Markets and Market Failures with Cases (at KSG)

Markets and Market Failures with Cases at KSG – HKS API-105A . Chris Hebert will offer the other version of Markets and Market Failures, GSD 5203, in the GSD in the spring. Students may not take both 5203 and 5222 for credit; they must take one or the other.

The review section for 5222 is on Fridays from 8:40-10 in RG-20.

 
The course covers the core concepts and tools of microecomics. The first half covers skills for predicting market behavior, including supply and demand, the behavior of firms and consumers, and the impacts of various government policies, including taxes and subsidies. The second half examines the rationale for government intervention in markets, including problems of information, monopoly, externalities, and collective or public goods. About half of the class sessions are devoted to case discussions that provide practice in using microeconomic concepts and tools to structure and analyze real-world policies and programs. The course is listed as API-105A at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and is taught at HKS.

The content and approach of this course are very similar to SES-05222 (also listed as HKS API-105B) taught in the spring semester at the GSD.The two courses cover the same core topics and use mostly the same cases. SES-05222 places somewhat more emphasis on market regulation and SES-05203 places more somewhat emphasis on urban planning applications.

This course is designed primarily for MPAs from the the Kenedy School and for MUP and MDS students from the Graduate School of Design but is open to other students as well.