Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models

EITM Summer Institute 2007

Week 4: Laboratory Experimental Games (mini-module)

Lead faculty: Daniel Posner and Jeremy Weinstein

Monday, 16 June

9:00-12:00: An Introduction to Laboratory Experiments

Wilson, Rick K. and R. Mark Isaac, 2007, “Political Economy and Experiments,” The Political Economist 14 (Winter).

Camerer, Colin F., 2003, Behavioral Game Theory: Experiments in Strategic Interaction (Princeton University Press), chs. 1 and 2 (skim ch. 1; read appendix A1.2 (pp. 34-42) and ch. 2).

Levitt, Steven D. and John A. List, 2006, “What Do Laboratory Experiments Tell Us About the Real World?” unpublished paper.

12:00-1:15: Lunch

1:15-2:30: Laboratory Experiments in the Field

Carpenter, Jeffrey and Juan Camilo Cardenas, 2006, “Behavioral Development Economics: Lessons From Field Labs in the Developing World,” Middlebury College Economics Discussion Paper No. 06-16.

Karlan, Dean, 2005, “Using Experimental Economics to Measure Social Capital and Predict Financial Decisions,” American Economic Review 95, 5.

2:30-4:00: Students into Subjects: Playing Experimental Games in the Lab

Tuesday, 17 June

9:00-10:00: What to Make of Lab Results? (group presentations)

10:00-12:00: Ethnic Diversity and Public Goods Provision: An Experimental Approach

Habyarimana, James, Macartan Humphreys, Daniel N. Posner and Jeremy M. Weinstein, forthcoming, “Why Does Ethnic Diversity Undermine Public Goods Provision?” American Political Science Review.

12:00-1:15: Lunch

1:15-4:00: Ethnic Diversity and Public Goods Provision: An Experimental Approach