The Political Economy of Development

Catalog description

This course explores the political causes and consequences of underdevelopment. It goes beyond traditional explanations for economic growth often covered in macroeconomics courses and argues that a fundamental driver of a country’s economic development are its economic and political institutions. We will study the deep historical roots of these institutions and the way in which they have evolved. The course will also show that economic development is one of other several outcomes that co-evolve with institutions. Underdeveloped societies often have weak states and are more prone to conflict, crime, corruption and distorted economic policies, topics we will study throughout the course. We will cover cutting-edge research on this subject, and will discuss the statistical analysis and simple mathematical models used by scholars to study these questions.