This course provides students with a broad understanding of the theories of economic development and growth, as well as the policies related to these theories. The course focuses on debates around development models, historical processes, and the policies through which those models have shaped different types of societies over time, as well as the roles of various public and private actors. It presents the main conceptual debates, highlighting the interaction between ideas and their implementation in political and economic processes. The main goal is to provide students with the knowledge and tools to analyze economic development processes within the broader context of social transformations.
In terms of key learning outcomes, students will be able to:
(i) understand cause-effect relationships and develop ideas from qualitative and quantitative elements (analytical principle);
(ii) base their ideas and conclusions on facts and the relationships between them (analytical principle);
(iii) integrate elements from various topics and fields into their analysis of reality (systemic principle); and
(iv) adopt different perspectives to analyze reality (systemic principle).
Regarding the specific content of the course, the student will:
(i) understand and differentiate the concepts of economic growth, development, and well-being;
(ii) relate historical and theoretical perspectives on economic growth and development to the policies of different countries and historical periods;
(iii) analyze the various factors that influence economic growth;
(iv) understand the influence of politics on economic growth and development promotion; and
(v) present their personal analysis in classroom debates and written assignments.
? Historical evolution: economic growth and development
? Orthodox approach and alternative perspectives
? Development economics
? Institutions, economic policies, and other factors of growth and development
? Case studies
The methodology is structured through the following strategies:
(i) Lectures: theoretical content presented by the professor through in-person classes and materials on the online platform.
(ii) Text and document analysis: personal reading of core materials. Individual preparation and group discussion in class sessions.
(iii) Oral presentations: student-led presentations and expositions.
(iv) Written assignments: preparation of written commentaries and analyses of various texts submitted by students.
Students are allowed up to four unexcused absences: as long as this limit is not exceeded, they may obtain up to 100% of the grade for this section, keeping in mind that the final mark will also depend on other factors such as the quality of participation, attitude in class, etc.
With a fifth unexcused absence, the maximum grade in this section will be 5 out of 10.
From the sixth unexcused absence onward, the student will receive 0 out of 10 for this section and, as a result, the maximum final grade for the course will be 8.5 out of 10.
Failure and recovery of attendance and participation:
If the student fails the attendance and participation section in the ordinary exam period, they must complete a compensatory activity during the extraordinary exam period in order to pass this part. This activity, which must be explained to students at the beginning of the course, should involve a workload equivalent to in-class participation, so as to continue encouraging attendance during the ordinary period.
Attendance: 15%
Exercices: 25%
Exams: 30%
Written work: 20%
Oral defense: 10%
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Bustelo, P (1999) Teorías contemporáneas del desarrollo económico. Madrid: Editorial Síntesis
Galor, O. (2022). El viaje de la humanidad. Planeta Publishing.
Giménez Esteban, G (2017) Introducción al crecimiento económico y desarrollo. Madrid: Ediciones Pirámide.
Rodrik, D (2011) Una economía, muchas recetas: la globalización, las instituciones y el crecimiento económico. México: Fondo de Cultura Económica.
Sen, A (1999) Development as freedom. Nueva York: Oxford University Press.
Pikkety, T (2021) Una breve historia de la igualdad. Ed. Deusto
Chang, H.-J. (2012). 23 Things They Don?t Tell You About Capitalism. London: Penguin Books Ltd.
Easterly, W. (2001) en busca del crecimiento: Andanzas y tribulaciones de los economistas del desarrollo. Barcelona: Antoni Bosch Editor.
Judt, T. (2012). Algo va mal. Madrid: Taurus.
Latouche, S. (2008). La Apuesta por el decrecimiento: ¿cómo salir del imaginario dominante? Madrid: Icaria Editorial.
Masood, E. (2016) The great invention: The story of GDP and the making and unmaking of the modern world. Nueva York: Pegasus Books.
Mahoney, J. (2001). The Legacies of Liberalism: Path Dependence and Political Regimes in Central America. Johns Hopkins University Press
Mazzucato, M. (2013). The entrepreneurial state: Debunking public vs. private sector myths. London: Anthem Press.
Moore, M. (2007). How does taxation affect the quality of governance? Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.
Piketty, T. (2014). El capital en el siglo XXI. México: Fondo de cultura económica.
Pilling, D (2019). El delirio del crecimiento. Barcelona: Taurus
Przeworski, A., Alvarez, M. E., Antonio, C. J., & Limongi, F. (2000). Democracy and development: political Institutions and well-being in the world, 1950-1990. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Rodrik, D. (2016). Las leyes de la economía. Aciertos y errores de una ciencia en entredicho. Barcelona: Deusto.
Spence, M (2012) La convergencia inevitable: el futuro del crecimiento económico en un mundo a varias velocidades. Madrid: Taurus.
Weil, D. (2012) Economic growth, 3º ed. New York: Routledge.