Aaron Payne

Aaron Payne
  • Applied Economics Doctoral Student

Contact Information

Teaching

All Courses

  • BEPP1000 - Introductory Economics

    Microeconomics is the study of the behavior of households and firms, whose collective decisions determine how resources are allocated in a free market economy. We will study when markets are likely to produce "efficient" outcomes, and when government intervention may improve on or harm the competitive market outcome. We will use economic theory to analyze issues like a gas tax to change reliance on oil, minimum wages to increase salaries of the working poor, and government subsidies to increase education. Macroeconomics is the study of the economy as a whole. We will understand how the size of the US economy is determined, how unemployment is measured, how inflation affects life. We will look at policy options that the government and the Federal Reserve Bank face, and discuss pros and cons of their actions. Economic arguments are often used in debates about government policies, discussion of business strategies, and many of life's other arenas. The goal of the course is to teach you to "think like an economist," which I hope will help you to understand the world around you, make better economic decisions in your own life, and be a more informed citizen and voter.

Knowledge at Wharton

Challenges for Women in the Workplace | Martine Haas

Professor Martine Haas discusses how evolving workplace trends are affecting women's careers.Read More

Knowledge @ Wharton - 3/26/2024
Cass Sunstein on Nudging, Sludge, and the Power of ‘Dishabituation’

Cass Sunstein, author of the book 'Nudge,' recently spoke with Wharton’s Katy Milkman and Angela Duckworth about how behavioral science can help us make better decisions and inform public policy.Read More

Knowledge @ Wharton - 3/25/2024
How Employers Are Reining in Prescription Drug Costs

The rise of smaller pharmacy benefit managers is part of a larger pushback in an industry segment dominated by three big players, says Wharton's Lawton R. Burns.Read More

Knowledge @ Wharton - 3/25/2024