PUBPOL607

Course considers the importance of economic analysis, or cost-benefit analysis (CBA), for public policy assessments. Specific focus is on health and environmental policy, and the steps in identification / cataloguing, quantification, and monetization of impacts of potential policies and projects. Covers: Economic rationale for CBA; Basic principles for assessing the economic effects of projects; Techniques for valuing health and environmental impacts; Intergenerational/philosophical concerns related to CBA; Social discounting; Risk and uncertainty; Comparisons of CBA with other approaches (i.e. cost effectiveness analysis, multi-objective analysis).