The main idea that we want to get across is implicit in the title: Systematic thinking - largely from the social sciences, but with the application of scientific methods and knowledge more generally - can make a difference in the way that we...
This course examines the policy issues of international trade, including trade in both goods and services and also international flows of direct investment and...
This course developed from an initiative of the International Policy Students Association (IPSA) at the Ford School of Public Policy. It will be in two...
This is the first of two separate half-term seminars, which may be taken together or separately. Recent topics have included the determinants of the...
This calculus-based course provides a fast-paced overview of the microeconomic models underlying the actions of consumers and households, firms, regulators, and other public...
This course begins a two-term sequence designed to provide students with an understanding of the economic implications of public policies and with analytic tools useful in system design and policy...
Boston Fed President & CEO Susan M. Collins, our former Ford School dean, holds a conversation about monetary policy, the breadth of the Federal Reserve's work, and her career path. November, 2024.
Federal Reserve Bank Vice Chair Michael Barr, former dean of the Ford School, discusses the workings of the Fed, his work on banking reform, and the lessons of leadership he has learned. March, 2024.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo will reflect on economic growth, innovation, and American competitiveness in conversation with Professor Betsey Stevenson. September, 2023.
JJ Prescott will discuss three of his recent papers supporting banning non-competition agreements in employment contracts, including the use and impact of noncompetes on employees, the role of noncompetes in employee mobility, and the subjective b
Professor Sanjukta Paul will discuss her draft chapter, part of a larger book project, that the surrounding developments in the law, in economic thought, and in the organization of economic activity. March, 2023.
Jeffery Zhang presents his research, co-authored with Jeremy Kress, which argues that using the term “macroprudential” to describe modern financial regulation is a myth. February, 2023.
Professor Seyhun and his collaborators investigate racial differences in insider trading behavior by corporate leaders to evaluate whether African-American corporate executives have equal access to networks that generate valuable insider informati
This event discusses and raises concerns about the U.S. dollar’s primacy at risk and the rise of central bank digital currencies, cryptocurrencies, and other innovations that could quicken the dollar’s decline. June, 2022.
With sovereign debt soaring, the issues of "how much debt is too much debt" and "what to do about it'' are likely to move once again from the technocratic realm of "quiet politics" into the electoral realm of "loud politics." This study extends ou
This first event in our COVID-19 reflections series will feature a panel discussion on the local impact of safety nets on communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic. April, 2022.
University of Michigan Ford School Dean Michael Barr and United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves on working to revive the economy while combating the racist systems embedded within it. January 17, 2022.
Faculty discussant Bill Bynum, Towsley Policymaker in Residence, will focus on the role of policy to advance economic opportunity for disenfranchised populations. January 12, 2022.
Professor of Economics and Law James Hines discusses the most sensible way to pay for the federal government, noting that the answer lies largely in higher tax rates, not in the many popularly-discussed alternatives. November, 2021.
In this talk, H. Luke Shaefer reviews research on the impacts of the largest and most comprehensive expansion of the social safety net in modern times, and where the nation goes from here.
Betsy Stevenson assesses where there have been positive developments and where new policies are needed to ensure long-term stability and opportunity for families and workers. September, 2021.
