Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

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ECON 0311

Causal Inference

Causal Inference
“Correlation is not causation” is a frequent refrain from people investigating relationships in data. But what does this mean? In this course we will focus on empirical tools that economists use to identify causal relationships. Students will explore the concept of causality and estimation of counterfactuals using randomized and natural experiments to study economic and social phenomena. Students will learn to apply the main research designs used by economists including randomized control trials (RCTs), difference-in-differences estimation, event studies, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity. The ethics of conducting empirical research will also be emphasized throughout the course. (ECON 0211) (Formerly ECON 212) 3 hrs. lect.
Subject:
Economics
Department:
Economics
Division:
Social Sciences
Requirements Fulfilled:
Equivalent Courses:
ECON 0212 *

Sections in Fall 2012

Fall 2012

ECON0311A-F12 Lecture (Ruud)