Alex Rees-Jones

For more information about my research, please visit my personal website.

Past Courses

• BEPP2010 - Public Finance & Policy

  This course explores the economics and politics of public policy to provide an analytic framework for considering why, how, and with what success/failure government intervenes in a variety of policy areas. Particular attention will be paid to important policy issues relating to taxation, social security, low-income assistance, health insurance, education (both K-12 and higher ed), the environment, and government deficits. The costs and benefits of alternative policies will be explored along with the distribution of responsibilities between the federal, state and local governments. While the course will focus primarily on U.S. policies, the topics covered (e.g. tax reform, deficits versus austerity, etc.) are currently at the center of the policy debate in many other industrialized countries as well.

• BEPP7700 - Public Finance & Policy

  This course explores the economics and politics of public policy to provide an analytic framework for considering why, how, and with what success/failure government intervenes in a variety of policy areas. Particular attention will be paid to important policy issues relating to taxation, social security, low-income assistance, health insurance, education (both K-12 and higher ed), the environment, and government deficits. The costs and benefits of alternative policies will be explored along with the distribution of responsibilities between the federal, state, and local governments. While the course will focus primarily on U.S. policies, the topics covered (e.g. tax reform, deficits versus austerity, etc.) are currently at the center of the policy debate in many other industrialized countries as well.

• BEPP9000 - Research Seminar

  Of the many ways that doctoral students typically learn how to do research, two that are important are watching others give seminar presentations (as in Applied Economics Seminars) and presenting one's own research. The BEPP 9000 course provides a venue for the latter. Wharton doctoral students enrolled in this course present applied economics research. Presentations both of papers assigned for other classes and of research leading toward a dissertation are appropriate in BEPP 9000. This course aims to help students further develop a hands-on understanding of the research process. All doctoral students with applied microeconomic interests are encouraged to attend and present. Second and third year Applied Economic Ph.D. students are required to enroll in BEPP 9000 and receive one-semester credit per year of participation.

• BEPP9150 - Behav. Econ & Pol Anal

  In this course we will be surveying the ways in which behavioral economics ideas are influencing economic analysis in different "applied micro" fields. A guiding focus of the course will be studying the role of behavioral economics when conducting welfare or policy analysis. The course will begin with a high-level overview of the common themes seen across all the fields we will discuss, and then we will proceed through a series of modules in which we examine the specifics in different applications. Over the course of the semester, we will dive into public finance, health economics, market design, labor economics, and industrial organization.

• LGST8060 - Negotiations

  This course examines the art and science of negotiation, with additional emphasis on conflict resolution. Students will engage in a number of simulated negotiations ranging from simple one-issue transactions to multi-party joint ventures. Through these exercises and associated readings, students explore the basic theoretical models of bargaining and have an opportunity to test and improve their negotiation skills. Cross-listed with MGMT 6910/OIDD 6910/LGST 8060. Format: Lecture, class discussion, simulation/role play, and video demonstrations. Materials: Textbook and course pack.

• MGMT6910 - Negotiations

  This course examines the art and science of negotiation, with additional emphasis on conflict resolution. Students will engage in a number of simulated negotiations ranging from simple one-issue transactions to multi-party joint ventures. Through these exercises and associated readings, students explore the basic theoretical models of bargaining and have an opportunity to test and improve their negotiation skills. Cross-listed with MGMT 6910/OIDD 6910/LGST 8060. Format: Lecture, class discussion, simulation/role play, and video demonstrations. Materials: Textbook and course pack.

• OIDD6910 - Negotiations

  This course examines the art and science of negotiation, with additional emphasis on conflict resolution. Students will engage in a number of simulated negotiations ranging from simple one-issue transactions to multi-party joint ventures. Through these exercises and associated readings, students explore the basic theoretical models of bargaining and have an opportunity to test and improve their negotiation skills. Cross-listed with MGMT 6910/OIDD 6910/LGST 8060. Format: Lecture, class discussion, simulation/role play, and video demonstrations. Materials: Textbook and course pack.

• The Subtle Levers That Influence Affirmative Action, Knowledge@Wharton - 04/25/2023
• To get the wealthy to pay more tax, first we need to work out why they avoid it, Financial Times - 08/29/2021
• Taxpayer rights: Seeking a new dawn for nation-builders, Financial Express - 08/24/2021
• Online teaching negatively impacts student learning, Wharton professor’s study finds, The Daily Pennsylvanian - 07/26/2021
• Lessons Learned from Teaching during the Pandemic, educationnext.org - 05/12/2021
• How Covid-19 is making us rethink safety net programmes, VoxEU - 11/04/2020
• COVID-19 and changing tastes for safety-net programs, Wharton Business Daily - 10/27/2020
• Trump, Biden Fight to Bitter Draw in Final Debate, Foreign Policy - 10/22/2020
• How Democrats Won the War of Ideas, New York Times - 10/22/2020
• Amid Pandemic, Here's What Researchers Have Learned About The Economy, NPR - 10/20/2020
• When Students Are Matched to Schools, Who Wins?, Chicago Booth Review - 08/26/2019
• Pursuit of happiness: What we want doesn’t always make us happy, Financial Express - 05/03/2019
• Tax Refunds Are More Than a Boost to Your Bank Account — They're Good for the Country, Too, Time - 02/19/2019
• Happiness Reveals a Lot about Our Choices — but It Isn’t Everything, Knowledge@Wharton - 12/19/2014
• An April 15 Deadline for Charitable Giving Would Be a Boon to Nonprofits, The Chronicle of Philanthropy - 12/08/2014
• Maximising Happiness Does Not Maximse Welfare, Vox - 10/15/2014
• Study Shows Taxpayers with Balance Due More Likely to Cheat, Forbes.com - 10/17/2013
• The Joyless or the Jobless, The Economist - 11/25/2010

Knowledge @ Wharton

• Is Influencer Marketing Worth It?, Knowledge @ Wharton - 04/26/2024
• What Is the Role of Customers in the Gig Economy?, Knowledge @ Wharton - 04/25/2024
• Co-hosts of the ‘Gen Z on Gen Z’ Podcast, Knowledge @ Wharton - 04/25/2024
• 2024 NFL Draft, Knowledge @ Wharton - 04/24/2024
• Former Levi’s CEO on Revitalizing a Brand — and the Right Way to Wash Jeans, Knowledge @ Wharton - 04/23/2024
• Why Is Financial Literacy Important? | Olivia S. Mitchell, Knowledge @ Wharton - 04/23/2024
• What Does the Labor Side of Manufacturing Need Over the Next Decade?, Knowledge @ Wharton - 04/23/2024
• From Amazon to Uber: Why Platform Accountability Requires a Holistic Approach, Knowledge @ Wharton - 04/22/2024
• Can Intrapreneurship Help Close the Racial Wealth Gap?, Knowledge @ Wharton - 04/22/2024
• Charlotte Tansill & Adam Kornblum on CeraVe’s Super Bowl Ad Campaign, Knowledge @ Wharton - 04/18/2024