ECON 006. Great Issues in Public Policy

(Cross-listed with POLS 006)
The current political, social, and economic moment has brought a number of crucial public policy questions to center stage. It has also created remarkable political polarization in the U.S. and elsewhere, which has eroded public discourse. In this course, we will study some of the biggest public policy challenges of our time - including immigration, artificial intelligence, ongoing global conflicts, climate change, abortion policy, and more. The course is mostly U.S.-focused, though not exclusively. Crucially, this course strives to bring a diversity of perspectives to bear on the selected topics (through discussions, readings, guest speakers, etc.), and students should expect their personal views on these issues to be critiqued and challenged. The course is based primarily on the fields of economics, political science, and policy analysis, though we also will teach practical skills around how to engage with those who disagree with you. The broader goal of the course is to help students learn about policy issues in nuanced ways, so we can better understand other points of view, engage in more civil discourse, and more effectively advocate for our preferred policy positions in a polarized society.
Prerequisite: ECON 001
1 credit.
Spring 2026. Bhanot, Kaya.
Catalog chapter: Economics, Political Science
Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/economics

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