Category: Teaching Modules

Corporate Power in a Global Economy

By Brian Roach Standard economic theory fails to address the economic and political significance of modern multinational corporations. In this module, explanations of firm growth based on economies of scale and scope are supplemented with a discussion of the transnational mobility and influence of large corporations. The social and environmental responsibilities of multinationals are considered, […]

Public Goods in Everyday Life

By June Sekera This module offers a framework for understanding “public goods” as a concept in economics and as real-world goods and services. The framework builds on the “historical school” public economics theory. The module provides a pragmatic understanding of public goods, enabling students with or without a background in economics to consider and appreciate […]

Debt and Deficits: Economic and Political Issues

By Nathan Perry Debt and deficits have been a major news topic, and the source of much economic and political controversy. This module reviews the essentials of budgets, the history of surpluses and deficits, and the role of the national debt providing students with an in-depth insights into the issue of government debt. The module […]

Taxes and Tax Policy

By Brian Roach Tax policy is one of the most debated, and often misunderstood, issues in politics and economics. This module provides students with critical tools to understand how taxes work and how they are essential for the government’s functioning. It introduces the US tax system, including the historical development of tax policies, and then presents […]

Behavioral Economics in Context: Applications for Development, Inequality & Discrimination, Finance, and Environment

By Anastasia C. Wilson This module critically examines the assumptions of rationality in the neoclassical model and presents an in-depth discussion of behavioral economics and its applications to fields, such as economic development, social and economic inequality, financial instability, and climate change and environmental sustainability. A basic toolkit of concepts, insights and methods from behavioral […]

The Power of Capital: An Introduction to Class, Domination and Conflict

By Alejandro Reuss This module presents an overview of economic class, class power and class conflict. It addresses some aspects of economic power in capitalist societies today, highlighting relations that are not considered “power relations” in mainstream economics. It explores the unequal power relations between different economic classes in the workplace and the political sphere, […]

Comparative Economic Systems

This module introduces the study of comparative economic systems, which is concerned with analyzing differences in economic institutions across societies. It defines different types of economic systems, considering how economic decisions are made and who owns productive assets. The two main types of economic systems—capitalism and socialism—are discussed in some detail along with the historical […]

Social and Economic Inequality

By Brian Roach, Pratistha Joshi Rajkarnikar, Neva Goodwin and Jonathan M. Harris This module, based on Chapter 10 of Microeconomics in Context, 5th edition, provides an overview of some of the key issues on economic and social inequality, looking beyond income measures to explore inequalities based on education, health care and discrimination in the labor market. […]

Environmental Justice: Income, Race and Health

By Rachel Massey The module illustrates the disproportionate environmental burdens faced by minority and low-income communities, using data and case studies. It delves into the limitations and applications of economic analysis, on topics of valuing human life and the distinctions between efficiency and equity. The module discusses issues of environmental justice both in the US […]

Water: Economics and Policy

By Brian Roach, Anne-Marie Codur and Jonathan M. Harris This teaching module discusses the science, economics and policy of sustainable water management. It presents current data on water stress and water scarcity around the world, and introduces the concepts of virtual water and water footprints. The module explains how economic instruments can be used to […]