Descriptif

The objective of this course is to help you understand the many ways in which economics has acquired its ‘applied’ identity throughout the XXth century. We will thus survey the development of tools whereby economic concepts, theories and models are confronted to facts. We will focus of the history of econometrics, of experimental economics, and on how economists have constructed data sets. We will also discuss examples of applications of economics concepts and models in the policies and business spheres. Finally, the cultures of applications that economists have nurtured differ across fields. We will thus contrast the challenges microeconomists and macroeconomists face. 

Note that the list of session topic is indicative. It will depends on what you are interested in, as well as on Covid-related teaching conditions

The purpose of this course is to build reflexivity on the tools and models that you use in your own research. Assessment criteria are thus designed accordingly:

- participation in class: each session with begin with discussing one to three papers offering case studies of the topic under investigation (20% final grade)

-final essay: I’ll ask to send me a short note describing your planned/ongoing master research. On this basis, I’ll propose you some readings to help you craft a max 5-pages thesis introduction tying your specific topic to the larger debates that have been running in your field or the discipline at large in the past decades. Such writing exercise will, I hope, help you in devising introduction, grant applications or presentations of your research (80% of final grade).