Obiettivi formativi
This course has two parts. The first part develops basic models of economic growth, emphasizing their theoretical foundations and empirical relevance. The second part seeks to understand the fundamental causes of large disparities in economic development across different countries and regions.
Prerequisiti
Basic knowledge of econometrics.
Risultati di apprendimento attesi
By the end of the course, students will be able to understand and apply basic models of economic growth, analyze the fundamental causes of economic disparities across countries, and critically evaluate the role of geography and institutions in economic development. Students will also gain the ability to discuss and present academic research on economic growth and development, using empirical evidence to support their arguments.
Contenuti Del Corso
Testi Di Riferimento
The course has a long reading list of academic articles. While there are no required textbooks, I do recommend that you read/acquire two classics. The first is Jared Diamond’s “Guns, Germs and Steel” and the second is Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson’s “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty”. I also suggest reading “The Journey of Humanity” by Oded Galor.
Metodologie Didattiche
The course will be taught through a combination of lectures, student-led presentations, and in-depth discussions of academic papers, enabling students to actively engage with and critically analyze the material.
Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento
The final grade will depend on:
-Class presentation (25%)
-Final exam (75%)
Criteri per l’assegnazione dell’elaborato finale
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Settimana 1
A. MODELS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH
The facts of growth
Basic models of economic growth (Solow model, AK)
Settimana 2
B. GEOGRAPHY AND GROWTH
The origin of differences in economic development across regions – Part 1
*Diamond, Jared, “Guns, Germs and Steel: A short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years”, (1998), Vintage.
Diamond, Jared (2002), “Evolution, consequences and the future of plant and Animal domestication”, Nature, Vol. 418
*Mayshar, Moav, and Pascali (2022). Cereals, Appropriability and Hierarchy. Journal of Political Economy.
Settimana 3
B. GEOGRAPHY AND GROWTH
The origin of differences in economic development across regions Part 2
*Sanchez de la Sierra (2015). On the Origins of States: Stationary Bandits and Taxation in Eastern Congo”, mimeo, Berkeley
#Ashraf and Galor (2013), “The Out of Africa Hypothesis, Human Genetic Diversity, and Comparative Economic Development, American Economic Review 103.
# Ozak and Galor (2017) “The agricultural origins of time preference”, American Economic Review.
Settimana 4
B. GEOGRAPHY AND GROWTH
Geography and Development Part 1
Sachs, Jeffrey, “Institutions Matter, But Not for Everything” (2003)
Faye, McArthur, Sachs and Snow (2004), “The Challenge Facing Landlocked Developing Countries, Journal of Human Development
Melissa Dell, Ben Jones and Ben Olken (2009), “Temperature and Income”. American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings
Settimana 5
B. GEOGRAPHY AND GROWTH
Geography and Development Part 2
Melissa Dell, Ben Jones and Ben Olken (2009), “Temperature and Income”. American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings
*Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson (2002), “The Reversal of Fortune”. Quarterly Journal of Economics 117
Settimana 6
C. CULTURE
Social norms and long-run development
*Guiso, Sapienza, Zingales (2016). “Long Term Persistence”. Journal of European Economic Association 14(6): 1401-1436
* Michalapoulous, Stelios and Elias Pappaioannou (2013), “National Institutions and Sub National Development in Africa”, Quarterly Journal of Economics.
Settimana 7
C. CULTURE
Social norms and long-run development
* Becker, Sascha and L. Woesmann (2009), “Was Weber Wrong? A Human Capital Interpretation of Protestant Economic History”, Quarterly Journal of Economics.
* Nunn (2008). The long-term effects of Africa’s slave trade. Quarterly Journal of Economics 123(1).
# Alesina, Giuliano, Nunn (2013). On the origins of gender roles: women and the plough. Quarterly Journal of Economics 128(1).
Settimana 8
D. INSTITUTIONS
Institutions and long-run development Part 1
*Acemoglu, Daron, Simon Johnson and James Robinson (2001). “The Colonial Origins of Comparative Economic Development: An Empirical Investigation”, American Economic Review 91.
*Melissa Dell (2010). “The persistent effects of Peru’s mining Mita”, Econometrica 78.
Settimana 9
D: INSTITUTIONS
Institutions and long-run development Part 2
*Acemoglu and Johnson (2005). Unbundling Institutions. Journal of Political Economy 113.
#Acemoglu Cantoni Johnson and Robinson 2011 The Consequences of Radical Reform: The French Revolution American Economic Review
Settimana 10
E. HUMAN CAPITAL AND GROWTH
Part 1
*Glaeser, La Porta, Lopez-de-Silanes. Do institutions cause growth? Journal of Economic Growth 9.
*Valencia, F. 2016. The Mission: Economic Persistence, Human Capital Transmission and Culture in South America, The Quarterly Journal 134.
Settimana 11
E. HUMAN CAPITAL AND GROWTH
Part 2
*Squicciarini and Voigtländer 2015 Human Capital and Industrialization: Evidence from the Age of Enlightenment Quarterly Journal of Economics
# Cantoni and Yuchtman 2014 Medieval Universities, Legal Institutions, and the Commercial Revolution Quarterly Journal of Economics.
Settimana 12
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