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IRP, at the UW-Madison, is a center for interdisciplinary research into the causes and consequences of poverty and social inequality in the United States. As one of three National Poverty Research Centers sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, IRP has a particular interest in poverty and family welfare in Wisconsin as well as the nation.

Poverty-Related Courses Taught by IRP Affiliates

IRP affiliates at the University of Wisconsin–Madison teach a range of undergraduate and graduate poverty-related courses. A sampling of courses is provided below. The following list is provided as an example of course offerings; not all courses are available every semester or year. Please consult the UW–Madison timetable for current course listings.

Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Courses with Poverty and Policy Perspectives

Many of IRP's on-campus affiliates teach large classes of undergraduates during the academic year that focus on poverty- and inequality-related issues. Examples of courses taught this spring include the following:

• Economics 450, "Wages and the Labor Market," taught by Chao Fu, examines the economic and institutional forces that determine labor supply and demand; wage theories, wages in the economy, the labor force, unemployment, wages, labor mobility, functioning of labor markets.
• Sociology 578, "Poverty and Place," taught by Katherine Curtis, examines the allocation of economic and social rewards in the United States; emphasis on persistently poor regions and communities; analysis of selected minority groups and their poverty statuses; poverty programs and their consequences for structural and cultural changes.
• Social Work 420, "Poverty and Social Welfare," taught by Marah Curtis-Slovitz, looks at the nature and dimensions of poverty in the U.S.; individual and social consequences of poverty; historic and contemporary approaches; and poverty and social welfare policy and programs.

Multidisciplinary Graduate Courses with Poverty and Policy Perspectives

Many of IRP's on-campus affiliates teach classes of graduates during the academic year that focus on poverty- and inequality-related issues. For example, during the current semester, graduate course offerings include:

• Economics 742, "Theory of Public Finance and Fiscal Policy," taught by Thomas DeLeire, examines incidence of tax burdens and expenditure benefits on relative incomes; effect of taxation on microeconomic decisions relating to work effort, investment, and consumption; analysis of the stabilization, growth, and debt management policies in the context of the economy as a whole; problems in international taxation.
• Public Affairs 888, "Comparative and National Social Policy," taught by Timothy Smeeding, provides an overview of the American system of public policy toward human resources, with an emphasis on how the American system compares with other nations' approaches to social welfare policy. Other nations include OECD nations as well as emerging middle income countries in Asia and Latin America. Social welfare policy is analyzed as three major branches: health, education and welfare.
• Population Health 848, "Health Economics," taught by Barbara Wolfe and John Mullahy, examines health economics issues including demand, supply and pricing, market structure, medical malpractice, technological change, value of life, role of insurance, and other aspects of uncertainty.