Checking date: 29/06/2021


Course: 2022/2023

The engines of growth: innovation, institutions and human capital
(13691)
Bachelor in Economics (2008 Study Plan) (Plan: 145 - Estudio: 202)


Coordinating teacher: NICOLINI ALESSI, ESTEBAN ALBERTO

Department assigned to the subject: Social Sciences Department

Type: Electives
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Objectives
Knowledge: - Introduction to concepts, models and theories which measure and explain the dynamic forces of economic growth. - Have proficiency in the most relevant works and know the circles in which these topics are discussed. - Understand the dynamics of business growth and its relationship with changes in markets, resources, technology and the institutional framework. - Apply comparative analysis which allows a better understanding of business today and being able to identifying similarities and differences in time and space Skills: - Develop capacities to look for, process, evalutate and transmit information in a clear form, both written and oral. - Elaborate a research project in an essay/report format - Acquire ability to raise questions related to firms and resolve them with economic theory and quantative methods. Attitudes: - An open attitude to different approached and dimensions of growth and their theoretical foundations. - A flexible attitude to constructive criticism with academic basis and the ability to accept criticism. - An open attitude to finding answers to today's business problems. - Promote curiosity and ability to tackle complex questions.
Skills and learning outcomes
Description of contents: programme
1. Formal contrasts of the endogenous growth theory 2. Education, social capital and economic growth 3. Technology, trade and economic growth 4. Growth and efficient institutional framework 5. Growth, distribution and democracy
Learning activities and methodology
This course is designed as an introduction to acedemic research. The skills and attitudes will be acquired by the students in - lectures - weekly essays using the recommended references related to the corresponding topic of the syllabus - group presentations made in class on specific topics of the syllabus - participartion in class debates organized in class seminars. The skills will be further developed individually between teaching staff and students in interviews to determine the topic of the final essay, supervision of the essay-report and a formal oral defense of the essay with the professor. The course has established the following schedule: Students will receive a reading list with basic and complementary readings for each topic. Students are required to had in weekly essays to evaluate their reading progress, the comprehension of the lectures attended, and how well they have understood the presentations and debates in class. The essays are to be handed in according to the time schedule established and handed out the first day of class. The six ECTS credits are broken down into two credits for the classes which are to be assisted, one credit for written essays handed in, two credits for the preparation and the oral defense of the final essay-report and one credit for the debates and group presentations made in class. The aim of the lecture given by the professor is to provide an introduction to each topic, which will summarize the most important concepts and ideas, and present the most important theories and models which are applied to the topic being treated. The theoretical problems presented by the professor, together with the obligatory readings and the individual work by each student using complementary material recommended and adquired in addition to this will be the basis for the debates to be held in class. The presentations given in class are designed to develop the abilities of synthesis and public speech, helping students to express themselves in a concise and clear manner. They are also conceived to promote their capacities to answer questions raised about the topic they have prepared. The in-depth comprehension of theory is reinforced by the readings, group work, class debates and their application in the final essays. The weekly essays will not be exhaustive summaries, more so outlines limited to two pages. They are focused on the main question under debate, and aimed at summarizing the main points and conclusions contained in the obligatory readings. The final essay should contribute information and new evidence to the debate and should not be limited to summarizing the existing literature. Essay which compare events of the past with the present will be encouraged. Examples: A fundamented criticism of an existing study, a contrast of an existing theory of model with new data, the analysis of an experiment.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination 0
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 100
Calendar of Continuous assessment
Basic Bibliography
  • Aghion, Philippe and Peter Howitt . The Economics of Growth. London: MIT Press. 2009
  • Aghion, Philippe and Stephen Durlauf (eds.). Handbook of Economic Growth. North Holland. 2005
  • Banerjee, A., R. Benabou, and D. Mookherjee (eds.). . Understanding Poverty. Oxford University Press. 2006
  • Goldin, Claudia and Larry Katz . The Race between Education and Technology. Belknap. 2008
  • Helpman, Elhanan (Ed.) . General Purpose Technologies and Economic Growth. MIT Press. 1998
  • Perkins, Dwight H., Steven Radelet and David L. Lindauer . Economics of Development. Norton. 2006
  • Ray, Debraj . Development Economics. Princeton University Press. 1998
  • Rodrik, Dani. In Search of Prosperity: Analytical Narratives on Economic Growth. Princeton University. 2003
  • Weil, David . Economic Growth. Pearson. 2005
Additional Bibliography
  • Banerjee, Abhijit and Ester Duflo . The Economic Lives of the Poor. Journal of Economic Perspectives 21 (1), 141-168. 2007
  • Basu, Kaushik . Globalization, poverty, and inequality: What is the relationship? What can be done?. World Development 34 (8), 1361-1373. 2006
  • Bluhm, R. and A. Szirmai . Institutions and long-run growth performance: An analytic literature review of the institutional determinants of economic growth. UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2012-033. 2012
  • Easterly, W. and R. Levine . The European Origins of Economic Development. NBER Working Paper #18162.. 2012
  • Easterly, William. Institutions, Top Down or Bottom Up?. American Economic Review 98 (2), 95-99.. 2008
  • Engerman, Stanley and Kenneth Sokoloff . Factor Endowments, Institutions and Differential Paths of Development Among New World Economies: A View from Economic Historians of the United States. NBER Working Paper # hp66. 1994
  • Forbes, Kristin . A Reassessment of the Relationship Between Inequality and Growth. American Economic Review 90 (4), 869-887. 2000
  • Glaeser, E. L., R. LaPorta, F. Lopez de Silanes, A. Shleifer. Do Institutions Cause Growth?. Journal of Economic Growth 9 (3), 271-303. 2004
  • Glewwe, Paul. Schooling and Skills in Developing Countries: Education Policies and Socioeconomic Outcomes. Journal of Economic Literature 40 (2), 436-482. 2002
  • Hall, Robert and Charles I. Jones . Why Do Some Countries Produce So Much More Output per Worker Than Others? . Quarterly Journal of Economics 114, 83-116. 1999
  • Hanushek, Eric and Ludger Woessmann . The Role of Cognitive Skills in Economic Development . Journal of Economic Literature 46 (3), 607-668. 2008
  • Hausmann, R., L. Pritchett and D. Rodrik . Growth Accelerations. NBER Working Papers 10566. 2004
  • Kierenkowski, R. and I. Koske . Less Income Inequality and More Growth ¿ Are They Compatible? Part 8. The Drivers of Labour Economic Inequality - A Literature Review. OECD Economics Department Working Papers No. 931. 2012
  • Mauro, P. . Corruption and Growth. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 110 (3), 681-712. 1995
  • Milanovic, Branko . A short history of global inequality: The past two centuries. Explorations in Economic History 48 (4), 494-506. 2011
  • Mukand, S. W. and D. Rodrik . In Search of the Holy Grail: Policy Convergence, Experimentation, and Economic Performance. American Economic Review, 95 (1), 374-383. 2005
  • Persson, Torsten and Guido Tabellini . Is Inequality Harmful for Growth?. American Economic Review 84 (3), 600-621. 1994
  • Pritchett, Lant . Does learning to add up add up? The returns to schooling in aggregate data. Handbook of the Economics of Education, Elsevier, (chapter 11), 635-695.. 2006
  • Psacharopoulos, George and Harrz Anthony Patrinos. Returns to Investment in Education: a further update. Education Economics, 12 (2), pp. 111-134.. 2004
  • Spolaore, E. and R. Wacziarg . How deep are the roots of economic development?. CEPR Working Paper # 8998.. 2012
  • Svensson, J. . Eight Questions about Corruption. Journal of Economic Perspectives 19(3), 19-42. 2005

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.