Amanda Gregg

Economic Statistics (formerly ECON 0210)
An introduction to the discipline of statistics as a science of understanding and analyzing
data with an emphasis on applications to economics. Key topics include descriptive statistics, probability distributions, sampling, random variables, the Central Limit Theorem, estimation, hypothesis testing, p-values, and linear regression. Students will be introduced to a statistical programming language. A weekly one-hour lab is part of this course in addition to three hours of class meetings per week. (Formerly ECON 0210) (Not open to students who have taken ECON 0210, MATH 0116, MATH 0310, PSYC 0201, STAT 0116 [formerly MATH 0116] or STAT 0201.) 3 hrs. lect., 1 hr. lab

Economic Statistics
Basic methods and concepts of statistical inference with an emphasis on economic applications. Topics include probability distributions, random variables, simple linear regression, estimation, hypothesis testing, and contingency table analysis. A weekly one-hour lab is part of this course in addition to three hours of class meetings per week. Credit is not given for ECON 0210 if the student has taken MATH 0116, or MATH 0310, or PSYC 0201 previously or concurrently. (ECON 0150 or ECON 0155) 3 hrs. lect., 1 hr. lab

Economic History and History of Economic Thought
This course will provide an introduction to economic history and the history of economic thought. We will investigate and understand the causes and consequences of important historical events and trends, such as industrialization and globalization, from an economic perspective. We devote considerable attention to the dissemination throughout Europe of new industrial and agricultural practices originating in Britain. Along the way, we evaluate how prominent economists perceived and analyzed the events of their time. (ECON 0150 and ECON 0155) 3 hrs. lect.

The Vermont Economy: Past and Present
In this course, we will study the economic forces shaping Middlebury College’s home state. We will use introductory-level theoretical and econometric tools to investigate the historical roots of key tensions in Vermont's economy, such as the changing agricultural sector, the impact of regulation, and Vermont’s evolving demographic profile. The narrative we construct will place Vermont within the broader context of American economic history. Students will complete an independent project studying some aspect of Vermont’s economy in historical context. (ECON 0150, ECON 0155, and ECON 0111) This course counts as elective credit towards the Economics major.

Theory and Measurement in Economic History
Economic historians study past events, employing diverse methodologies to understand technology adoption, market integration, and the effect of institutions on performance. In this course we will focus on strategies economists use to learn about the past itself and to use past events to understand how all economies function. We will ponder especially conflicts and complementarities between theoretical and empirical reasoning. Each student will complete a research proposal that justifies applying a set of tools to address an economic history question. (ECON 0111 [formerly ECON 0210] and ECON 0255 or IPEC 0240 [formerly ECON 0240]) 3 hrs. sem.

History of the Firm
In this course we will trace the history of firms from the Classical Age to the present, using theoretical and empirical economics to understand what makes a “firm,” how firms have been organized throughout history, why firm organization may differ across countries (e.g., early industrial firms in Europe vs. Latin America vs. the United States), and what firm structure implies for economic performance. Our discussion will rely on subfields like institutional economics, development, and finance. Final research papers will evaluate the organizational history of a single firm or the development of firm structures in an industry or country. (ECON 0211 and ECON 0255 or ECON 0240 or IPEC 0240; or by approval) 3 hrs. sem.