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Market design studies alternative mechanisms to allocate resources when standard markets fail. One application of market design is the study of two-sided matching markets such as the marriage and dating market. Introductory market design is often taught as an upper-level undergraduate class that requires a significant amount of mathematical preparation. In this paper, we outline two classroom experiments conducted in a matching theory class. We found the experiments to be very effective at simplifying abstract concepts to students with limited mathematical and economics background. The first experiment studies market thickness and market segmentation. The second experiment explores the idea that positive assortative mating in income and education has lead to an increase in income inequality in the U.S. in recent history.
Market design studies alternative mechanisms to allocate resources when standard markets fail. One application of market design is the study of two-sided matching markets such as the marriage and dating market. Introductory market design is often taught as an upper-level undergraduate class that requires a significant amount of mathematical preparation. In this paper, we outline two classroom experiments conducted in a matching theory class. We found the experiments to be very effective at simplifying abstract concepts to students with limited mathematical and economics background. The first experiment studies market thickness and market segmentation. The second experiment explores the idea that positive assortative mating in income and education has lead to an increase in income inequality in the U.S. in recent history.