Global Leadership and Problem-Solving: Economic Development in Latin America

1 Course Unit

From the mid-1950s to the early 1980s, by most conventional economic measures including growth in GDP per capita, Latin America was at least slightly ahead of East Asia. Over the last several decades, however, the economic fortunes of Latin America dimmed while those of East Asia brightened. This course surveys multiple and competing theories about economic development with a special case-based focus on Latin America: What explains Latin America's global economic position? What factors might account for its most acute national or regional economic downturns and concentrated pockets of poverty? What explains the sometimes wide differences in economic development patterns among and between Latin American nations, and within single Latin American nations over time? And what, if any, reforms and initiatives have proven efficacious in boosting economic development and improving overall human well-being in one or more Latin American nations? Capstone Option: Students who opt to utilize this course for their one required capstone research paper will be co-advised and co-evaluated by experts associated with multiple international organizations that have been engaged in economic development initiatives in Latin America. Students who opt to write the capstone paper for this course may utilize materials for the purpose that are in English as well as in either Portuguese, or Spanish, or both. 1 Course Unit