Political Economy and Economic Development

Harvard FAS

In this class, we will study some of the key theoretical ideas for how politics affect economic development. We will also look at various empirical examples drawn from the developing world. Topics include the historical determinants of development, conflict, voting, media, the political economy of social protection, the political economy of taxation, and corruption.By the end of the course, students are expected to (1) have acquired a foundation for thinking critically about the role of…