Political Economy Of Development

3 Credits.

"The political economy of development” comprises a broad range of theoretical and policy-oriented concerns. This seminar explores competing causal explanations for the following types of questions: What accounts for the dramatic variation in political, economic, and social conditions throughout the world? In what ways do economic and political dynamics interact in shaping developmental outcomes? To what extent does the timing of industrialization affect the viability of certain developmental strategies? The first third of the course covers post-war classics in the development literature, including modernization theory and its critics, and the political economy of international finance. The second part of the course examines contemporary debates concerning the role of the state in the development process. The last part of the seminar turns to developmental concerns at the sub-national level, including the informal sector and the political economy of migration. Graduate students only.