The Games Economists Play: Interactive Public Policy
Event Speakers
Featuring:
Dr. Antony Davies
Associate Professor of Economics
Duquesne University
Economics is much more than just equations and pie-charts. Economics is an academic discipline fundamentally interested in the interaction of people. In the inaugural course of Capital Campus: Pennsylvania, Dr. Antony Davies of Duquesne University will conduct an interactive “economic experiment” to engage participants in understanding the interconnectedness of citizens, public policy, and the economy. This particular experiment will allow participants to observe how public services such as health care and education affect the decisions that constituents make about their lives and community.
Dr. Davies is currently an associate professor of economics at Duquesne University. His areas of research include forecasting and rational expectations, consumer behavior, and international economics. Dr. Davies has run many similar experiments for diverse legislative and executive branch audiences in other state capitals as part of the Capital Campus program. Some questions that the course will address:
- Who gains from publicly provided services? Who tends to be worse off?
- How do public services compare with private services? According to what measures?
- How is the overall economy affected by increases or decreases in public services? What might policy makers consider when addressing various public services?
Capital Campus: Pennsylvania is a partnership between Duquesne University and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. This burgeoning program educates Pennsylvania decision makers about the workings of our intricate economy. The university-based program lends an academic approach to important state policy questions and works to bridge the often distinct worlds of theory and practice.