ECON 4600: Economic Development

Why are some countries rich and some countries poor? Will countries inevitably converge in income levels or will differences continue to widen? What does "development" mean? What are the effects of poverty on growth and on different markets? Are the problems of "developing" countries different than "developed" countries? Do markets work differently depending on whether a country is rich or poor? Can governments enact policies to improve the level or rate of growth of "development?" These are some of the basic questions addressed by ECON 4600. We seek to answer these questions by: 1.examining data on developing countries, including different measures of development, inequality and poverty, 2.using simple models to understand what policy variables are important when trying to encourage development, and 3.analyzing the experience of specific countries to determine if our understanding corresponds to outcomes in the real world. Tools include lectures, class discussions, problem sets, individual projects, experiments and exams.

This course analyzes the issues underlying vast differences in development among the nations of the world. Economic growth, subject to appropriate restraints on environmental degradation, is seen as a major instrument for improving the development of nations and the welfare of their people. The course employs elements of theories of growth, international trade and finance, industrial organization, money, as well as micro and macroeconomics to analyze causes of and prescribe cures for, underdevelopment. (3 credit hours)

Prerequisites: Econ 2105 and Econ 2106.

Syllabi

See the AYSPS Course Syllabi List. Please remember that individual faculty vary their course plans over time. A previous syllabus is no guarantee of what an upcoming course will be like.

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