Syllabus

Lecturer

Dates

  •   Oct 14, 2022 – Jan 20, 2023
  •   Fridays
  •   10:00–12:00
  •   TC.3.10

Highlights

  •   30 students
  •    Draft a research proposal
  •   Present at poster session
  •   Engage in policy discussion

Course design

The lecturer introduces the topics and provides an overview of the relevant literature. Specifically, the course offers a summary of applied research on distribution of income and wealth, some theoretical approaches and various policy-related papers. Students are expected to read three papers and write short summaries at home in order to prepare for specific units. Additionally, students will draft a rudimentary research proposal for an empirical study based on the provided starting literature. These proposals will be presented in a poster session. The short presentations should focus on the highlights of an elaborate research agenda and incite discussions in a small-group setting.

The course offers a lot of room for discussion in order to permit students to assess various arguments and perspectives, form their own opinion, and argue in a group setting. The teaching is designed to encourage students to actively participate in the debates, raise questions, hone their arguments, and gain experience in drafting research proposals and presenting in a poster session.

Learning outcomes

After completing this course, students will:

  • know the recent empirical research on the evolution of inequality in income and wealth
  • be aware of the complexity of the nexus between inequality, growth, and policy-related questions
  • have amplified their stock of arguments for economic debates about inequality, power, and growth
  • be capable of presenting their work in a poster session
  • be able to formulate a well-founded research question (e.g. for their bachelor thesis)

Grading

 Assignments: 30% (0-10 points for each homework)

Poster presentation: 30% (0-20 points for the quality of the presentation, 0-10 for the poster style and structure)

Essay/Research proposal: 40% (0-40 points for the essay)

  100-90: Excellent     89-80: Good     79-65: Satisfactory     64-50: Sufficient

All single tasks have to be passed (50% threshold each).