Alex Rees-Jones

Alex Rees-Jones
  • Associate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy

Contact Information

  • office Address:

    Office 328, 3rd Floor, Vance Hall
    3733 Spruce Street
    Philadelphia, PA 19104-6372

Overview

I am a behavioral economist working to better understand how to integrate psychology into economic policy analysis. My research is mostly focused on exploring how to best model individuals who are responding to a policy’s incentives in psychologically biased ways, particularly in the contexts of tax systems and assignment mechanisms.

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

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Research

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

Teaching

Current Courses (Spring 2023)

  • BEPP9330 - Public Econ: Social Ins

    The first part of this course will examine the rationale for and economic impact (e.g. on saving, labor supply, etc.) of social insurance programs such as social security, unemployment insurance and disability insurance. The next major part of the course will explore these same issues for government interventions in health insurance markets. The course will then cover research on public goods, externalities, fiscal federalism, and econmic stimulus (including the government's recent response to the "Great Recession") before proceeding to an exploration of the government's role in K-12 and high education. Both theoretical and empirical evidence will be covered along with a mix of classic studies and more cutting-edge research. Throughout the course we will discuss the tradoffs - for example between the protection and distortion of social insurance programs -- that influence government's optional role. While the focus will be on evidence from the U.S., some research from other industrialized and developing countries will also be covered.

    BEPP9330001 ( Syllabus )

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