School of Public Policy 697E - ST- Equity Lab

Concerns about fairness and equal treatment are at the heart of some of the world's biggest economic issues, whether related to global climate change, racism, COVID responses, or income inequality - whether global, national, or local. How do we address these issues in a way that expands opportunities and good economic outcomes? Can we become a more equal society while being attentive to other economic policy goals, such as efficiency? This Equity Lab course will draw on economic research, human rights, and policy thinking to propose solutions to important social and economic equity problems, including inequality based on race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disabilities. To design those interventions, we will also draw on ideas about fairness, as well as data analysis, communication strategies, and policy methods. Likely projects may include reparations for African Americans, enhancing the economic power of LGBT people, and making more good jobs available for women and people of color.