| Section Title: | Inequality |
| Instructor(s): | James Galbraith |
| Course: | P A 388K - Advanced Topics in Public Policy (previously Seminar in Topics in Public Policy) |
| Unique Number: | 63480 |
| Day & Time: | Wednesdays, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM |
| Room: | SRH 3.110 |
| Waitlist Information: | For LBJ Students: UT Waitlist Information |
Description: This seminar will survey parts of the vast literature on rising economic inequality in American society and around the world over the past twenty years. Has inequality risen or fallen, and to what extent? For what reasons? What is the contribution of technological change? Of trade liberalization? Of weaker anti-discrimination policies, lower minimum wages, weaker trade unions, and other changes in the structure of power? Of global financial factors, such as high interest rates?
The course will consider some of the statistical issues that arise in the measurement of inequality and its causes, and some of the philosophical questions that arise in evaluating more equal as against less equal outcomes. The social and political consequences of greater inequality will be considered, and students will have the opportunity to prepare papers and presentations on those aspects of the issue of inequality ? social and political as well as economic ? that are of most interest to them.
Course requirements: This is a research seminar. Each student will be expected to design and complete a research project on some aspect of inequality. The project will consist of three elements: