Alexander Whitefield

Alexander Whitefield
  • Applied Economics PhD 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

How Minimum Wages and Taxes Can Combat Income Inequality

The ideal way to reduce income inequality is to use minimum wages and income taxes in a complementary way instead of one substituting the other, according to new Wharton research.Read More

Knowledge @ Wharton - 7/8/2025
A Simple Way to Boost Math Progress in Elementary School

Researchers from Penn’s Behavior Change for Good Initiative and their collaborators conducted a megastudy to investigate whether low-cost nudges — informed by behavioral science — could help teachers accelerate student progress in math.Read More

Knowledge @ Wharton - 7/8/2025
An Introduction to Early-stage Impact Investing | Katherine Klein and Tyler Wry

Professors Katherine Klein and Tyler Wry explain how impact investing works.Read More

Knowledge @ Wharton - 7/8/2025