HUMT-2110 : Economics of Wealth and Inequality

The world is experiencing historically unprecedented levels of economic inequality. This course discusses the meaning and measurement of economic inequality, providing you a historical and cross-national perspective on current levels of inequality. It uses macroeconomic concepts to measure and explain economic inequality across nations. It then turns to microeconomic theory, using it as a framework for the exploration of competing explanations of economic inequality within nations. The course evaluates claims that inequality is detrimental to individual and societal well-being and to the political process. Finally, it addresses the question of what, if anything, can or should be done to address economic inequality.