F1ID 5080 - Fiscal and Social Policies in Developing Countries: Research and Practice

This course explores key issues in government policy in developing countries. Governments are responsible for a wide array of social and economic programs which have significant impacts on a country's population: raising taxes, delivering public services such as education and social protection, recruiting civil servants, etc. How can governments successfully raise taxes when the majority of economic activity is informal? What is the best way to deliver social assistance to the poorest households? Can digitization help strengthen the administration's capacity? We will study the specific challenges for the success of public policies that may be encountered in low- and middle-income countries, and innovative examples from across the globe. The course aims to equip students with the key concepts and methodological tools to analyze government policies. This will include insights from public economics to rigorously characterize government policies. The course will also familiarize students with recent findings from development economics, but does not require a background in economics. We will cover impact evaluation methods and evidence-based policymaking practices. Students will learn how to assess the success of a given policy and develop skills to critically interpret quantitative empirical evidence. Case studies of public policies in specific countries will be presented, from their inception to their evaluation. This will be enriched by interventions by government practitioners from Sub-Saharan Africa with hands-on experience in innovative policy-making.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the role of government policies and challenges faced in developing countries, with insights from development and public economics
• Be able to critically analyze the effectiveness of public policies using impact evaluation methods
• Learn to engage with practitioners for the design and evaluation of public policies
• Develop a government policy evaluation

Professional Skills

• Research and Analysis
• Critical Thinking
• Impact Evaluation
• Engage with government practitioners
• Oral and Written Communication
• Teamwork

None

There will be a feedback session after the midterm exam, and after the review of the one-pager on group project advancement. There will be office hours with the TA and the instructor throughout the semester upon request. The midterm exam and group project will be handed back to the students with in-depth corrections and feedback.

/Group Project: Throughout the semester 50%

Students will be asked to work in groups on a policy proposal in a developing country, provide evidence for the challenges it seeks to address, and suggest an adequate evaluation method. Each group will prepare a summary of the project mid-semester (10%), discuss the project in class (10%) and write a detailed report by the end of the semester (30%).

Midterm Exam: (30%). The exam will cover the key concepts explored in the class and be taken in class.

In-class presentation of a research paper: (10%). Readings are required prior to the beginning of each class. Every week, a group of students will present a short summary of one of the readings.

In-class participation and comments on readings: (10%). The class is meant to be interactive and participation is strongly encouraged. Additionally, students will be asked to submit brief questions & comments on the weekly readings, to prompt discussions.

• Attendance: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Online learning activities:
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester