LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at introducing students to the recent research, both theoretical and empirical, in economics and other social sciences, concerning the political causes of the success, or failure, of the states. In particular, we will focus the attention on the interaction between political and economic institutions and development, emphasizing: how the states’ economic performance depends on their institutions, and the endogenous emergence of the latter as the outcome of an underlying distributive conflict within the society.

PREREQUISITES

Familiarity with the analytical tools of economics.

TEACHING METHODS

Traditional classes, aimed to stimulate the discussion about current issues

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1 Introduction to development economics
1.1 Growth and development in economics
1.2 Growth and development in historical perspective

2 Models and policies of growth
2.1 Classical "capitalistic" models (Smith, Ricardo, Malthus)
2.2 Classical "anti-capitalistic" models (Marx e Schumpeter)
2.3 Contemporaneous models I
2.3.1 Harrod-Domar
2.3.2 Solow without technological progress
2.3.3 Solow with technological progress
2.4 Policies for savings and innovation
2.5 Solow's model and demography
2.6 Demographic policies
2.7 Contemporaneous models II
2.7.1 Models with human capital
2.7.2 Models with natural resources
2.7.3 Economic growth and globalisation
2.8 Policies for human capital, natural resources and foreign trade

3 Economic development: introduction to the "new development economics"
3.1 Domestic and international inequalities
3.2 Institutions, society and culture
3.3 Access to essential resources and services
3.4 Development and environment
3.5 Human development index
3.6 National amd international policies for development

4 Economic growth, economic development and firms.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Todaro, M. P., & Smith, S. C. (2011). Economic development. Boston: Pearson Addison Wesley.