Credit

3.00   (L-T-P:   3-0-0)

Department / Center / School / Unit

Economics

Course Objectives

On successful completion of this course, a student should be able to understand the important economic reasons for enormous worldwide disparities in income levels and standards of living. Using a selection of the most important papers currently on the frontier of in this field, we will explore two particular questions: 1) Why do people in some countries live prosperous lives, while those in others reel under poverty? and 2) What are potential policies which can improve the lives of the poor? Topics of particular interest are those relating to institution, culture, gender, health, political economy, corruption and conflict.

Course Contents

This course discusses experiences in economic growth and development transitions from around the world. Some of the topics that will be covered in this course include poverty, inequality, education, health, and gender aspects of development. The course will deal with history and persistence in development, as well as with the roles of agrarian institutions and credit markets. Other topics covered will include culture, social capital, behavior, corruption, violence and conflict. The impacts of international trade, foreign aid, and foreign investment on development will also feature in this course.

Suggested References

Bardhan, P. and Udry, C., Development Microeconomics, Oxford University Press, 1999.
Chang, H. J., Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective, Anthem Press, London, 2002.
Deaton, A., The Analysis of Household Surveys, John Hopkins., 1997.
Drèze, J. and Sen, A., Hunger and Public Action, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1991.
Piketty, T., Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, London, 2014.
Ray, D., Development Economics, Princeton University Press., 1998.
Sen, A., Development as Freedom, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2000.
Stiglitz, J., Globalization and Its Discontents, Penguin Books, 2002.
Selection of the most important papers currently on the frontier of in this field.