Robert P. Inman

All Courses

• BEPP2300 - Urban Fiscal Policy

  This course will examine the provision of public services for firms and people through cities and other local governments. Why cities exist, when fiscal policy fails, investments in infrastructure, how to improve school quality, realities of local governments such as inequality, crime, corruption, high cost of living, congestion, and unfunded pensions will be covered. We will pay special attention to recent topics, such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on city and public school finances, racial differences in police use of force, partnerships with the private sector, enterprise zones, the role of technology, and real estate policies that may (or may not!) promote housing affordability, such as inclusionary zoning and rent control.

• BEPP2990 - Independent Study

• BEPP4010 - Public Policy Analysis

  BEPP 4010 fulfills the Wharton capstone requirement by giving students an opportunity to apply their skills to assess a vital public policy question at the local, state, national, or global level. The policy topics the students can choose from will vary from year to year in order to ensure that they are topical and relevant. The course will also provide students with background on relevant conceptual/methodological topics for assessing policy, including experimental and quasi-experimental approaches, frameworks for policy analysis, behavioral economics, and data science (as appropriate for a given topic). Students will work in groups to produce a capstone report which provides a policy analysis for their chosen topic, along with policy recommendations. Not Offered Every Year

• BEPP7730 - Urban Fiscal Policy

  This course will examine the provision of public services for firms and people through cities and other local governments. Why cities exist, when fiscal policy fails, investments in infrastructure, how to improve school quality, realities of local governments such as inequality, crime, corruption, high cost of living, congestion, and unfunded pensions will be covered. We will pay special attention to recent topics, such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on city and public school finances, racial differences in police use of force, partnerships with the private sector, enterprise zones, the role of technology, and real estate policies that may (or may not!) promote housing affordability, such as inclusionary zoning and rent control.

• FNCE2300 - Urban Fiscal Policy

  This course will examine the provision of public services for firms and people through cities and other local governments. Why cities exist, when fiscal policy fails, investments in infrastructure, how to improve school quality, realities of local governments such as inequality, crime, corruption, high cost of living, congestion, and unfunded pensions will be covered. We will pay special attention to recent topics, such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on city and public school finances, racial differences in police use of force, partnerships with the private sector, enterprise zones, the role of technology, and real estate policies that may (or may not!) promote housing affordability, such as inclusionary zoning and rent control.

• FNCE7300 - Urban Fiscal Policy

  This course will examine the provision of public services for firms and people through cities and other local governments. Why cities exist, when fiscal policy fails, investments in infrastructure, how to improve school quality, realities of local governments such as inequality, crime, corruption, high cost of living, congestion, and unfunded pensions will be covered. We will pay special attention to recent topics, such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on city and public school finances, racial differences in police use of force, partnerships with the private sector, enterprise zones, the role of technology, and real estate policies that may (or may not!) promote housing affordability, such as inclusionary zoning and rent control.

• FNCE8120 - Fnce Econ Law of Fiscal Crises

  The focus will be on the causes of fiscal crises, a careful detailing of who wins and who loses, and then on how such crises might be resolved and, perhaps most importantly, how they might be prevented in the future. The course will draw upon the fiscal experiences of US local governments (New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Orange County, Puerto Rico), utilities (WPPSS) and states (Illinois), and the international experience from such countries as Greece, Brazil, and Argentina. The cost of such crises for citizens, pensioners, and bond holders can be significant. We seek to understand the underlying economic, political, and legal/regulatory causes of such events so that they may be prevented in the future. The importance of private information and public regulation for disciplining the fiscal performance of democratically elected governments will be a central concern. We believe strongly that diagnosing and treating the "disease" of fiscal mismanagement is an interdisciplinary endeavor drawing on finance, economics, political science, and the law. Students with backgrounds in any of these disciplines are welcome.

• FNCE8990 - Independent Study

  Independent Study Projects require extensive independent work and a considerable amount of writing. ISP in Finance are intended to give students the opportunity to study a particular topic in Finance in greater depth than is covered in the curriculum. The application for ISP's should outline a plan of study that requires at least as much work as a typical course in the Finance Department that meets twice a week. Applications for FNCE 8990 ISP's will not be accepted after the THIRD WEEK OF THE SEMESTER. ISP's must be supervised by a Standing Faculty member of the Finance Department.

• LAW6090 - Fnce Econ Law Fiscal Cr

  The focus will be on the causes of fiscal crises, a careful detailing of who wins and who loses, and then on how such crises might be resolved and, perhaps most importantly, how they might be prevented in the future. The course will draw upon the fiscal experiences of US local governments (New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Orange County, Puerto Rico), utilities (WPPSS) and states (Illinois), and the international experience from such countries as Greece, Brazil, and Argentina. The cost of such crises for citizens, pensioners, and bond holders can be significant. We seek to understand the underlying economic, political, and legal/regulatory causes of such events so that they may be prevented in the future. The importance of private information and public regulation for disciplining the fiscal performance of democratically elected governments will be a central concern. We believe strongly that diagnosing and treating the "disease" of fiscal mismanagement is an interdisciplinary endeavor drawing on finance, economics, political science, and the law. Students with backgrounds in any of these disciplines are welcome.

• REAL2300 - Urban Fiscal Policy

  This course will examine the provision of public services for firms and people through cities and other local governments. Why cities exist, when fiscal policy fails, investments in infrastructure, how to improve school quality, realities of local governments such as inequality, crime, corruption, high cost of living, congestion, and unfunded pensions will be covered. We will pay special attention to recent topics, such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on city and public school finances, racial differences in police use of force, partnerships with the private sector, enterprise zones, the role of technology, and real estate policies that may (or may not!) promote housing affordability, such as inclusionary zoning and rent control.

• REAL7300 - Urban Fiscal Policy

  This course will examine the provision of public services for firms and people through cities and other local governments. Why cities exist, when fiscal policy fails, investments in infrastructure, how to improve school quality, realities of local governments such as inequality, crime, corruption, high cost of living, congestion, and unfunded pensions will be covered. We will pay special attention to recent topics, such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on city and public school finances, racial differences in police use of force, partnerships with the private sector, enterprise zones, the role of technology, and real estate policies that may (or may not!) promote housing affordability, such as inclusionary zoning and rent control.

• REAL8990 - Independent Study

  All independent studies must be arranged and approved by a Real Estate Department faculty member.

• Billions in gas drilling royalties transform lives, Associated Press - 01/27/2013
• 4 reasons why Texas beats California in a recession, Fortune - 07/13/2010
• Unemployment, not budget practices, to blame for state woes, Washington Post - 06/22/2010
• Public Policy Gains a Foothold at B-School, BusinessWeek.com - 03/01/2010

Knowledge at Wharton

• Bigger Than Potholes: Why Fixing America’s Infrastructure Should Be a Priority, Knowledge at Wharton - 6/22/2018
• Does Trickle-down Economics Add Up – or Is It a Drop in the Bucket?, Knowledge at Wharton - 12/12/2017
• U.S. Infrastructure Renewal: Who Should Pay the Bill?, Knowledge at Wharton - 7/25/2017
• Can Infrastructure Spending Be a Silver Bullet?, Knowledge at Wharton - 10/11/2016
• Underfunded Pensions: Tackling an ‘Invisible’ Crisis, Knowledge at Wharton - 1/26/2015
• What Now, Mr. President?, Knowledge at Wharton - 11/7/2012
• The Soda Tax Gamble: Will It Really Make Us Healthier?, Knowledge at Wharton - 9/12/2012
• Africa: Build It, and They Will Come?, Knowledge at Wharton - 5/27/2011
• America’s Aging Infrastructure: What to Fix, and Who Will Pay?, Knowledge at Wharton - 11/10/2010
• Not With the Plan: State Budget Woes Create a Black Hole for U.S. Stimulus Funds, Knowledge at Wharton - 8/5/2009

Wharton Stories

• When It Comes to Public Policy, What Have We Learned from Managing Covid-19?, Wharton Stories - 07/16/2021