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Regular version of the site

Political Economy of Institutions and Development

2018/2019
Academic Year
ENG
Instruction in English
3
ECTS credits
Delivered at:
eLearning Office
Course type:
Elective course
When:
2 year, 2 module

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This MOO course https://www.coursera.org/learn/political-economy is part of the SDG initiative <http://www.sdginitiative.org/> addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically for the following SDGs [1, 8, 10 and 16]. We hope you will join in our efforts to reach the SDG’s in small but measurable and actionable ways, cooperating with Development Done Differently. Expand your impact. You can create a better world. In today’s world, politics and economics are interconnected, but what is the nature of this connectivity? What are the power relationships that shape the world economy today and create new challenges for international institutions facing globalization? What makes some countries wealthier than others? Do we face cultural diversity or fragmentation? Does the type of governance effect economic development and social change or is it the other way around? How do we measure it and how trustworthy is the data? These issues and many more will be examined in this course along with a wide library of sources and a biting criticism.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • These issues and many more will be examined in this course along with a wide library of sources and a biting criticism. In today’s world, politics and economics are interconnected, but what is the nature of this connectivity? What are the power relationships that shape the world economy today and create new challenges for international institutions facing globalization? What makes some countries wealthier than others? Do we face cultural diversity or fragmentation? Does the type of governance effect economic development and social change or is it the other way around? How do we measure it and how trustworthy is the data?
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Review the basic data of population, output and development used to make international comparisons between countries.
  • Argue for the centrality of trust in explanations of differences in wealth and poverty between nations but highlights difficulties in measuring it and in explaining the direct of causality.
  • Be able to examine how society can be fragmented along lines of religion, language, ethnicity and income
  • Answer to the question how to get that good governance provides a transparent and stable environment for risk assessment and decision-making and contributes to welfare and growth.
  • Assess the motivations for development assistance but raises doubts about the extent to which it can overcome local issues.
  • Answer the questions: Globalisation - what is it really? What are the benefits it is supposed to confer and what is the role, if any, left for national governments in today's world?
  • Answer the question: What role do they play in the world economy?
  • Answer the questions: Who are non-governmental actors? How much power do they really have?
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Introduction into this course
    Welcome to this course! Here we present the instructor and his team, what we will do in the upcoming modules, and what is exactly Political Economy. You play an important role in this module. We would also like to hear who you are and what are your expectations from this course. Don't forget to read before that our academic standards and tips and tricks that will help you succeed in this course. Good luck!
  • Data used in Political Economy
    Basic Data. Reviews the basic data of population, output and development used to make international comparisons between countries.
  • Trust
    Trust. Argues for the centrality of trust in explanations of differences in wealth and poverty between nations but highlights difficulties in measuring it and in explaining the direct of causality.
  • Society and Fragmentation
    Inequality and Fragmentation. Examines how society can be fragmented along lines of religion, language, ethnicity and income
  • Governance
    Governance. Argues that good governance provides a transparent and stable environment for risk assessment and decision-making and contributes to welfare and growth. The question is how to get it.
  • Economic Development
    Development Assistance. Assesses the motivations for development assistance but raises doubts about the extent to which it can overcome local issues.
  • Globalisation
    Let us now focus on the international context of the elements we've seen so far. Globalisation - what is it really? What are the benefits it is supposed to confer and what is the role, if any, left for national governments in today's world?
  • International organizations
    International organization. What role do they play in the world economy?
  • Non Governmental actors
    Even though they do not belong to any establishment or an institution, certain non- governmental institutions can have a lot of power and influence. Who are those actors? How much power do they really have? We will dive into these question in this module!
  • Final
    The final exam! Good luck!
  • Extra Material
    Not for the test - but very good for your general knowledge!
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Test 1
  • non-blocking Test 2
  • non-blocking Test 3
  • non-blocking Test 4
  • non-blocking Test 5
  • non-blocking Test 6
  • non-blocking Test 7
  • non-blocking Test 8
  • non-blocking Final Exam
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • Interim assessment (2 module)
    0.2 * Final Exam + 0.1 * Test 1 + 0.1 * Test 2 + 0.1 * Test 3 + 0.1 * Test 4 + 0.1 * Test 5 + 0.1 * Test 6 + 0.1 * Test 7 + 0.1 * Test 8
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Atif Mian, & Howard Rosenthal. (2016). Introduction: Big Data in Political Economy. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, (7), 1. https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2016.2.7.01
  • Benjamin A. T. Graham, & Jacob R. Tucker. (2019). The international political economy data resource. The Review of International Organizations, (1), 149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11558-017-9285-0
  • Francisco Ganga Contreras, & Aldo Cassinelli Capurro. (2015). Trust, social capital and democracy: a complex joint for development. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.DB0721BE
  • Gonzalez, B. (2016). Globalization : Economic, Political and Social Issues. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1350676
  • International Governmental Organizations as Non-State Actors. (2015). Hart Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsnar&AN=edsnar.oai.ris.utwente.nl.publications.82f753d1.70df.4ef6.b657.7d3687dcaaed
  • James Clark. (2019). Economic Development: Analysis and Planning Strategy. [N.p.]: White Press Academics. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2267922
  • John Smith, & Olugbenga Ajilore. (2007). Ethnic Fragmentation and Police Spending: Social Identity and a Public Good. Departmental Working Papers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.rut.rutres.200708
  • Leandro M. Magnusson, & Yashar Tarverdi. (2018). Measuring Governance: Why do errors matter? Economics Discussion / Working Papers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.uwa.wpaper.18.10
  • Pease, K.-K. S. (2019). International Organizations : Perspectives on Global Governance (Vol. Sixth edition). New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1753225

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Chirico, J. (2013). Globalization : Prospects and Problems. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1410172
  • Giugale, M. (2017). Economic Development : What Everyone Needs to Know® (Vol. Second edition). New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1540143
  • Iveta Kovalčíková, & Martin Lačný. (2016). The Case of ‘Trust’ – Research on Social Capital in V4 Countries. Studies of Transition States and Societies, (3), 78. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.7a3d1460f37e45fb95700468516949c3
  • Nettle, D. (2000). Linguistic fragmentation and the wealth of nations: The Fishman-Pool hypothesis reexamined. Economic Development & Cultural Change, 48(2), 335. https://doi.org/10.1086/452461
  • Sharyn O’Halloran, Sameer Maskey, Geraldine McAllister, & Kaiping Chen. (2016). Data Science and Political Economy: Application to Financial Regulatory Structure. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, (7), 87. https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2016.2.7.06