Climate Politics
Fall 2020
What’s the optimal way to curb carbon emissions? Should we price fossil or subsidize low-carbon energy? What’s the role of solar geoengineering? What should it be? What will it be?
It is precisely the will that is the topic of this course. It’s one thing to develop the ideal policy, it’s quite another to place that ideal policy in a political context.
We will discuss a number of different climate policy objectives and policies throughout the semester, and then place them in a political context.
Many questions discussed don’t have a clear answer. Come prepared to argue both sides of each issue in class. Student-led debates, semi-regular 800-word essays, and the research paper will reinforce class discussions. They will also ask you to pick a side.
Think Economist leader: crisp, logical, and always with a point of view. By the end of the course, you will be well prepared to apply fundamental economic and political economy tools to a host of climate questions, and to do so without fear, favor, or jargon.
Latest syllabus (version: 14 July 2020)
