The Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis (CERPA) is a multidisciplinary unit at Appalachian State University. The mission of CERPA is to improve policy and decision-making by producing rigorous research and disseminating relevant information on current economic and policy issues. To that end, CERPA maintains research programs in the specific areas environment and energy, economic development, and experimental economics.
CERPA maintains the Appalachian Experimental Economics Laboratory (AppEEL) as part of the experimental economics program. AppEEL supports experimental research that tests the validity of economic theories, examine the emerging questions of behavioral economics, and test-bed new market mechanisms and policies. AppEEL can improve predictions of policy outcomes by serving as a wind tunnel that reveals the responses and outcomes associated with alternative policies. The improved understanding and predictions enable decision-makers to implement policies that better achieve targeted outcomes. For more information about AppEEL, please contact David Bruner; brunerdm@appstate.edu.