Course Overview This course begins by establishing fundamental ways in which ideas differ from other goods. The course then uses these concepts to evaluate the origins of economic growth, the role of science and science institutions, innovation incentives (through market structure, intellectual property, and organizational practices), the diffusion of innovations and their implications for inequality, and the geography of innovation. Though squarely anchored in the economics discipline, the course will also draw on the sociology of science, particularly classic Mertonian frameworks for understanding the scientific incentive system, scientific labor markets, and scientific norms. The course will consist of 13 Zoom lectures on Tuesdays: February 3, February 10, February 17, February 24, March 3, March 10, March 17, March 24, March 31, April 7, April 14, April 21, and April 30 (our only Thursday class) from 1:30 – 3:30pm EST. The course will introduce both macroeconomic and microeconomic approaches for assessing the “ideas production function,” with special attention to the roles of human capital, institutions, and incentive systems. The course emphasizes how the unusual characteristics of ideas can result in social inefficiency, and how the microeconomic and institutional environment influences the gap between private and social welfare. Altogether, in tandem with theoretical approaches, this course substantially reviews core empirical literature, including a modern array of methods and data sets that are suited to studying ideas and innovation, and aims to provide students with an extensive toolkit to undertake innovation research. Who can register for the course? Our target audience is current or recent students who have completed at least one year of a PhD program in economics or related fields. Acceptance, however, is not guaranteed. To register, we ask for (1) a very short statement (not a recommendation letter) from an academic advisor or administrator on his/her official letterhead certifying that you are regularly enrolled in a PhD program or evidence you have completed a PhD in economics or closely related field; and (2) a maximum two-minute video in which you introduce yourself and explain what you hope to gain from this class. Requirements: Course Logistics The course has four main components: Zoom Lectures The course will consist of 13 two-hour synchronous zoom lectures on Tuesdays (and one Thursday) between February 3 and April 30 from 1:30-3:30pm EST.  We want our lectures to be participatory, and so ask students to attend with cameras on, ready to discuss the readings. Specifically, reading groups will be assigned specific papers to read, and we will call on group members during lecture to discuss papers. Lectures will not be recorded, though we will post slides. Small Group Paper Reading Clubs You will be assigned to a group of 3-4 students in nearby timezones. Each week, we will assign a paper to your group. You should arrange to meet via zoom with your group prior to class to discuss this paper. This discussion should center on: We will call on groups during lecture to discuss the papers they read. Online Happy Hours After each lecture, there will generally be an opportunity to meet with the course instructor in a smaller group setting. We will cap the number of attendees at each of these events. You should rank your preference over these meetings using the pre-class survey you will have received in your email. Note attendance of these happy hours is optional. Class Discord Server Upon completion of the pre-class survey, you should receive an invitation to sign up for the course Discord server. We hope you will use this to communicate with the instructors and other students in a more informal setting than will be possible during the course lectures. In lieu of office hours, please post questions and comments about the course content directly to the slack channel, which the instructors will be monitoring. Other Details The course website remains ifp.org/economics-of-ideas. We will be posting course slides here, as well as our reading list.  If you have any questions about the course in general, please contact us at courses@ifp.org Schedule at a Glance