WesMaps - Wesleyan University Catalog 2018-2019       Summer Session       Winter Session       Home       Archive       Search
CS92PROD
Economics of Wealth and Poverty


ECON 213
Fall 2018 not offered
Crosslisting: AMST 274
Certificates: Civic Engagement, International Relations, The Study of Education
Course Cluster: Education Studies Minor

Who are the very wealthy and how do they acquire their wealth? Why is poverty still with us after almost 50 years of antipoverty programs? What explains rising inequality in the distribution of income and wealth? These are just a few of the questions that we address in this course. The problem of scarcity and the question of production for whom are basic to the study of economics. Virtually all courses in economics give some attention to this topic, yet few study the distribution of income in depth. This course takes a close look at evidence on the existing distribution of income and examines the market and nonmarket forces behind the allocation process. Our investigation makes use of U.S. economic history, cross-country comparisons, and fundamental tools of economic analysis. Topics include normative debates surrounding the notions of equality and inequality, analytic tools for measuring and explaining income inequality, determinants of wage income and property income, the importance of inheritance, the feminization of poverty, and the economic analysis of racial discrimination. A central subject throughout the course is the role of policy in altering the level of poverty and inequality.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS ECON
Course Format: Lecture / DiscussionGrading Mode: Student Option
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: ECON101 OR ECON110
Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST)(CIVI-MN)(ECON-MN)(ECON)(EDST-MN)(EDST)(HRAD-MN)

Last Updated on NOV-09-2024
Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email ? Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459