Population issues are everywhere. In much of the world, the human life span has doubled, birth rates have fallen below replacement, marriages are postponed or foregone, and divorce is common. In other places, rapid population growth seems to impede economic development. Public policy makers and voters worry about the burdens imposed by aging populations, ask whether immigrants help or harm the economy, and try to assess the effect of population on environmental quality. This course uses economic models to study the causes and consequences of changing population size and structure.
Topics include:
- Determinants of population growth and decline
- Relationship between population change and economic development
- Economics of mortality
- Economics of fertility
- Economics of household formation, marriage and divorce
- Economics of migration
- Causes and impacts of changing age structure
Course Requirements:
Grades are based on course attendance/participation, student performance on homework assignments, small-group exercises, quizzes and exams. Exams and quizzes may include small and large essay questions, problems, and multiple-choice questions.
Intended Audience:
Advanced students who are interested using economics to analyze questions about population.
Class Format:
Students are expected to attend all class meetings in person. Lecture is the predominant instructional method, but students are encouraged to raise questions and are required to participate in periodic structured discussions and group exercises.
Communication: The instructor will hold regular office and will be available via email. Each student should communicate one-on-one with the instructor at least once during the first month of the semester. Students will communicate with classmates in small groups to complete periodic exercises.