The Economics of Developing Countries

Graduate credit

This course surveys what we do and don't know about economic growth and poverty alleviation in developing countries. We will cover the following topics in detail; the definition of development; the theory of economic growth; human capital (education and health); technology and innovation; economic policy; economic shocks; institutions; geography; and social conflict, violence, and war. In addition, we will discuss program evaluation (with a focus on educational interventions) and sustainable development (with a focus on microfinance). The course also includes two in-class debates related to the paper assignments.