Dr Adam Triggs is the senior manager in the Canberra office of the economics consulting firm, Alphabeta, and is a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC. He holds bachelors degrees in law and economics, a masters degree in international economics and a PhD in economics from the Australian National University.
Program Page
Course participants will develop an understanding of the key insights from economics and how they can be applied in policy and government settings.
The series includes:
Course overview
Topics include:
Beginner’s guide to microeconomics for the public sector
- Key insights and introduction to the economic way of thinking
- Markets and prices: demand, supply and elasticities
- Government intervention: price controls
- Government intervention: taxes
- Government intervention: market failure, externalities and public goods
- Summary: role of government
Beginner's guide to macroeconomics for the public sector
- The role of Australia in the global economy and the importance of trade.
- Macroeconomic statistics such as GDP and inflation.
- The role of institutions like the Reserve Bank of Australia.
- The relationship between economic growth, environmental sustainability, productivity, and innovation.
- Government’s role in stabilizing the economy.
Learning outcomes:
Beginner’s guide to microeconomics for the public sector
- Understand key microeconomic concepts
- Develop the ability to analyse applied case studies in microeconomics
- Understand key tools for the analysis of competitive markets
- Develop skills in applying the supply/demand framework to real-world settings
- Gain an understanding for why markets may not perform as well as desired
- Apply microeconomics concepts to real-world cases
- Gain an understanding of the role of government in addressing microeconomic issues
- Critically analyse government interventions
Beginner's guide to macroeconomics for the public sector
- Understanding of macroeconomic concepts such as economic output, productivity, inflation, foreign investment, and trade.
- Application of macroeconomic statistics used by governments and media, including GDP and inflation.
- Analysing the role of government in economic stabilisation and setting conditions for long-term growth in living standards.
- Developing a framework for thinking about economic challenges through practical case studies.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for individuals at any level of their career who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of basic economics and its usefulness and application to policy issues.
The course is designed for those with no economics background.
Testimonials
The presenter was superb. Paul delivered first-class lectures and provided a high level of interactivity in live sessions, as well as ensuring understanding of concepts before advancing. Fascinating readings and practical case studies further enhanced the experience.
There were three aspects I really appreciated about the program, the attached videos which expanded on economic theory; the analysis of current world events and how they could impact the global or regional economies; and the in-course games intended to demonstrate how different aspects of economic theory operate in practice.
Presenter
Presenter
Prof Paul Burke
Paul Burke is a Professor and Head of the Arndt-Corden Department of Economics, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. His research is in energy and environmental economics, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific.
Paul has published in journals including the American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, Economic Inquiry, Nature Geoscience, Nature Climate Change, Energy, and Global Environmental Change. His ongoing research topics include electric vehicle adoption, residential electrification, small hydropower in Indonesia, and tax reform in Australia.