Global Economic and Human
Development
Revised: 26 February 2008
Kenneth A. Reinert
Phone: 703-993-8212
Email: kreinert@gmu.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays 4:00-5:00 PM or by
appointment
Office: "Old" Arlington Building, Room 262
Course Description
This course is an interdisciplinary
introduction
to the field of development economics.
As such, it
will address the eighty percent of the world's
population that resides in a set of
countries collectively
known as "developing." The course will introduce
the student to
alternative concepts and theories of
economic development. It will also introduce
the student
to analytical frameworks for assessing a
number of important issues that arise in the
development process.
The course will begin with a critical
examination
of alternative answers to the question: What
is development? We will then explore the
importance
of the colonial legacies of developing
countries in contributing to the
phenomenon of path
dependence.
Next, we will explore a
number of theories of
economic development. Finally, we will examine
a number of areas of
important policy interest for developing
countries: population;
health;
education;
industrialization; and agricultural and rural
development.
Required Text
Szirmai, A.(2005) The Dynamics
of Socio-Economic Development, Cambridge
University Press 2005. See: Dynamics of Development.
Recommended
Texts (on reserve)
Reinert, K.A.(2005) Windows
on
the World Economy: An Introduction to
International Economics, South-Western
Thomson.
Weil, D.N. (2005) Economic Growth, Pearson.
Course Requirements and Grading
Midterm exam- 30
percent
Final exam- 30 percent
Briefing paper- 25 percent
Class participation- 15 percent
Course Outline and Readings
Week 1 (24 January): Introduction to the Course
Mass, P., "Emroz Khan Is Having a Bad Day."
Goldin and Reinert,
Chapter 2, "Globalization and Poverty." Available
through
World Bank e-library in
library databases and on electronic reserve.
Week 2 (31 January): Concepts of and
Trends
in Development
Szirmai, Chapter 1, "Developing Countries and the
Concept of Development."
Streeten,
P. (1994), "Human Development: Means and Ends," American Economic
Review, 84:2, 1994, 232-237.
Available via e-journals.
Recommended:
Reinert, K.A.,
"Developoment
Concepts," Chapter 19 of Windows on the World
Economy. On
electronic reserve.
Ph.D. Students:
Adelman, I. (2001)
"Fallacies in
Development Theory and Their Implications for Policy," in
G.M. Meier and J.E. Stiglitz (eds.), Frontiers of Development Economics,
Oxford
University Press, 103-134.
Alkire, S. (2002)
"Dimensions of
Human Development," World Development, 30:2,
181-205.
Sen, A. (1989) “Development
as Capability Expansion,” Journal of Development
Planning, 19, 41-58.
Week 3 (7 Febrary): History and Colonial Legacies
Szirmai, Chapter 2, "Development of the International Economic Order: 1450-2000."
North, D.C. (1994)
"Economic
Performance
through Time," American Economic
Review, 84:3. Available
via e-journals.
Recommended:
Blackburn, R. (1997) The Making of New World Slavery,
Verso.
Hochschild, A. (1998) King Leopold's Ghost, Houghton Mifflin.
Milton, G. (1999) Nathaniel's Nutmeg, Penguin.
Viorst, M. (2007) Storm from the East,
Modern
Library.
Ph.D. Students:
Solow, B.L. (1987)
"Capitalism
and Slavery in the Exceedingly Long Run," Journal
of Interdisciplinary History, 17:4, 711-737.
North, D.C. (1990) Institutions,
Institutional Change and Economic Performance,
Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge.
Week 4 (14 February): Classical Theories of Economic Development
Szirmai, Chapter 3, "Growth and Stagnation: Theories and Experiences."
Recommended:
Malthus' Essay on the Principle of Population
Ph.D. Students:
Maddison, A. (1991)
"Interpreting
Capitalist Development," Chapter 1 of Dynamic
Forces in Capitalist Development, Oxford
University
Press, 5-29.
Week 5 (21 February): Neoclassical Theory of Development: Growth Models
Szirmai, Chapter 3, "Growth and Stagnation: Theories and Experiences."
Reinert, K.A., "Growth,
Trade,
and Development," Chapter 20 of Windows on the
World Economy. On electronic reserve.
Recommended:
Rodrik, D. (2003)
"Introduction," Chapter 1 of In
Search of Prosperity, Princeton
University Press, 1-19. On electronic reserve.
Easterly, W. (2001) "Solow's Surprise: Investment Is
Not the Key to Growth,"
Chapter e of The
Elusive Quest for Growth, MIT Press, 47-69.
Ph.D. Students:
Pio, A. (1994) “New
Growth
Theory and Old Development Problems,” Development
Policy Review, 12:3, 277-300.
Levin, A. and L. Raut
(1997) “Complementarities between Exports and Human Capital in
Economic Growth:
Evidence from
Semi-industrialized Countries,” Economic Development
and Cultural Change,
46:1,
155-174.
Week 6 (28 February): Technology and Development
Szirmai, Chapter 4, "Technology and Development."Week 7 (6 March): Midterm Examination, Briefing Paper Topic Descriptions Due
Week 8 (27 March): Population and
Development
Szirmai, A.,
"Population
and
Development," Chapter 5.
Ph.D. Students:
Sen, A., (1996) "Fertility
and
Coercion," University of Chicago Law
Review, 63:3,
1035-1061.
Dasgupta, P. (1994) "The
Population
Problem: Theory and Evidence," Journal of
Economic Literature, 33:4, 1879-1902.
Week 9 (3 April): Health and Development
Szirmai, A., "Health,
Health Care and Development,"
Chapter 6.
Osmani, S.
and
A. Sen (2003) "The Hidden Penalties of Gender Inequality:
Fetal Origins of Ill-Health," Economics and Human Biology, 1:1,
105-121.
Available
via e-journals.
Recommended:
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Ph.D. Students:
Kassouf, A.L. and B.
Senauer
(1996) “Direct and Indirect Effects of Parental Education
on Malnutrition among
Children
in Brazil: A Full Income Approach,” Economic
Development and Cultural
Change, 44:4,
817-838.
Strauss, J. and D. Thomas
(1998)
"Health, Nutrition, and Economic Development,"
Journal of Economic Literature,
36:2, 1998,
766-817.
Week 10 (10 April): Education and Development
Szirmai, A., "Education and
Development," Chapter 7.
Psacharopoulos, G. (2006) "The Value of Investment in
Education: Theory,
Evidence, and Policy," Journal of Education Finance, 32:2,
113-136. Available via
e-journals.
Recommended:
Mortenson, G. and D.O.
Relin (2006) Three Cups of Tea,
Viking.
Ph.D. Students:
Psacharopoulos, G. (1994)
"Returns
ot Investment in Education: A Global Update,"
World Development,
22:9, 1325-1343.
Schultz, T.P. (2002) "Why
Governments
Should Invest More to Educate Girls,"
World Development, 30:2,
2002, 207-225.
Glewwe, P. (2002) "Schools
and
Skills
in Developing Countries: Education Policies
and Socioeconomic Outcomes,"
Journal of
Economic
Literature, 40:2, 2002,
436-482.
Week 11 (17 April): Agriculture and Rural Development
Szirmai, Chapter 8, "Economic Development, Structural
Transformation and Primary
Exports."
Szirmai, Chapter 10,
"Agricultural Development and Rural Development."
Pomfret, R. (2000)
"Agrarian Reform in Uzbekistan: Why Has the Chinese Model Has
Failed to Deliver?" Economic Development and Cultural Change,
48:2, 269-284.
Available
via e-journals.
Ph.D. Students:
Lewis, A., "Economic
Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour," Manchester
School of Economic
and Social Studies,
22, 1954, 139-191.
Reinert, K.A. (1998) “Rural
Nonfarm
Development: A Trade-Theoretic View,” Journal
of International
Trade and
Economic Development, 7:4, 425-437.
Martin, W. and D. Mitra
(2001)
"Productivity
Growth and Convergence in Agriculture
versus Manufacturing,"
Economic
Development and Cultural Change, 49:2, 403-422.
Ruttan, V.W. (2002) "Productivity Growth in World
Agriculture: Sources and Constraints,"
Journal of Economic Perspectives, 16:4, 2002,
161-184.
Week 12 Industrialization (24 April):
Szirmai, Chapter 9, "Industrial Development."
Athukorala, P. and S.
Rajapatirana (2000) "Liberalization and Industrial Transformation:
Lessons from the Sri Lankan Experience," Economic Development and Cultural
Change, 48:3, 543-572. Available via e-journals.
Ph.D.
Students
Bruton, H.
(1998) "A Reconsideration of Import Substitution," Journal of Economic
Literature, 36:2, 903-936.
Rodrik, D.
(1995) "Getting Interventions Right: How South Korea and Taiwan Grew
Rich," Economic
Policy, 20, 53-97.
Week 13 (1
May): Foreign Aid
Szirmai, Chapter 14, "Foreign Aid and Development."
Radelet, S., M. Clemens and
R. Bhavnani (2005) "Aid and Growth," Finance
and
Development, 43:3, 16-20. Available online.
Recommended:
Goldin, I. and K.A.
Reinert, "Foreign Aid," Chapter 5 of Globalization
for Development.
Available through
World Bank e-library in
library databases.
Easterly, W. (2001) "Aid
for Investment," Chapter 2 of The
Elusive Quest for Growth,
MIT Press, 25-44.
Ph.D. Students
Alesina, A. and D. Dollar
(2000) "Who Give Foreign Aid to Whom and Why?" Journal
of Economic Growth, 5:1, 33-63.
Week 14 (8
May): Final Exam, Briefing
Papers
Due
Briefing Paper
One requirement of
this
course is for you to write a briefing paper on a development
topic of your
choice.
The paper is
to be no longer than 15 double-spaced typed pages
(25 pages for Ph.D.
students. It is to be
written in non-technical language suitable for
a policy-maker. A paragraph
describing you paper
topic is due on 6 March. The paper
itself is due on 8 May.
The paper
must be
submitted by email in electronic format for
plagiarism assessment
(see below).
SPP Policy on Plagiarism
The profession of
scholarship
and the intellectual life of a university as well as the field
of public policy
inquiry
depend
fundamentally
on a foundation of trust. Thus any act of
plagiarism strikes at
the heart of the meaning
of the university and the purpose of the
School of Public Policy.
It constitutes a serious breach
of professional ethics and it
is unacceptable.
Plagiarism is the use of
another’s
words or ideas presented as one’s own. It includes,
among other things,
the use of
specific
words, ideas, or frameworks that are the product
of another’s work.
Honesty and thoroughness
in citing sources is essential to
professional accountability and personal
responsibility.
Appropriate citation is
necessary so that arguments, evidence, and
claims can be critically examined.
Plagiarism is wrong because
of the injustice it does to the person whose ideas are stolen.
But
it is also wrong because it
constitutes
lying to one’s professional colleagues. From a
prudential perspective,
it is
shortsighted
and self-defeating, and it can ruin a professional
career.
The faculty of the School
of
Public Policy takes plagiarism seriously and has adopted a
zero tolerance
policy. Any
plagiarized assignment will receive an automatic grade of
“F.”
This may lead to failure for
the course, resulting in dismissal from the University.
This
dismissal will be noted on the student’s
transcript. For foreign students who are on a
university-sponsored visa (eg. F-1, J-1 or J-2),
dismissal
also results in the revocation
of their visa.
To help enforce the SPP
policy
on plagiarism, all written work submitted in partial fulfillment
of course or degree
requirements
must be available in electronic form so that it can be
compared with
electronic databases,as
well as submitted to commercial services to which the
School subscribes.
Faculty may at
any time submit student’s work without prior permission
from the student.
Individual
instructors
may require that written work be submitted in
electronic as well as printed
form. The SPP
policy on plagiarism is supplementary to the
George Mason University Honor
Code. It is not intended to replace it or substitute for it.
Websites
The World
Bank
Group
United Nations
Development Program
OXFAM
Population Action
International
World Health
Organization
United Nations
Development Programme
Global Development
Network
UNIFEM
United Nations
Industrial Development Organization
Useful Journals
Development in Practice
(Fenwick)
Development Policy Review
(Arlington)
Economic Development and
Cultural Change (Fenwick)
Journal of Developing Areas
(Fenwick)
World Development (Fenwick)