ECON 4410
Macroeconomics of Inequality
In this course, we study the driving forces of inequality across countries, across time, and across individuals within a country. We will define and measure inequality using standard measures of economic well-being, such as income, wealth, and consumption of market goods, and we will also consider broader measures such as health outcomes. Historical cross-country data, microdata, and specific case studies will be used to evaluate theories of the sources of inequality. Key variables to be evaluated include physical capital investment, education and human capital investment, technological progress, robotization, international trade, and financial markets, among others. Prerequisites: Econ 4011 and Econ 4021.
Instructors
Reviews
Incredibly difficult class. Homework assignments are time consuming but most students do very well on them. The two exam averages were a 70% and 60%. Exams were overly difficult and with so much content they created a very hard class. He is a very kind person and is willing to help. This was my hardest class so far.
12/17/2025
Lecture material and homework assignments are difficult, but they are graded pretty easily and the exams are almost identical to past homework questions. The assigned readings are quite manageable and really interesting, so it's not bad. Prof is really nice and caring - always willing to help during office hours.
12/23/2024
6-8 hrs/week
Classic case of bad class, good professor. I, along with many other students, found this class to be incredibly challenging. Lectures were dense and unhelpful and overall related very little to the homeworks. Professor Buera on the other hand is an excellent man who cares about his students. He is willing and excited to help whenever he can and makes an effort to communicate with his students about the material and pacing of the class. I would not recommend this class to anyone who is not ready to make a commitment to attend office hours all semester.
6/22/2024