The Political Economy of Growth (original) (raw)

This course addresses the study of three kinds of national economic performance: the growth of gross domestic product, the stabilization of prices and of financial markets, and the distribution of income and wealth. As is elaborated in the schedule of meetings, topics and assignments, the course examines the following questions: Why are some nations rich and others poor? Are financial crises avoidable or inevitable? Does economic growth reduce poverty, increase inequality, or both? What do political and economic institutions have to do with the answers to the above questions? What do geography and culture have to do with them? To what extent are the answers to these questions under human control? What kinds of difference can and do governments make? This class meets 26 times. A list of dates, topics, detailed assignments and supplementary readings is below. Course Requirements: You are expected to do all of the reading assignments, to attend class ready to discuss the assignments, and to write a substantial research paper. Three fifths of your grade will be based on the paper, and two fifths on participation. Participation: You can't participate unless you are in class. You will be given two unexcused absences, and otherwise absence will cut into your participation grade. You are asked to formulate one question or comment on the readings for each class, whether you attend or not, and these questions will be graded as follows: Satisfactory, Marginal, and Unsatisfactory. Not submitting a question will result in an Unsatisfactory grade for that class. You are permitted two grades of U for the semester. After that, one point will be subtracted from your total final grade for each U. I will not be able to respond individually to each question, but if you don't hear from me, you may assume a "Satisfactory." Please aim at about 100 words for your questions. A good question or comment will not be obvious, but will have some subtlety. It may relate the reading at issue to other readings or to general knowledge or conventional wisdom. These questions shall be available to me and to all of the class by 7:00 am on the day of the reading in question. Your participation grade will also be based on the quality and regularity of your oral participation in class. Research paper: You are asked to write a substantial research paper of 5,000 to 7,000 words. (Four double spaced pages of 12 point type comprise about 1,000 words.) You must negotiate your topic with me, and you are asked to pick a general topic by September 12 (meeting 6). We should begin discussing this as soon as possible. A prospectus will be due September 26 (meeting 10). This means a title, a problem or issue statement in a paragraph, and an outline in sentences of how you will address the topic. A first draft will be due October 22 (meeting 17). This first draft will have a title, an abstract, and will flesh out an outline with prose paragraphs. You will make a short presentation to the class on