OVERVIEW

Why are some countries rich and others poor? What types of countries grow more rapidly? Why do certain societies fail to improve their technologies? This course will introduce students to these major questions and to the theoretical, mathematical, and conceptual tools necessary for answering them. The presentation of the theories will be supplemented with examples of relevant empirical works and policy implications.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will receive a graduate-level introduction to the economic theories, models, and empirical evidence of modern macroeconomics, with particular reference to the economics of growth. By the end of the course, students will have acquired the knowledge necessary to summarize, reproduce, and manipulate various macroeconomic models, to derive and analyze the associated policy recommendations, and to engage with existing empirical evidence. With this knowledge, students will be able to use theoretical and applied macroeconomic techniques to understand the proximate causes of growth, the role of physical and human capital accumulation and technological progress, and the influence of public policies and changes in economic fundamentals. Furthermore, students will acquire the basic conceptual and mathematical tools necessary to read and comprehend the contemporary literature in theoretical and applied macroeconomics

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will receive a graduate-level introduction to the economic theories, models, and empirical evidence of modern macroeconomics, with particular reference to the economics of growth. By the end of the course, students will have acquired the knowledge necessary to summarize, reproduce, and manipulate various macroeconomic models, to derive and analyze the associated policy recommendations, and to engage with existing empirical evidence. With this knowledge, students will be able to use theoretical and applied macroeconomic techniques to understand the proximate causes of growth, the role of physical and human capital accumulation and technological progress, and the influence of public policies and changes in economic fundamentals. Furthermore, students will acquire the basic conceptual and mathematical tools necessary to read and comprehend the contemporary literature in theoretical and applied macroeconomics

PREREQUISITES

The technical prerequisite is the knowledge of the mathematical tools presented in an undergraduate course in Mathematics (i.e. multiple-variable functions, derivatives, static optimization, integrals, matrix algebra) and Probability (i.e. expected values, variances, independent and identically distributed random variables). Students may also find it useful to be familiar with any undergraduate-level book in macroeconomics (e.g. Bernheim e Whinston's “Microeconomics” by McGraw-Hill, Mankiw’s “Macroeconomics” by Worth, or Blanchard’s “Macroeconomics” by Pearson).

TEACHING METHODS

The course is given through frontal lessons.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities  and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Elena Lagomarsino elena.lagomarsino@unige.it, the Department's disability liaison.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

We will attempt to cover the following topics:
1. Growth Facts – we will start with a quick look at some basic facts about economic growth and evidences on cross-country income differences
2. The Solow-Swan Model – we will develop a framework to think about causes and mechanics of the process of economic growth and cross-country income differences
3. Neoclassical Growth Model – we will analyse the Ramsey model, while introducing the mathematical and conceptual foundations of modern macroeconomic analysis (e.g. preferences, transversality conditions, optimal control);
4. Overlapping Generations Models – we will depart from the representative household assumption and introduce a model where different agents arrive over time; we will use this framework to think about e.g. the role of money and social security
5. Endogenous Growth Models – we will talk about the role of human capital in fostering growth and start considering models of endogenous growth, like the AK model and Romer’s model of expanding variety

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The main references for this course are:
• Romer, P. Advanced Macroeconomics, McGraw Hill.
• Barro, R. J., and Sala-i-Martin, X. Economic Growth, MIT Press.
• Acemoglu, D. Introduction to Modern Economic Growth, Princeton University Press. (more advanced)
Futher material will be indicated by the teacher during the lectures where appropriate.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MAURIZIO CONTI (President)

ALESSANDRO SPIGANTI (President)

ANNA BOTTASSO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Lectures will be given in the second semester

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam involves passing a written test based on open-ended questions and/or exercises. At the discretion of the lecturer, there may be some intermedite written tests during the course.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The assessment consists of a single written examination on the full contents covered in the course. At the discretion of the lecturer, extra points may be earned during lectures. 

Exam schedule