Course List

Scholars of political science, economics, and business are increasingly interested in the empirical analysis and/or testing of formal models. This course will survey a wide range of methodological issues at the intersection of formal models and empirical analysis, ranging from broad epistemological questions (e.g., What is the empirical content of a formal model? What does it mean to "test" a formal model?) to working through advanced statistical techniques. Topics may include: experiments vs field data, case studies as evidence or illustration, comparative statics and partial tests of formal models, structural estimation, econometrics of auctions, strategic discrete choice models, ultimatum games, dynamic games, and multiple equilibria. PREREQUISITES: Students must have taken the equivalent of PSC 404, 405, 505, have some familiarity with nonparametric and semiparametric methods, and have taken a graduate course in noncooperative game theory.