KAFP 3435 - Advanced Analysis and Evaluation of Public Policy

This advanced course will provide an in-depth coverage of quantitative policy evaluation. The course will cover a wide variety of evaluation designs, and their applications to concrete policy questions. Students will learn the whole toolbox of evaluation methods, including regression, matching, randomized control trials, difference-in-differences, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity designs. Importantly, students will learn these methods not only through theory and examples during the lectures, but also through practice in bi-weekly seminars, which will teach them how to use the statistical software R for data description and analysis. The course will also give students the opportunity to develop their own policy evaluation project on a topic of their choice.

Knowledge of all the following statistical notions is essential before starting the course: mean, variance, standard error, hypothesis testing, and linear regression.

Attendance of the maths camp is imperative.

• Mid-term exam: multiple choice questions with justification 40% of the final mark
• Presentation of the Group Policy Evaluation Project in class (20% of the final mark).
• Group Policy Evaluation Project completed at home and handed in by (40% of final mark).