A seminar on the contemporary history and practice of economic statecraft. The course focuses on how the United States and other countries weaponize economic, financial, and technological interdependence to advance strategic objectives. Topics include economic sanctions and restrictions on trade and investment, and case studies include efforts to use economic statecraft to curb Iran’s nuclear program, counter Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and interference in democratic elections, and check China’s 5G ambitions. The course also explores how new technologies and sovereign initiatives, including cryptocurrency and other alternatives to dollar-based payment systems, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, could impact economic statecraft in the future.
There are two purposes to this course: 1. to develop your ability to negotiate in a purposeful, principled and effective way; and 2. to teach you how to build consensus and broker wise agreements with others. Negotiation is a social skill, and like all social skills you have to practice it if you want to get better at it. To give you the chance to practice, we'll do a number of simulated negotiations in and out of class. We'll also use lectures, case studies, exercises, games, videos, and demonstrations to help you develop your understanding. As we advance in the course, our focus will shift from simple one-on-one negotiations to more complex ones involving many parties, agents, coalitions, and organizations.
This course will examine how politics influence the economic relations between states, and the implication of this evolving international structure for national policy choice and domestic politics in general. It will address major current debates in the field by using analytical and methodological insights from political science and economics. It will mainly tackle six issue areas: international trade, global financial crises, money and exchange rates, international migration, globalization, and foreign aid. Some of the questions that we will ask in this course include why do some countries adopt protectionist policies whereas others embrace free trade? What role do domestic and international factors play in the international monetary and financial order? Who wins and who loses from globalization of trade and finance? This course complements and builds on INAF U6820: Theory of International Political Economy (not a pre-requisite). The emphasis of the course is not upon the technical aspects of international economics or economic theory, but rather upon the political and institutional context in which they operate.
Prerequisites: SIPA U6401 Corequisites: INAF U6018 & INAF U6022 The course begins with a review of central banks monetary policy goals and objectives, followed by an overview of how central banks set and implement monetary policy in normal economic and financial market conditions. The bulk of the course will focus on how central banks adapt their policy rules and tools in the face of extraordinary financial market or economic turmoil. Different types of unconventional tools will be discussed and analyzed, with particular focus on the design and the effectiveness of various unconventional policy tools. Examples of the use unconventional policy tools - both more and less successful - across jurisdictions will be discussed in the latter half of the course. The course finishes with discussions of several important, and timely dilemmas: where is the ;line; between unconventional monetary policies and traditional fiscal policy actions; what difficulties do central banks face in handling economic side effects and the political consequences of extraordinary policy, and what are the challenges of returning monetary policy to (a new) normal.
The Social Impact: Business, Society, and the Natural Environment course explores the relationship between corporations, society, and the natural environment. Specifically, it examines the ways in which governments, (for-profit and non-profit) organizations, and investors (fail to) have positive impact and manage issues where the pursuit of private goals is deemed inconsistent with the public interest.
Prerequisites: SIPA U6500 This course will be useful for students who would like to participate in evaluations of development projects. At the end of the course, students will know how to plan an impact evaluation, how to manage one, and how to recognize and differentiate a good impact evaluation from a badly conducted one. Students should also come with one case study that they have been involved in and that would lend itself to an impact evaluation. Previous experience in implementing a development project is desirable.
This course will go beyond technical or methodological materials (i.e. how to collect and analyze data) and instead focus on how M-E practically applies to day-to-day responsibilities of practitioners, regardless of their position title, and how anyone can (and should) become an effective producer and consumer of data and thus an impactful contributor in the field of international development and humanitarian assistance. For students interested in a career in M-E, this course will help them recognize and address some of the common challenges they will face at work (e.g. how to convince and collaborate with the chief of party to invest in and run effective M-E). For students who are interested in non-M-E career tracks, this course will help them do their jobs better and help the development and humanitarian fields overcome “pilot-itis” and become more evidence-driven. Students should also understand that they are likely to take on different roles throughout their careers, which may involve M-E - this course will prepare them to become versatile and impactful players in this challenging but meaningful line of work.
“Writing About Policy” gives you the journalistic tools to intervene in public policy debates. You will learn to translate the expertise you’re gaining – as policy professionals and as SIPA students –for the rest of the public, whether in op eds, review essays or blogs. You will also report and write feature stories. This class is a workshop, as well as a seminar, and there will be writing assignments due almost every week. Students will publish their work in SIPAs student publications, as well as in media outlets reaching far beyond the IAB.
The course takes a theoretical and critical look at the field from the instructor’s many years of experience working in technology and development, from organizations as diverse as Microsoft Research India to UN Women. ICTs have the power to fundamentally transform the lives of billions. Yet technological solutions are often offered as a “silver bullet”, not grounded in broader socio-economic networks. The course will discuss several case-studies in order to ground theory in practice, and will introduce students to several initiatives which have enabled “development” through ICTs, such as India’s Aadhaar, Kenya’s M-Pesa and others. We will also have participation from invited guest speakers. Through a group assignment, students will apply the principles and good practices explored in the course to develop a concrete digital development proposal. Students who are interested in careers in international development with a focus on technology will find this course a useful foundation.
This course will provide you with a detailed overview of the extensive role that corporate communications plays in a given organization, be it for-profit, nonprofit or government sector. The corporate communications executive handles everything from external issues of global brand reputation management and crisis communications to internal matters involving guiding corporate culture and advising the CEO on hiring and firing key executives. The daily and weekly assignments in this course use real-world examples and current events to understand how corporate communications interacts with and impacts every area of for-profit and nonprofit business. Prior public relations courses and/or experience are not required; however, strong English writing and grammar skills are recommended for students to succeed in this class.
This introductory course is aimed at teaching the fundamentals of persuasive speechwriting for the public and private sectors, NGOs, and international organizations. Students will learn how to apply the classical canons of rhetoric to speechwriting in the 21st Century; deconstruct great political and business speeches using text and video; compare and contrast different speechwriting techniques in various international settings; as well as become familiar with some of the latest advances in neuroscience breaking new ground in understanding how persuasion works. Students will be expected to draft, edit and deliver their own speeches every week. No prior speechwriting experience is required, however, exceptional written-English skills are strongly recommended. Practical topics will be essential for this course: Why do some speeches persuade while others do not? How does one effectively capture the voice of the person you're writing for? How are speeches tailored for specific audiences, venues and occasions? Should one's message be solely what the speaker thinks the audience wants to hear-or what the speaker believes the audience needs to hear? And how important is delivery in terms of moving an audience?
The overall goal of this course is to improve the writing skills of international students in the MIA and MPA degree programs. The course requirements will include weekly short exercises (definitions of key terms and abstract concepts, summaries of statistical data, summaries and critiques of seminal concepts and theories, and descriptions of processes and procedures) and longer assignments (an argumentative essay, case study and short research paper). Students will also learn to revise and edit their work as well as to integrate sophisticated rhetorical and syntactic structures. To improve the accuracy and clarity of their writing, the course will review the aspects of grammar that pose particular problems for international students.
It is estimated that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) affects one-third of all women during their lifetime. GBV affects women’s health, mental health, labor market outcomes, and their overall wellbeing. GBV also increases the costs of health services, affects labor productivity outputs, and creates the need for additional counseling and psychological services. Can supporting women’s empowerment, reducing gender disparities, promoting positive masculinities, and changing norms and attitudes which foster violence help to end GBV? And, what have we learned about good practices that can be mobilized to attain these ends? This course focuses on four areas: legal and institutional reform, health, education and economic empowerment. In each, we will identify good practices as well as unintended consequences and shortcomings of interventions and policies implemented by governments, the private sector, NGOs, and grass roots organizations in South Asian, African and Latin American countries. By the end of this course students will be able to critically analyze and provide advice on interventions and policies aimed at preventing GBV and addressing the needs of survivors.
This course will examine the debates which have shaped internet policy, with a particular emphasis on the business models employed by the major US-based tech and internet giants - Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google and Amazon. For decades, policy took a backseat to growth in the internet industry (the “do no harm” approach to regulation), but that changed dramatically with revelations around the role of major technology platforms in the 2016 election. The Cambridge Analytica scandal in particular roused both houses of Congress to action, a series of ongoing hearings may lead to a sweeping new regulatory framework governing how data flows in US society, particularly if Democrats in Congress have their way. But while the major internet players grew in a largely unregulated environment, there’s a rich history of policy fights that inform current debate. This class will survey those early skirmishes with an eye toward understanding the state of today’s current debate.
The major national security controversies during the last decade have all concerned intelligence. Critics blamed U.S. intelligence agencies for failing to prevent the 9/11 attacks, and then for missing the mark on Iraqi capabilities before the war. In response, Congress ordered a sweeping reorganization of the intelligence community, and scholars began to revisit basic questions: What is the relationship between intelligence and national security? How does it influence foreign policy and strategic decisions? Why does it succeed or fail? This seminar provides an overview of the theory and practice of U.S. intelligence. It details the sources and methods used by collectors, the nature of intelligence analysis, and the relationship between intelligence agencies and policymakers. It also contains a short history of the U.S. intelligence community and evaluates the ongoing efforts to reform it. Finally, it discusses the uneasy role of secret intelligence in a modern democracy.
This is an advanced course in development economics, designed for SIPA students interested in rigorous, applied training. Coursework includes extensive empirical exercises, requiring programming in Stata. The treatment of theoretical models presumes knowledge of calculus. Topics include: the economics of growth; the relationship between growth and poverty and inequality; rural-urban migration; the interaction between agrarian institutions in land, labor, credit, and insurance markets; prisoner’s dilemmas and the environment; and policy debates around development strategies. Recurrent themes: Are markets efficient, and if not, in what specific ways are they inefficient? What are the forces driving development and underdevelopment? What are the causal links between poverty and inequality and economic performance? What is the role of interventions by states or civil organizations in bringing about development? The course will integrate theoretical ideas and empirical analysis, with an emphasis on questions relevant for economic policy.
Capital, goods and people are more mobile than ever in our globalized world. Yet the movement of people across borders is still a largely unregulated enterprise that leaves many people unprotected in irregular and dire situations. International mobility – the movement of individuals across borders for any length of time as labor migrants, entrepreneurs, students, tourists, asylum seekers, or refugees – has no common definition or legal framework. In 2017, a group of 40 plus specialists in migration and refugee protection drafted and adopted a Model International Mobility Convention (MIMC) to address these gaps. In light of recent normative developments, this workshop aims to propose specific language to revise the MIMC in order to improve its efficacy as a framework for the reform of international rules governing the movement of persons across borders. The first part of the course builds the foundations. It introduces course participants to the legal architecture of migration and refugee protection, key migration and refugee challenges and governance mechanisms, including ‘crimmigration,’ responsibility sharing, and the specific status (or lack thereof) for ‘climate refugees.’ Drawing on insights from the fields of migration, human rights, national security, labor economics, and refugee law, in the second part of the course, students will reexamine MIMC’s capacities to promote the rights that should be afforded to all mobile people. We will seek to clarify the duties and responsibilities of states to protect the rights of foreigners in their territory and the rights of their citizens in other states. The workshop will combine individual research with a collective effort to draft proposed revisions to the model treaty with the goal to reassert and reaffirm the existing rights afforded to mobile people and the corresponding rights and responsibilities of states.
This course is designed to develop practical advocacy skills to protect and promote human rights. A focus will be developing an advocacy strategy on a current human rights issue, including the identification of goals and objectives, appropriate advocacy targets and strategies, and the development of an appropriate research methodology. Students will explore broad-based human rights campaigns, use of the media, and advocacy with UN and legislative bodies. Over the course of the semester, students will become familiar with a variety of tools to apply to a human rights issue of their choosing. Case studies will illustrate successful advocacy campaigns on a range of human rights issues.
This course explores the implications of behavioral economics for economic development—how it leads us to rethink what development is about and provides us with new ways to promote it. By drawing on the rich empirical and experimental literature of recent years, the course investigates a psychologically and sociologically more realistic view of how people make decisions than the rational actor model. In the readings in this course, decision-makers are cognitively bounded and
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or have endogenous preferences, shaped by history, experience, and exposure. Behavioral development economics gives new insights into why it is sometimes so hard to change society, and what brings about change when it does occur. The range of equilibria and of policy tools is much broader in behavioral development economics than in traditional economics. Large-scale economic and social change can be caused by conceptual framing effects—the influence of ideas on beliefs and preferences. The course considers many kinds of interventions that have promoted changes in the frames through which people see themselves and the world. The interventions include quotas in elected political positions and in education to change stereotypes; mentoring programs that increase prosocial behavior;
edutainment
to promote health; participatory theater to reduce domestic violence; and training to reduce aggressive behavior that has helped males from impoverished neighborhoods avoid school suspensions and recidivism. Behavioral development economics is a new and exciting field that presents students research opportunities, especially in laboratory and field experiments. One of the objectives of the course is to expose students to these opportunities.
Basic principles and actual practices of managing financial resources and accounting in government organizations at the federal, state, and local levels. Topics include Public budgeting and accounting systems, principles of financial reporting, taxation, intergovernmental aid, financial statement analysis, public securities, and debt management. Hands-on computer laboratory exercises provide training in financial analysis.
The course provides an introduction to budgeting and financial control as a means of influencing the behavior of public organizations. Concepts include the budget process and taxation, intergovernmental revenues, municipal finance, bonds, control of expenditures, purchasing, debt management, productivity enhancement, and nonprofit finance. Students learn about the fiscal problems that managers typically face, and how they seek to address them. Students also gain experience in conducting financial analysis and facility with spreadsheet programs. Case materials utilize earth systems issues as well as other policy issues. A computer lab section is an essential aspect of the course, as it teaches students to use spreadsheet software to perform practical exercises regarding the budgeting and financial management of a hypothetical state environmental agency.
In this course we will explore distinct challenges along with precise remedies inherent in policy setting and implementation of 21st century public Pre-K -12 and higher education. This course has been designed to be responsive to issues arising in this COVID era as well as within the framework of newfound acknowledgements of the role of race and poverty in every aspect of learning and education policy. These issues will be probed through a solutions-based, case-study approach. Relying upon guest speakers, class discussion and readings, we will examine a specific individual, systemic or organization-based solution to a clearly articulated gap or need.
While it is generally thought of to be related to construction, the truth is that Project Management can be applied to any field. It is defined as the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of activities in order to meet the requirements of the particular project. A project is an endeavor undertaken to achieve a particular aim. Project management knowledge and practices are best described in terms of their component processes. These processes are: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Closing. Knowledge Areas include Scope Management, Time Management, Cost Management, Quality Management, Risk Management, and Change Management. We will discuss all of these elements in the course.
The course introduces students to political risk analysis risks by exploring three key concepts and related frameworks for understanding this phenomenon at the international, country, and sectorial levels respectively: G-ZERO, J-Curve, and state capitalism. The course also equips students with key qualitative and quantitative techniques for doing political risk analysis, including the identification of top risks, fat tails, and red herrings, as well as the construction of political risk indices, models, and game-theory simulations. In addition, these concepts and techniques are further applied to analyzing and forecasting current, real-world problems and business concerns, such as market entry or portfolio investment allocation. These concepts and techniques are further practiced in the course practicums, which include interactive activities that invite students to grapple with the challenges of identifying and forecasting the range of outcomes of current, real-world risks as those come up at the time of the course. In the process, the course explores a range of political-risk topics on the macro- and micro-economic impacts of geopolitics—including issues of international and civil war, international trade, unconventional conflict, and a shifting global political order—as well as of politics at the national and sub-national level, including elections and political transitions, social unrest, the social and political drivers of economic and investment policies, and emerging vs developed markets dynamics.
This is a core economics course for the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy. The course explores the use of the tools of economic analysis in the discussion and evaluation of environmental policies. It builds on the microeconomic framework developed in Microeconomics and Policy Analysis I and extends it in a few directions. First, we deepen the discussion of theoretical issues particularly relevant for the analysis of environmental policies, such as externalities and public goods. Second, we explore how the theoretical concepts covered can be measured and used in actual environmental policy, and discuss real world examples of such applications. And finally, we discuss some aggregate implications related to – and the available evidence on – the two-way relationship between natural resources and economic growth. The objective of the course is to provide students with the necessary background for an understanding of the logic underlying the economic perspective on environmental policies. This is important to develop the skills necessary to conceptualize the trade-offs implicit in such policy decisions and to give a glimpse of the tools available to evaluate such trade-offs. As a result, it also helps build knowledge useful in a critical reading of policy proposals and evaluations in the environmental field.
This course will explore the core principles of constitutional democracy, beginning with a close reading of the US founding documents, and proceeding through the key institutions, from citizenship and elections to the branches of government, the role of the military and a free press. We will alternate between a discussion of history and text and consideration of contemporary topics in the US and around the world. The course will stress the inherent tensions and guardrails in democracy that protect individual and minority rights while allowing for orderly governance and security, and some of the challenges that exist today in both mature and emerging democracies.
This course will examine the linkages between urban governance structures and an economically successful democratic city. We will consider the particular policy challenges that confront both developed and developing cities in the 21st century. It will be important to understand the institutional political causes of urban economic decline, the unique fiscal and legal constraints on city governments as well as the opportunities that only cities offer for democratic participation and sustainable economic growth. The course will draw on case material from primarily American cities and from other developing and developed cities around the globe. It is important to keep in mind that creative policy solutions to the problems of urban economic sustainability may be found in small towns, in rural areas, in private businesses or in other global cities. The utility of importing ideas and programs rests on a practical understanding of politics in that city or community and an effective implementation strategy. Our objective in this course is not simply to understand the challenges to governing the 21st century city but also the policies that promote effective urban governance and economic sustainability.
The vast major of human society has been governed by non-democratic regimes. Today more than half the world’s people live in autocracies. Many SIPA students come from countries whose governments are not democratic, and will work in the public sector where the regime is not democratic. Yet almost all of the literature of political science on how policy is made is devoted to democracy—its genesis, stability, challenges, consolidation, processes, merits and flaws. How are we to understand the regimes we collect together as “non-democratic?” Do the authoritarian regimes of the world have anything in common? Are there effective ways to understand how policy in made in the absence of the transparent and routinized laws and procedures associated with democratic regimes? And are democratic regimes, once installed, immune to breakdown or change into less transparent, routinized and accountable regimes? This course is designed to examine these questions, to probe the notion of “authoritarianism” as an analytical concept, to explore how we should approach the study of policy-making processes in regimes that are stable, enduring, sometimes even dynamic and enlightened, but not democratic, and to investigate how such regimes arise from or develop into democracies. Note: this course entails a heavy reading load, frequent written assignments and active and sustained participation in class discussions. Students who do not have prior experience in English medium university-level coursework may find it difficult and they should consult with the instructor about how to manage the course requirements. Attendance is required; class sessions will not be recorded.
This course focuses on financial stability monitoring and evaluation as an essential discipline for macroeconomic, financial and prudential policymakers. We begin by defining financial stability, examining the dynamic behavior of macroeconomic models with developed models of the financial sector, and considering conceptual frameworks for assessment of threats to financial stability. From there, we identify key signatures of financial instability, how they can be measured and combined in a monitoring system, and how such measurement systems signal changes in the level of systemic risk. Through case studies, class participation and two assignments, you will interpret these measures, develop questions for further investigation and assess the nature and extent of systemic risk. You will be asked to write two policy memoranda: the first proposing and justifying a small set of financial stability indicators for monitoring; and the second assessing the risk of financial instability in indicators for that (or another) country, in indicators of vulnerabilities with strong network effects, and in unconventional risks such as cyber or widespread trade tensions. Both assignments emphasize developing timely and persuasive analysis that prompts policymakers to consider the need for action to preserve financial stability.
In the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008-09, the design and implementation of macroprudential financial regulations and policies, an approach that underscores the importance of containing systemic risks, has taken center stage in the agendas of policymakers around the world. The key reason is that the crisis made it clear that focusing on indicators of the financial strength of individual financial institutions (a micro approach) is insufficient to prevent the build-up of excessive risk affecting the financial system as a whole, which in turn results in severe systemic banking crises, credit crunches, and contractions in economic growth. Limiting systemic financial risk translates into avoiding the build-up of asset price bubbles and unsustainable credit booms. This course will focus on understanding the issues and challenges of implementing macroprudential regulations and policies in emerging markets. After revising the overall goals and types of instruments included in the macroprudential approach, the course will address topics that are particularly relevant for emerging market economies. Key questions to be addressed include: What type of macroprudential policies are most appropriate for emerging markets? Should Basel III recommendations on banks’ capital requirements be equally implemented in advanced and emerging market economies? What type of regulatory requirements on liquidity suit the needs of emerging financial markets the best? Should the participation of systemically important global banks in emerging markets be a concern for emerging market regulators? And, how can macroprudential policies complement the goals of monetary policy? In addition, the course will discuss the usage of macroprudential tools during COVID-19 and the challenges posed by the pandemic for the effectiveness of this type of regulation.
This course will examine the impact that the current social and racial justice awakening (or reckoning), at the intersection of race and gender, is having on the US politics and policy. We will look at this along several dimensions, including politics, voting rights and voter suppression, governing and philanthropy. Ultimately, political change is the natural consequence of social and economic disruption, but will the change that is to come be of the kind that activists in movements such as the Me Too movement, Black Lives Matter, and gender equity leaders have envisioned? If the US has yet to fulfill the promise of a truly representative government, what solutions might there be to address systemic barriers to power its citizens face on the basis of race and gender? There is an opportunity to influence the broader national conversation with the very best ideas and work to implement them, but this unique moment in history and the opportunity that comes with it will not last forever. Our goal will be to critically examine and explain these systemic barriers to political power found along racial and gender lines. We will look at the causes and consequences of racial, economic and social inequality, and how that plays out in different systems, policies and spaces. In addition to readings, students will benefit from the practical knowledge of guest lecturers drawn from the political sphere. This course will help prepare policy makers and elected officials in their efforts to create an equitable government for all citizens regardless of race or gender.
The changing definitions of race in America have been shaped by political institutions for centuries. Now, as since the founding of this nation, the U.S. (and societies abroad) are marked by racial inequality. Because of this persistent reality, politics
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race continue to be intertwined. This course explores the various ways in which race and politics intersect (and possibly collide). We will observe how racial inequality - and the efforts to overcome it- affect various facets of American local, state, and national politics. Often, New York City will be the launching point for broader discussions and analyses pertaining to relationships between Blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asians. We will also pay particular attention to the causes of contemporary racial mobilization and to its consequences. In particular, we will discuss how NYC is affected by the current President and overall racialized tone of the Trump presidency and his administration. We will explore the origins of race as an organizing concept before moving into a discussion of contemporary racial politics and policy. Using themes such as inequality and governance, we will attempt to further discern the institutions which support and perpetuate practices such as disenfranchisement, gentrification, tiered civil rights and liberties, and possibilities for economic and special mobility. We will take up several topics that have engaged students of politics and scholars of policy for the past few decades and examine their relationship to race. These include but are not limited to education, immigration, transportation, housing, health, elections, social movements, poverty and homelessness, political representation, justice and inequality. We will also dissect these topics in relation to party politics and elections, group consciousness, group conflict and prejudice, political representation, and political unity – and often disunity – among dominant and non-dominant groups. As we do so, we will explore changes as well as continuities in the intersection of race and politics.
The objective of this course is to understand the role of micro- and small- and medium- enterprises (MSMEs) in developing economies and to identify and assess a range of policies and programs to promote their development. By tracing the evolution of development thinking in finance and MSME development, students will be exposed to the intellectual underpinnings of -and practical tools used in- a wide variety of approaches to MSME development. Students will also become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the most common private sector development approaches currently being used by donor organizations and committed private sector actors, including the value chain approach.
This course will explore the relationship between representative and direct democracy, movement strategy and public policy development in the United States. The course will begin by defining movements and their relationship to power and democratic institutions. This course will examine three movements (1) civil rights, (2) Black Lives Matter/policing reform, and (3) disability rights and the relationship between policy development and governance. We will then examine limitations and opportunities for movement and protest strategies overall. The final two classes will focus on the principles of protest and governance and visioning. Student presentation will consider 21st century strategies for mobilizing popular movements and future opportunities for local and national governance change. And the final course will address scenario planning for the near future.
Prerequisites: SIPA U6501 The goal of this course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of how to perform some more advanced statistical methods useful in answering policy questions using observational or experimental data. It will also allow them to more critically review research published that claims to answer causal policy questions. The primary focus is on the challenge of answering causal questions that take the form Did A cause B? using data that do not conform to a perfectly controlled randomized study. Examples from real policy studies and quantitative program evaluations will be used throughout the course to illustrate key ideas and methods. First, we will explore how best to design a study to answer causal questions given the logistical and ethical constraints that exist. We will consider both experimental and quasi- experimental (observational studies) research designs, and then discuss several approaches to drawing causal inferences from observational studies including propensity score matching, interrupted time series designs, instrumental variables, difference in differences, fixed effects models, and regression discontinuity designs. As this course will focus on quantitative methods, a strong understanding of multivariate regression analysis is a prerequisite for the material covered. Students must have taken two semesters of statistics (SIPA U6500 & U6501 or the equivalent) and have a good working knowledge of STATA
An introduction to the culture, politics and international relations of Iran which will explore the countrys transition from the 19th to the 21st century. Topics include continuity and change in traditional social structure, the conflict between clergy and state and the modernization of Iran under the Pahlavi shahs (1925-79). The role of women will be explored. The roots of the Iranian revolution will be examined, and an assessment made of the present Islamic Republic. The role of Iran in international affairs, including the course of U.S.-Iranian relations, will also be considered. Sources will be multidisciplinary and include historical works, literature and films.
This course is designed to give students an understanding of the structure of the foreign exchange market – the world’s largest market by turnover – the theoretical basis for currency movements and the interaction of foreign exchange and macro policy. At the end of the course, students will be familiar with the trading conventions and uses of the primary transaction vehicles – spot, forwards and options - a basic understanding of forecasting exchange rates, how currency can be used as an investment vehicle, pitfalls of currency exposure and the nature of currency crises. Course projects will be designed to give students some perception of the challenges faced by foreign exchange market professionals.
The goal of this course is to teach students about the historical relationships between financial risk, capital structure and legal and policy issues in emerging markets. Our strategy will be to develop a model of how and why international capital flows to emerging market countries and to use the model to examine various topics in the history of international financing from the 1820's to the present. Students will identify patterns in investor and borrower behavior, evaluate sovereign capital structures, and analyze sovereign defaults, including the debt negotiation process during the various debt crises of the past 175 years. We will focus primarily on Latin America, emerging Asia, and Russia, although the lessons will be generalized to cover all emerging market countries.
The transition to a low-carbon economy is of particular relevance to Emerging markets, which have become the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Such transition is creating considerable challenges but also opening significant opportunities: by 2030, close to $100 trillion of investments will be needed in order to ensure that global temperatures don’t rise by over 2° above pre-industrial levels, with most to be invested in the infrastructure sector in Emerging markets. The class will explore the challenges faced by emerging markets, and particularly by China, in moving towards more sustainable growth. It will also examine the new institutions and instruments that are being put in place to channel investments towards the greening of emerging market economies. Students will gain a good understanding of the issues faced by EM in the transition to a low-carbon economy. They will acquire a practical knowledge of institutions and instruments which have been developed to finance sustainable growth. They will be able to apply their knowledge to study specific cases and transactions. The transition to green is opening many job opportunities in the private as well as in the private sector. The experience gained in this class should prove invaluable for students seeking to work in related fields.
Prerequisites: SIPA U6401 This course explores the performance of the financial systems of emerging market countries (EMs) over the past three decades, and historically, both from the standpoint of market participants and public policy makers. EMs are countries that have decided to emerge from a condition of financial underdevelopment (sometimes called financial repression). EMs engage in a combination of market reforms which include: foreign trade opening, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and the liberalization and deregulation of domestic financial systems and international capital markets. Emergence typically involves a variety of such changes, as well as related institutional changes that support those efforts (reforms of the legal and regulatory systems, the corporate laws, and the fiscal and monetary systems). This course investigates the determinants of successful or unsuccessful emergence. Said differently, the course helps to identify factors that make emergence more or less likely to succeed. Failure of emergence often takes the form of a major financial crisis, in which the failings of the EM policy regime are brought to light. Thus, an important part of analyzing the success or failure of emergence entails the analysis of EM financial crises.
Prerequisites: SIPA U6401 This course will give an overview of history, function, and future prospects of the financial markets in Asian countries (mainly ASEAN-10, Japan, Korea, China, and India). How financial supervision and regulation should be formed will be examined too. The financial crisis, as well as financial development, will be covered as an instrumental event for reforms. The stages of financial and economic development will be explained and Asian countries will be placed on the development stages. Economic and financial policies will be examined from efficiency point of view.
Prerequisites: SIPA U6401 The objective of this course provides students with deep knowledge on developments of financial policy in Japan and interactions between financial markets and economic development. Financial policy extends from regulation and supervision of the banking sector, to capital markets and international capital flows as well as monetary policy and exchange rate policy. Policy lessons are derived from analyses of the past banking problems and crises. An impact of switching from the fixed exchange rate regime to floating exchange rate regime and subsequent attempts to manage the exchange rate movements will be reviewed with event analyses and case studies. Economic growth rate of Japan was high in the 1950s and 1960s and later declined; how financial market developments contributed to economic growth; how quickly its markets were opened to international trade and finance; why the Japanese economy has suffered stagnation and deflation due to a burst of a financial bubble in the 1990s and 2000s; and what kinds of policy reforms, known as Abenomics, have been implemented since 2013. The description and explanation are based on intermediate microeconomic and macroeconomic analyses and empirical evidences. The role of economic policies—monetary policy, fiscal policy, financial supervision and regulation, industrial policy—will be carefully examined.
This course focuses on the actual management problems of humanitarian interventions and helps students obtain the professional skills and insight needed to work in complex humanitarian emergencies, and to provide oversight and guidance to humanitarian operations from a policy perspective. It is a follow-up to the fall course that studied the broader context, root causes, actors, policy issues, and debates in humanitarian emergencies.
The seminar like course consists of three parts: Historical Background, Thematic and Political Issues and Conclusions. It provides historical perspectives on the development of today’s Ukraine, analyses the evolution of its politics since Independence and its quest for Euroatlantic integration. While providing an assessment of political, social and economic transformations, the course examines major causes of Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity The current political situation in the country and an ongoing military conflict are thoroughly investigated. The results of the 2019 Presidential and Parliamentary election and it's impact will also be analyzed in detail. What are the chances by the new Government to reach a "peaceful solution" in the Donbass, eradicate corruption, improve economic situation and implement reforms ? Is there a future for the Minsk accords? What's the significance of the Normandy Summit? These and other issues, including behind-the scenes activities, power struggle and diplomatic activities, are dealt with in the newly revised course delivered by a career diplomat. The format of the course will encourage active dialogue and analytical reflection on the part of the students. The professor regularly provides additional articles and analytical reviews on current political situation to be discussed at each session. During the course each student is to prepare a mid-term and final papers exploring the prospects of Ukraine becoming a free, prosperous, democratic state and a member of European institutions or staying in the zone of Russian influence and the consequences thereoff.
In this course, we approach gender, politics and development in terms of theory, policy and practice. We explore multiple constructions of gender in development discourse; the intersection of gender with other social categories and with dominant economic and political trends; and the ways in which gender norms inform the different approaches of governments, development agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector. We apply a critical gender lens to a wide range of development sectors and issue areas, including economic development, political participation, education and health, environment and climate change, and conflict and displacement. We also consider current debates and approaches related to gender mainstreaming and gender metrics in development practice. Students engage with the course material through class discussion, exercises and case studies, and the development of a gender-related project proposal.
U.S. agricultural practice has been presented as a paradigm for the rest of the world to emulate, yet is a result of over a century of unique development. Contemporary agriculture has its historical roots in the widely varied farming practices, social and political organizations, and attitudes toward the land of generations of farmers and visionaries. We will explore major forces shaping the practice of U.S. agriculture, particularly geographical and social perspectives and the development and adoption of agricultural science and technology. We will consider how technological changes and political developments (government policies, rationing, subsidies) shape visions of and transmission of agriculture and the agrarian ideal.
The EMPA Capstone workshop applies the practical skills and analytical knowledge learned during the EMPA program to a current, real-world issue. Students are organized into small consulting teams (typically 7 students per team) and assigned a policy-oriented project with an external client. Student teams, working under the supervision of a faculty expert, answer a carefully defined problem posed by the client. Each team produces an actionable report and presents an oral briefing of their findings at the close of the workshop that is designed to translate into real change on the ground. Capstone or Portfolio Presentation Workshop is a graduation requirement for the EMPA program and it is typically taken in the final semester at SIPA. Registration in this course is managed by the EMPA Assistant Director and requires an application.
Capstone workshops apply the practical skills and analytical knowledge learned at SIPA to a real-world issue. Students are organized into small consulting teams (typically 6 students per team) and assigned a substantive, policy-oriented project with an external client. Student teams, working under the supervision of a faculty expert, answer a carefully defined problem posed by the client. Each team produces an actionable report and an oral briefing of their findings at the close of the workshop that is designed to translate into real change on the ground. The Capstone is a graduation requirement for all Masters of Public Administration and Masters of International Affairs students; it is typically taken in the final semester at SIPA. Registration in this course requires an application, please visit: sipa.columbia.edu/academics/workshops/workshop-students for more information
Capstone workshops apply the practical skills and analytical knowledge learned at SIPA to a real-world issue. Students are organized into small consulting teams (typically 6 students per team) and assigned a substantive, policy-oriented project with an external client. Student teams, working under the supervision of a faculty expert, answer a carefully defined problem posed by the client. Each team produces an actionable report and an oral briefing of their findings at the close of the workshop that is designed to translate into real change on the ground. The Capstone is a graduation requirement for all Masters of Public Administration and Masters of International Affairs students; it is typically taken in the final semester at SIPA. Registration in this course requires an application, please visit: sipa.columbia.edu/academics/workshops/workshop-students for more information