Welcome to the repository for Econ 140 section materials! This repository contains a series of lecture slides and resources designed to help students understand key econometric concepts, including regression analysis, instrumental variables (IV), differences-in-differences (DiD), and more. Feel free to use the slides with an acknowledgement for me - and I'm always happy about feedback or in case you find any mistakes!
This repository includes lecture slides created using the Beamer class in LaTeX with the Metropolis theme. The slides cover various econometric topics tailored for undergraduate economics courses focused on an intuitive understanding of modern causal inference tools, without being (overly) formal.
In addition, the repository contains Jupyter Notebooks of R code files used to explain some of the regression-related concepts.
The code files (in subfolder code) are used in sections 3 and 4.
In addition, I am sharing material on useful datasets that can be readily imported into R for empirical projects (R datasets.pdf), a guide on interpreting regression output from regressions in R (Interpreting regression tables.pdf), and a "Cheatpack" (Cheatpack.pdf) that summarizes the most important slides.
Slides are in the subfolder slides. Below is a breakdown of the sections included in this repository:
| Section | Title | Key Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | Why correlation does not imply causality |
| 2 | Counterfactuals and Selection Bias | Selection bias, potential outcomes framework, causal claims. |
| 3 | Regression in Action | Omitted variable bias (OVB), quadratic terms, hypothesis testing. |
| 4 | Advanced Regression Techniques | Interaction terms, binary dependent variables. |
| 5 | Midterm Preparation | Practice problems on regression and causal inference. |
| 6 | Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) | RCT design, omitted variable bias, bad controls. |
| 7 | Introduction to Instrumental Variables | IV setup, assumptions (relevance, exogeneity, exclusion). |
| 8 | Instrumental Variables: Practice | Real-world IV examples, LATE interpretation. |
| 9 | Differences-in-Differences | Parallel trends assumption, DiD estimation via regression. |
| 10 | Exercises on Instrumental Variables | Advanced IV applications and exam preparation. |
| 11 | From Diff-in-Diff to Panel Data | Fixed effects regressions, panel data limitations. |
| 12 | Regression discontinuity | RD design and applications, final exam exercises. |
- Clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/jonathanold/econ140.git- Open the
.texfiles in the slides folder using any LaTeX editor (e.g., Overleaf or TeXShop). - Compile the slides using
pdflatexor your preferred LaTeX compiler. - Review the slides for each section to prepare for lectures or exams.
If you have any questions or feedback about these materials, feel free to reach out:
- Email: jonathan_old@berkeley.edu