ECON 4440

DISCLAIMER: The professor changed the coursework at the end of the semester because there was a shooting on campus. As a result, I did not have to write the final paper that students normally submit.

This is absolutely one of the best classes that I have ever attended in my academic career. The material is fascinating and extremely relevant to contemporary political and socioeconomic discussions. Professor Harrigan does a fantastic job of structuring the course, assigning interesting and relevant readings, and lecturing in a way that is personal and engaging. He is extremely sharp, and he always has insightful things to say when students ask questions. He has high expectations of his students, but he is more than willing to help his students meet the bar he sets. I am particularly impressed by Harrigan's ability to stay neutral on controversial topics and present the academic findings in an unbiased manner; when he does share opinions, he makes sure to let the class know that he is merely presenting his thoughts on the topic.

He changes the course a little bit every year as new research comes out and students share feedback, but the basic structure is as follows. The first third of the course covers the main data and findings on economic inequality: the supply and wages of workers of different education levels; the level of wages at different points in the income distribution; the level of wages for different tasks and occupations; the distribution of income in the top percentiles of the income distribution; Black-White economic inequality; and philosophical views of economic inequality. The second third of the course covers the main explanations and theories for the trends that we study in the first third of the class: the skill-biased technological change hypothesis; the Ricardian model of the labor market; the specific-factors model; the "China Shock"; the Feenstra-Hanson model of offshoring and wages; and theories of CEO pay and the economics of superstars. Finally, the last third of the course covers research into economic policy related to the topics we discussed in the first and second thirds of the course: the distribution of federal taxes and income; the effects of taxes on labor supply; the top marginal tax rate; regulation and deregulation of the financial industry; the effects of minimum wage laws; the economics of universal basic income proposals; the effects of student loan debt cancellation; and the effects of early childhood intervention programs.

The homework assignments are reasonable in scope, and they are very enjoyable, especially if you enjoy using Stata. If you feel rusty with Stata and are finding the assignments difficult, you can always attend the TA's office hours or ask questions in discussions. The readings are fascinating and super helpful, and he provides many optional readings for those that are interested in going beyond the basics. The exams are not difficult if you pay attention and study, as professor Harrigan is not interested in tricking students or forcing them to devote an inordinate amount of time to preparing. He is mostly trying to figure out if you are grasping the material presented in class and thinking about your own perspectives on the topics we discuss. He also allows students to use a cheat sheet.

All in all, I am extremely glad that I took this class. It is easily one of the best-taught and most interesting classes that I have ever attended. I cannot recommend this class enough!

Great class. The material was interesting and relevant. The professor was engaging, thoughtful, and definitely cares a lot about the material.

The exams are not bad at all. You get a cheat sheet and are allowed to put anything on it. Exams are in a blue book and are not very math heavy at all. If you go to class and know the big picture from the readings, you will be set. The books are not really necessary to read imo, but they are interesting.

The final paper is not bad at all. Worth a decent amount of your grade, but if you meet with Harrigan in office hours he will direct you on where to go with the paper.

If you need a 4000 econ elective, this is the one. Not a ton of work or math, interesting, engaging, and great prof.