Fall
2005 - 2:00-2:55 and
3:00-3::55 MWF
Instructor: Jim Casey
Contact Info: Rm. 205A, Ext. 8102, Email: Caseyj
Office Hours: 11:00-11:45 and 1:00-1:45 MWF and
2:30-3:30 TTh
Prerequisite: Economics 101, 102
Quick Overview:
This class serves as an introduction to the study of Development Economics. The course will be divided into four sections.
The first section provides an overview of Development Economics and asks the following kinds of questions: What is development economics? What is the difference between "growth" and "development"? What is the current state of affairs in the world of development? What does it mean to be poor? How do we measure poverty? What is the HDI and what can it tell us?
The second section introduces specific theories of growth and development. This is the "history of thought" section and leads to current ideas related to “endogenous growth,” "unfreedom" and “ecological and institutional economics.” In this section of the course we will pose the following types of questions: What are the main constraints to growth? Is it good enough to simply grow? Why do some countries grow faster than other countries? Does growth entail development? What does it mean to be free? How does growth effect the environment?
Section three deals, primarily, with the factors of production: physical, human and natural capital. We will spend a significant amount of time discussing the role of human capital and how it is inseparable from discussions of physical and natural capital. Here we might ask questions like the following: What is the relationship between income and health or income and education? Why do some countries invest heavily in human capital while others do not? How important are natural resources as inputs to production? What is the role of agriculture in the process of development?
The last part of the course, section four, is reserved for “global issues.” Here we will ask: What is the role of the IMF and World Bank? What is trade liberalization? Why were there protests in Seattle, Genoa, and Washington D.C.? Is free trade good for growth? Is it good for the poor?
Readings:
(1) (H&R) Hess, Peter and Clark Ross. 1997. Economic Development: Theories, Evidence, and Policies. The Dryden Press.
(2) Sen, Amartya. 1999. Development as Freedom. Random House.
(3) Selected Online Reading Assignments
Requirements:
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30% of your grade will be based on 2 writing assignments. |
(2) recommendations **peer review |
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50% of your grade will be based on two exams.
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10/21/05 and Finals week |
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10% of your grade will be class participation.
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everyday counts!! |
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10% of your grade will be based on your group presentation.
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week 12 |
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SECTION I China - Tyler Van Leuen, Henry Slauson, Zach Wall, Katherine Kilpatrick Pakistan - Clark Barrineau, Elizabeth Eckman, Vanessa Arness, Lauren Peters Kenya - Stuart Swan, Christine Sprow, Nate McMurray Honduras - Elizabeth Putney, Noah Stayton, Robbie Pearson, Chris Godfrey Brazil - Sam Kello, Roberto Tovo, Chris Applewhite, Caroline O'Keefe |
SECTION II
Indonesia - Ryan Mitteness, Amanda Strickler, George Carter, Andrew Richards
India - Vishal Saprs, Clark Finley, Jillian Lange, Jon Malooly
Nigeria - John Bovay, Jordan Anderson, John Tsoukalis, Stephanie Schafer
Nicaragua - Robert Ferguson, Matthew Layton, Luke Lowenfield, Adam Kowalsky
Tanzania - Thomas Goodrich, Elizabeth Eisenbrandt, Becky Grant, Andrew Gaputis
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Course Outline:
Week, Required Reading
1, Monday - The Fall and Rise of Development Economics
This week we will begin our group projects - Wednesday and Friday
The End of Poverty and The U.N. Millennium Project -- The Earth Institute at Columbia University
povertytrap.ppt povertytrap2.ppt
2 - H&R 1 and the appendix & H&R 2
3, H&R 3 & 4 and Growth Strategies by Dani Rodrik
4, H&R 5 & 6 and Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth
for reference only - Pro-poor_growth_in_the_1990s.pdf
5, H&R 12, and The Greening of Development Economics
6, Sen Amartya. 1999. Development as Freedom. Random House.
and Midterm Exam (10/21/05)
7, H&R 8 and PROGRESA 4-01.pdf
Please read this short article for Friday's class - The Economic and Social Burden of Malaria
The Economic and Social Burden of Malaria - presentation
8, H&R 9 and educatedworkers
and Child Labor
9, H&R 10 & Interest Rates in the North and Capital Flows to the South: Is There a Missing Link?
10, H&R 11 and Keynes and Agroforestry
11, H&R 14, 16 and trade and Environment and NAFTA
12, group presentations
Some of my favorite development economists
Christopher Udry, Debraj Ray, Anne Case , Dani Rodrik, Angus Deaton, Christopher B. Barrett, Jeff Sachs
Potentially useful Links:
Global Data Monitoring Information System
http://www.undp.org/annualreports
http://www.csmonitor.com/
http://www.oxy.edu/~gsecondi/dev.html
http://ase.tufts.edu/gdae/
http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/library/index.htm
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/EDCC/home.html
http://ideas.uqam.ca/ideas/data/JEL/O41.html