Professor Bárbara Robles says teaching economics to public affairs students is a matter of giving it the right twist.
"When you're teaching difficult material you have to show students why it's important to them to learn it," she said. "The best way to get them to recognize the value of the material outside the classroom is to put it into a practical context."
To accomplish this, Robles has her students write a series of policy memos. They take the position of a policy analyst on some policy question related to economics, research it, and make recommendations.
"They aren't asked to take a position for or against an issue," she said. "It's not advocacy work, which is different, and they'll get that elsewhere." Examples of the kinds of issues students might choose include the impact of dependent child care credits, health insurance coverage for contraceptives, and abolishing the payroll tax as a measure to help the poor.
"This kind of exercise makes economics a tool for getting at a social issue," said Robles, "and most students find it to be not only interesting but actually valuable."
Robles, who was an economist for the U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Taxation before coming to the LBJ School in 1998, says one thing she likes about the School is the team mentality of the students.
"I find it very appealing that students here are willing to share information among themselves and work in teams," she said. "Graduate school is so often an incredibly competitive environment, and students have no motivation to share information and form friendships because the grading system and program structure make them have to compete for everything. Here, there's a peer effect that makes going to school such a positive experience."
Robles attributes this spirit of cooperation and camaraderie to the interdisciplinary nature of the program. "The fact that faculty members and students come from so many different backgrounds means that everyone has something to share with someone else," she said. "As a female economist who also happens to be Latina, I really identify with that."
Photo by Doug Marshall
