Course Syllabus

Instructor: Coady Wing

email: cwing@iu.edu

Office: O'Neill 341a

Lectures: MW 3:55-5:10 pm

Classroom: PV275

Office Hours: By appointment

Full Syllabus: syllabus.pdf

Course Description (IU Bulletin)

Examination of how the programs of public agencies are proposed, established, operated and evaluated. Discussion of the role and conduct of research in the program process. In addition, techniques of effective evaluation and report presentation are discussed.

Synopsis

This course is concerned with research designs and econometric methods that are used to estimate causal effects in the social and health sciences. Specific topics include randomized experiments, matching and selection on observables, mediation and surrogate outcomes, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, difference in differences, and synthetic control. Students are expected to be comfortable with the material in the Public Affairs Ph.D. econometrics courses. An overarching goal of the course is to help students transition from being consumers of research to being producers of new research. The course assignments and class discussions will emphasize independent student work as much as possible.

The course works through the designs in turn: potential outcomes, randomized experiments, and selection on observables; difference in differences, including its modern staggered-adoption estimators; instrumental variables; regression discontinuity; and synthetic control.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the semester, students should be able to:

1. Explain and critically evaluate the use of standard research methods and research designs for causal inference.

2. Pose causal research questions that are of scientific and/or public policy interest and develop research strategies that help answer those questions using the designs and methods covered in the course.

3. Collect data and carry out statistical analyses based on causal research designs, using up-to-date methods, at a standard suitable for publication in scientific journals.

4. Write up an empirical study as a complete research paper: state the identification strategy, present the evidence that supports it, and report results in the form used in scientific journals.

Attendance

Attendance at lectures is required. The only exceptions are: religious holidays per IU policy; accommodations approved in advance by AES using the appropriate form; extended illness, which requires a hard-copy letter signed by a licensed medical professional stating that extended absence is medically necessary; and possibly extended family emergency, which will also require documentation.

Grading

Research Paper --- 60%. An original piece of quantitative social science research that uses one of the research designs covered in the course. Students are free to choose almost any substantive topic. The goal is to produce a complete draft manuscript that is suitable for circulating as a working paper and that is nearly ready for submission to a journal. Planning and executing the project is a major challenge, and the structure of the course helps by providing intermediate deadlines, opportunities for feedback at several stages, and advice on the problems that come up during the project. The sequential deadlines listed under Semester Dates and Deadlines below are how the project gets built over the semester.

Problem Sets and Quizzes --- 40%. 

There will be up to twelve small assignments and quizzes. Some or all of these may be given in class. You can only complete an in-class assignment or quiz if you are in class.