ECON175

History shows that the gap between the rich and the poor has varied over time within and between countries, most recently seeming to increase within many countries while somewhat decreasing between countries. This course challenges students to investigate why people make different amounts of money, why income inequality has changed dramatically in recent years, what public policy tools exist to counter inequality increases, and what different institutional arrangements different countries use to lower inequality. This course will introduce students to theoretical tools used by economists to understand the sources of inequality and will also examine various empirical measures of inequality.