This course will discuss the economic and policy causes and consequences of population change. Topics will include shifting patterns of fertility and family formation, changes in longevity and disability rates, and immigration. For each topic we will consider the policy influences on each factor (intentional or otherwise), and likewise the future policy implications of these demographic shifts. The course will cover various economic models of demographic behavior, mostly focusing on graphical arguments, but supplemented with math as necessary. Students will likewise learn to work with population data over the course of the quarter.
