About CERPA
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 decisionmaking 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 of economic development, environment and energy, and public finance.
CERPA maintains the Appalachian Experimental Economics Laboratory (AppEEL), which facilitates policy simulation using the experimental method. The lab improves understanding of policy by enabling a more precise investigation of the factors that influence individual behavior and final outcomes. The lab improves predictions of policy by serving as a wind tunnel that reveals the responses and outcomes associated with alternative policies. The improved understanding and predictions enable decisionmakers to implement policies that better achieve targeted outcomes.
