CLASSES

Government 90km: Junior Seminar on Contemporary Africa

Explores the politics and economics of contemporary Africa.  Combines studies of specific countries with works on democracy, ethnicity, and political conflict.

Social Analysis 52 and Government 1100: Growth and Development in Historical Perspective

Underdeveloped societies are agrarian and rural; developed societies, industrial and urban. Economic growth and economic development would appear therefore to imply a great transition. How does this transformation take place? What are the processes that lead rural and agricultural societies to become industrial and urban? What economic forces underlie this transformation? And what are the political processes by which agrarian elites become marginalized and the peasantry driven from off the land?
 This course looks at the economics and politics of the great transformation. It examines the process historically, looking at the economic and political origins of the modern industrial states. And it does so in comparative perspective, comparing the process in the capitalist and socialist economies and in various regions of the developing world.

.
Government 1197:  Political and Economic Development in Africa, co-taught with James Robinson

Teaches the basic social science literature on Africa’s development.  Particular emphasis on political economy.

Government 2114: The Political Economy of Development

Students will attend lectures of Social Analysis 52 and then meet as a separate seminar. The readings and discussion will focus on the political economy of agriculture and industrialization; of ethnicity and political conflict; and of state formation and political collapse.

Government 2162 (formerly Government 2062): Perspectives on Political Economy
with Kenneth A. Shepsle

A microperspective on various topics in political economy, including the emergence and development of institutions, property rights, agency relationships, the effects of time on politics, and the role of politicians (“putting the politicians back in”), political demography and the law.

Government 2272:  The Politics and Economics of Africa, co-taught with James Robinson and Nahomi Ichino

Examines social science research on the politics and political economy of Africa.

Government 2782:  State Failure, Civil War and Conflict

Covers recent work on state failure, civil war and terrorism.  It includes recent work on ethnicity and ethnic conflict as well.  Most papers utilize formal theory or econometric methods.  Grades will be based on the presentation and discussion of the papers in class and on a research paper.

Government 3007: Research Workshop in Political Economy

Intended for graduate students in the third year and above, this course welcomes scholarship of all types and on all aspects of political economy. Intended to provide a venue in which to develop and to debate work in progress.