This course, one of the concentration areas in Economic Policy Analysis program, is designed to acquaint students with development microeconomics concepts and their policy perspectives. It is designed to teach you how economic analysis can be brought to bear on public policy issues and helps you to form your vision as an analyst, public manager or civic leader. It also enables you to understand what is possible, what is practical, and what is desirable.

Specifically, the course enables students: (1) to identify the relevant economic questions to consider about policy issues that you must confront; (2) to evaluate analyses that you will encounter in the policy world for their economic strengths and weaknesses; (3) to design policy alternatives with cognizance of their economic consequences; and (4) to communicate economic analysis effectively in the policy-making process. 

Topics to be covered under this course are peasant household decision model; agricultural market analysis, pricing policy towards agriculture; the rural land markets and fragmented labor markets; credit markets and rural financial institutions; human capital and development; poverty, vulnerability and inequality; migration and the dual economy; Institutions and the state, or public economics issues including property rights, public goods provision.