ENROLL

Michael T Hemesath, Mark T Kanazawa

The economic divide between white and Black Americans is persistent and well-documented. How to effectively address this divide continues to be a source of active public debate.  In the recent book From Here to Equality, Duke economist William Darity and folklorist A. Kirsten Mullen examine the possibility of reparations for Black Americans as a way to bridge this divide.  This book examines the history of reparations policies, and it raises all sorts of important questions regarding the policy justification for reparations, and practical details regarding how such a policy could actually be implemented.  Kirkus Reviews has said about this book that it is “essential to any debate over the need for and way to achieve meaningful large-scale reparations.”  In this course, we read and discuss From Here to Equality, to obtain deeper insights into reparations as a policy toward economic equality for Black Americans. The course will include a conversation with Professor Darity, who is delivering the Veblen-Clark Lecture in spring 2022. There will also be an assigned final paper that provides students the opportunity to summarize and evaluate the arguments for reparations. Students will be expected to participate in discussions including taking turns leading discussions, and this will form part of the basis on which their participation will be evaluated.

1st 5 weeks, Extra Time Required

Mark T Kanazawa

This course is an introduction to the statistical methods used by economists to test hypotheses and to study and quantify economic relationships. The course emphasizes both econometric theory and practical application through analysis of economic data sets using statistical software. Prior experience with R is strongly encouraged. Topics include two-variable and multiple regression, interval estimation and hypothesis testing, discrete and continuous structural change, parameter restrictions, model construction, experimental design, issues of functional specification, model overfitting and underfitting, heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation, and multicollinearity.

Prerequisite: Mathematics 111 and either Statistics 120 (formerly Mathematics 215) or Statistics 250 (formerly Mathematics 275), and Economics 110 and 111 or instructor consent