate market phenomena such as national income, unemployment, and inflation). It is hoped that students leave this course with a broader understanding of economic phenomena and an ability to apply economic reasoning to a wide variety of issues.

Semesters taught: Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023

An introduction to health economics, using basic economic theory to understand the implications of health-related markets and policies in the United States and abroad. This course will cover topics including health insurance, behavioral responses to health-related incentives, and determinants of access to health care services. In this course, students get experience working with data in a final paper project. We also cover a variety of health economics papers in special topics -- which have ranged from vaccines to mental health among college students to family planning/reproductive health. Topics will be determined by the students in the course.

Semesters taught: Fall 2022, Fall 2024

This seminar familiarizes students with topics related to healthcare and health disparities. Topics chosen from historical foundations of and legal landscapes around healthcare, demographic factors in healthcare such as aging, and behavioral and public health concerns. Students will be expected to learn some of the literature within this field as well as the econometric tools used to answer applied microeconomics questions within health. Students will complete a final project that uses standard causal inference methods to address a question related to health behavior, outcomes, or inequities.