WESTERN ECONOMIC HISTORY

Catalog description

This course is designed to exhibit the economic impact of institutions and policies throughout western economic history. From the role of impersonal trade and the creation of commodities, to the rules of governance and culture, we explore how the organization of society affected prosperity and growth. Sometimes these organizational decisions are intentional, but, more often, they emerge as a consequence of the decentralized coordination of many interests. The class draws on research methods in history, cliometrics, economics, and statistics to analyze events between the Roman Empire era and World War II. Prerequisites: HIST 101, HIST 102.