71973 - ANALISI E VALUTAZIONE DELLE POLITICHE PUBBLICHE

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide in-depth knowledge about the main strategies aimed at evaluating the impact of public policies, deepening both theoretical and methodological aspects. At the end of the course, the student is able: a) to understand the logic of the main impact evaluation designs; b) to use evaluation results to inform policy making; c) to identify the most suitable evaluation designs for identifying causal effects of policies in different practical situations; d) to critically evaluate existing studies and discuss the validity of the results, the limitations, and their transferability to other contexts.

Course contents

To follow the course successfully, a basic knowledge of quantitative methods is required. It is strongly recommended to attend the crash course B3965 - CRASH COURSE - INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.

As explained in the section “Teaching methods” (see below), the course follows the so-called Y-model. The structure of the lectures is as follows:

Lectures 1–8: Introduction to the course and to the objectives of impact evaluation; introduction to causal inference and the language of potential outcomes. Identification strategies: randomized studies, propensity score matching, regression discontinuity design, difference-in-differences, instrumental variables.

Lectures 9–14: In-class exercises on case studies and practical applications using R software. More specifically, we will explain how the identification strategies covered in the previous lectures can be implemented in R. The lectures will also provide the basics of R (further practice will take place during the crash course).

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students:

Martini, A., & Sisti, M. (2009). Valutare il successo delle politiche pubbliche. Bologna: Il Mulino.

The more technical chapters of the textbook are covered in a more narrative style in this book (available for free online):

Gertler, P. J., Martinez, S., Premand, P., Rawlings, L. B., & Vermeersch, C. M. (2016). Impact evaluation in practice. World Bank Publications.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/sief-trust-fund/publication/impact-evaluation-in-practice

Optional readings:

Angrist, J. D., & Pischke, J. S. (2014). Mastering'metrics: The path from cause to effect. Princeton: Princeton university press.

Useful resource for R: Gabors Data Analysis.

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From the fifth lecture, the roll call will be taken.

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Non-attending students:

Textbook:

Martini, A., & Sisti, M. (2009). Valutare il successo delle politiche pubbliche. Bologna: Il Mulino.

Additional readings:

De Blasio, G., Nicita, A., & Pammolli F. (a cura di) (2021). Evidence-based Policy! Ovvero perché politiche pubbliche basate sull'evidenza empirica rendono migliore l’Italia. Bologna: Il Mulino.

Papers on the effectiveness of financial aid in Higher Education:

Martini, A., Azzolini, D., Romano, B., & Vergolini, L. (2021). Increasing College Going by Incentivizing Savings: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Italy. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 40(3), 814-840.

Modena, F., Rettore, E., & Tanzi, G. M. (2020). The effect of grants on university dropout rates: Evidence from the Italian case. Journal of Human Capital, 14(3), 343-370.

Facchini, M., Triventi, M., & Vergolini, L. (2021). Do grants improve the outcomes of university students in a challenging context? Evidence from a matching approach. Higher Education, 81(5), 917-934.

Vergolini, L., & Zanini, N. (2015). Away, but not too far from home. The effects of financial aid on university enrolment decisions. Economics of Education Review, 49, 91-109.

Teaching methods

The course will follow the logic of the “flipped classroom” (Y-model) and will be organized into lectures and labs, according to the following schedule:

• The first part of the course consists of 8 traditional lectures (16 hours) aimed at introducing students to the basic conceptual and theoretical tools.
• The second part is organized in a lab-based format (6 labs for a total of 12 hours) and focuses on the application and deepening of the acquired knowledge.

Students will be divided into two groups for the lab sessions. This means that, during the second part of the course, you will attend class once a week, resulting in a total of 28 in-class hours. The remaining 12 hours should be used for at-home work to ensure you come prepared for the lab sessions.

Assessment methods

The final grade for the attending students will be calculated as follow:

• In-class presentations and participation (40% of the grade).
• Classroom examination with R in which you will be asked to replicate the analyses of a scientific paper (60% of the grade).

In order to obtatin the status of attending students you must attend at least the 80% of the classes (14 lessons).

For non-attending students, The examination will be based on an oral interview on the basis of the texts listed in the bibliography.

Please note that exam modes may be subject to change according to the health emergency.

Final mark grading:

• Preparation on a very limited number of topics covered in the course and ability to analyze emerging only with the help of the lecturer, expression in overall correct language → 18-19;
• Preparation on a limited number of topics covered in the course and ability to analyze autonomously only on purely executive issues, expression in correct language → 20-24;
• Preparation on a large number of topics dealt with in the course, ability to make autonomous choices of critical analysis, mastery of specific terminology → 25-29;
• Substantially comprehensive preparation on topics dealt with in the course, ability to make autonomous choices of critical analysis and linking, full mastery of specific terminology and ability to argue and self-reflect → 30-30 L

 

Grade's refusal

Candidates who pass the exam can refuse the final grade (thus requesting to re-take the exam) only once, in accordance with the university’s teaching regulations (art. 16, comma 5).

After having rejected a passing mark, any other subsequent passing mark will be recorded definitively in candidates’ transcripts.

Teaching tools

Teaching material uploaded on virtual

Office hours

See the website of Loris Vergolini