Search result: Catalogue data in Autumn Semester 2024
Science, Technology, and Policy Master  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Social Sciences | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 860-0034-00L | Assessing Political Feasibility of Policies - Public Opinion Research, Survey and Field Experiments  Priority for Science, Technology, and Policy MSc and PhD students. | O | 4 credits | 2G | E. K. Smith, S. Gomm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course teaches the basics of public opinion surveys. We start with the theoretical foundations of the formation of (public) opinion formation and ideology, then turn to the practical lessons of developing and implementing own surveys with a focus on causal inference via survey experiments. Finally, we give practical insights into the analysis of (complex) survey data. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The goals of this class are: - to understand the basics of public opinion research - to translate this theoretical knowledge into the practical design and implementation of surveys - to make use of survey experiments for causal inference At the end of the course, students should be able to use and evaluate public opinion data and design survey experiments to test policy-relevant questions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0004-00L | Concepts, Theories, and Methods for Public Policy Analysis ISTP-PhD students please register via the Study Administration. | O | 4 credits | 2S | T. Bernauer, I. Günther, M. Leese, T. Schmidt, T. Stadler, B. Steffen, E. Tilley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course starts with a broad conceptual and historical perspective on technological and scientific innovation, and then focuses on concepts, theories, and methods for policy analysis as well as their application to policy questions in a variety of issue areas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This course helps students with an educational background in natural sciences or engineering to transition into the field of public policy analysis (PPA). It starts with a broad conceptual and historical perspective on technological and scientific innovation, and then focuses on concepts, theories and methods for policy analysis as well as their application to policy questions in a variety of issue areas. The course is heavily based on reading assignments and their discussion in class. The overall goal is to expose students to a variety of ways in which policy analysis can be undertaken, but not to teach specific policy analysis tools in great depth – those skills will be acquired in other, dedicated courses of the MSc STP program. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Course materials will be available on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Course materials will be available on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Readings will be available on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The course is open only to the ISTP's MSc students and to ISTP doctoral students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0005-00L | Colloquium Science, Technology, and Policy (HS) | O | 1 credit | 1K | T. Schmidt, T. Bernauer, E. Tilley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Presentations by guest speakers from academia and practice/policy. Students are assigned to play a leading role in the discussion and write a report on the respective event. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students obtain insights into different policy-related research fields and participate in scientific discussions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | See the program on the ISTP website: http://www.istp.ethz.ch/events/colloquium.html The series is open to the public. The lectures start at 12:15 and last 30 minutes, followed by an open discussion of 30 minutes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | open to anyone from ETH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0031-00L | Policy Analysis Does not take place this semester. | O | 4 credits | 2V | B. Steffen, T. Schmidt, to be announced | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course Policy Analysis 1 will introduce important concepts and methods for ex-ante policy analysis. It will mostly focus on the policy content (vis-à-vis the policy process). We will primarily discuss quantitative methods. The course will contain several practical assignments in which students have to apply the concepts and methods studied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students should gain the skill to perform policy analyses independently. To this end, students will be enabled to understand a policy problem and the rationale for policy intervention; to select appropriate impact categories and methods to address a policy problem through policy analysis; to assess policy alternatives, using various ex-ante policy analysis methods; and to communicate the results of the analysis. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The course has four major topics: •Rationales for public policy in Science and Technology •Impact of policies on firms and investors •Impacts of policies on socio-technical systems •Impact of policies on society at large | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 363-0503-00L | Principles of Microeconomics | O | 3 credits | 2G | M. Filippini | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course introduces basic principles, problems and approaches of microeconomics. This provides the students with reflective and contextual knowledge on how societies use scarce resources to produce goods and services and ensure a (fair) distribution. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The learning objectives of the course are: (1) Students must be able to discuss basic principles, problems and approaches in microeconomics. (2) Students can analyse and explain simple economic principles in a market using supply and demand graphs. (3) Students can contrast different market structures and describe firm and consumer behaviour. (4) Students can identify market failures such as externalities related to market activities and illustrate how these affect the economy as a whole. (5) Students can also recognize behavioural failures within a market and discuss basic concepts related to behavioural economics. (6) Students can apply simple mathematical concepts on economic problems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The resources on our planet are finite. The discipline of microeconomics therefore deals with the question of how society can use scarce resources to produce goods and services and ensure a (fair) distribution. In particular, microeconomics deals with the behaviour of consumers and firms in different market forms. Economic considerations and discussions are not part of classical engineering and science study programme. Thus, the goal of the lecture "Principles of Microeconomics" is to teach students how economic thinking and argumentation works. The course should help the students to look at the contents of their own studies from a different perspective and to be able to critically reflect on economic problems discussed in the society. Topics covered by the course are: - Supply and demand - Consumer demand: neoclassical and behavioural perspective - Cost of production: neoclassical and behavioural perspective - Welfare economics, deadweight losses - Governmental policies - Market failures, common resources and public goods - Public sector, tax system - Market forms (competitive, monopolistic, monopolistic competitive, oligopolistic) - International trade | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Lecture notes, exercises and reference material can be downloaded from Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor (2023), "Economics", 6th edition, South-Western Cengage Learning. For students taking only the course 'Principles of Microeconomics' there is a shorter version of the same book: N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor (2023), "Microeconomics", 6th edition, South-Western Cengage Learning. Complementary: R. Pindyck and D. Rubinfeld (2018), "Microeconomics", 9th edition, Pearson Education. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0041-00L | Data Analysis for Public Policy Research | O | 4 credits | 2V | E. K. Smith, C. Fournier De Lauriere | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course covers the necessary fundamentals for the use of statistics to understand policy. Theoretically the course will provide a survey of foundational concepts and techniques statistics and mathematics. The applied part of the course will focus on implementing these techniques in R, as well as the practical skills required to develop their own data based research projects. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Gain a familiarity with foundational concepts and techniques in statistics, and be able to apply these to new problems. Be comfortable independently conducting a variety of tasks in R, such as data cleaning, visualisation and analysis. Produce summaries of statistical analyses that non-specialists can understand. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course introduces students to the necessary fundamentals of statistics, and its application, to understand policy. Theoretically the course will provide a survey of foundational concepts and techniques statistics and mathematics. The applied part of the course will focus on implementing these techniques in R, as well as developing the practical skills in the language required to be able to independently conduct data based research projects. By doing so, students will gain a familiarity with foundational concepts and techniques in statistics, and be able to apply these to new problems. Students will also develop the requisite skills to be able to independently conduct a variety of tasks in R, such as data cleaning, visualisation and analysis. Finally, students will be able to produce summaries of statistical analyses that non-specialists can understand. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 363-0565-00L | Principles of Macroeconomics | O | 3 credits | 2V | J.‑E. Sturm, E. Baselgia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course examines the behaviour of macroeconomic variables, such as gross domestic product, unemployment and inflation rates. It tries to answer questions like: How can we explain fluctuations of national economic activity? What can economic policy do against unemployment and inflation? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This lecture will introduce the fundamentals of macroeconomic theory and explain their relevance to every-day economic problems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course helps you understand the world in which you live. There are many questions about the macroeconomy that might spark your curiosity. Why are living standards so meagre in many African countries? Why do some countries have high rates of inflation while others have stable prices? Why have some European countries adopted a common currency? These are just a few of the questions that this course will help you answer. Furthermore, this course will give you a better understanding of the potential and limits of economic policy. As a voter, you help choose the policies that guide the allocation of society's resources. When deciding which policies to support, you may find yourself asking various questions about economics. What are the burdens associated with alternative forms of taxation? What are the effects of free trade with other countries? How does the government budget deficit affect the economy? These and similar questions are always on the minds of policy makers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The course Moodle page contains announcements, course information and lecture slides. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | The set-up of the course will closely follow the book of N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor (2023), Economics, Cengage Learning, 6th Edition. This book can also be used for the course '363-0503-00L Principles of Microeconomics' (Filippini). Besides this textbook, the slides, lecture notes and problem sets will cover the content of the lecture and the exam questions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0001-00L | Public Institutions and Policy-Making Processes Number of participants limited to 30. Priority for Science, Technology, and Policy Master. | O | 3 credits | 2G | T. Bernauer, S. Bechtold, F. Schimmelfennig | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students acquire the contextual knowledge for analyzing public policies. They learn why and how public policies and laws are developed, designed, and implemented at national and international levels, and what challenges arise in this regard. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Public policies result mainly from decision-making processes that take place within formal institutions of the state (parliament, government, public administration, courts) or inter-/supranational organizations (e.g., EU, UN, World Bank). That is, policies are shaped by the characteristics of decision-making processes and the characteristics of public institutions and related actors (e.g., citizens, interest groups, news media). In this course, students acquire the contextual knowledge for analyzing public policies – hence this course is complementary to the ISTP course on concepts and methods of policy analysis. Students learn why and how public policies and laws are developed, designed, and implemented at national and international levels. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The course is organized in three modules. The first module (taught by Stefan Bechtold) examines basic concepts and the role of law, law-making, and law enforcement in modern societies. The second module (taught by Thomas Bernauer) deals with political behavior (including elections and electoral systems), and the functioning of legislatures, governments, and interest groups. The third module (taught by Frank Schimmelfennig) focuses on the European Union and international organizations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Course materials will be available on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Readings will be available on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This is a Master level course. The course is limited to 30 students, with ISTP Master students having priority. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0008-00L | MSc STP Introductory Day | O | 0 credits | 1V | T. Bernauer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This teaching unit introduces students to the MSc STP program. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students learn about the structure of the study programme, the different types of courses and how to select courses within the various course categories. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Page
1
of
1
