Undergraduate Course: Evidence, Economy, and Social Policy (SCPL08017)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | YEAR 1 STUDENTS ARE WELCOME TO SIGN UP TO THIS COURSE.
The course shows how economic concepts can shed light on topical social policy debates. Students are given opportunities to reflect critically on the ways in which evidence is used in debates about social policy, and how to assess the strengths and limitations of evidence from economic analyses. |
| Course description |
This course introduces foundational economic concepts and their application to contemporary social policy issues. Students will learn to critically assess the strengths and limitations of evidence generated by economic analyses and examine how this evidence can inform or distort policy debates. The course explores economic perspectives on the welfare state and fosters critical thinking skills. Lectures provide the conceptual and theoretical foundations, while interactive tutorials allow students to apply these tools to topical social and economic policy debates. By bridging theory and practice, the course equips students with analytical skills essential for their academic studies and future professional careers.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | Students MUST NOT also be taking
Evidence, Politics and Policy (SCPL08010)
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Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should usually have at least 1 introductory level Social Policy course at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses.
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| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 9,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
167 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
40% Continuous quizzes
60% Policy brief (1500 words)
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| Feedback |
Feedback on all assessed work shall normally be returned within three weeks of submission. Where this is not possible, students shall be given clear expectations regarding the timing and methods of feedback. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand how evidence informs debates on economic issues, and how it is sometimes distorted and misused in these debates;
- Understand how social and economic research can be brought to bear on understanding topical debates;
- Develop the skills of engaging in topical debates in a rational and evidence-based way while also taking account of the important role of ideology;
- Define core economic ideas and concepts that are essential for understanding the functioning of the economy, the welfare state, and economic inequality;
- Critically assess the basic strengths and limitations of economic analyses of social policies.
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Reading List
Barr, N. (2020). Economics of the welfare state. Oxford University Press, USA.
The CORE Econ Team 2023 The Economy 2.0:Microeconomics Open access e-text https://core-econ.org/the-economy/ (section 1- Prosperity, inequality, and planetary limits; section 3 - Doing the best you can: Scarcity, wellbeing, and working hours)
Naidu, S., Rodrik, D., Zucman. G.,(2020)."Economics after Neoliberalism: Introducing the EfIP Project." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 110: 366-71. https://econfip.org/
Ellora Derenoncourt, Claire Montialoux, Minimum Wages and Racial Inequality,The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Volume 136, Issue 1, February 2021, Pages 169-228,https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjaa031
Rodrik D, Stantcheva S.A Policy Matrix for Inclusive Prosperity. Economics for Inclusive Prosperity. 2021; Policy Brief No. 30. Copy at https://tinyurl.com/y7aktvpc |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
By the end of the course students should have strengthened their skills in:
understanding the role of evidence in topical debates;
defining core economic concepts essential for social policy;
engaging in topical debates based on robust evidence;
presenting condensed information to policy makers based on sound reasoning;
the understanding and skills that can be utilised in subsequent honours level courses. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Lukas Lehner
Tel:
Email: Lukas.Lehner@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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