GV916-7-SP-CO:
Political Economy of Development
2023/24
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Postgraduate: Level 7
ReassessmentOnly
Monday 15 January 2024
Friday 22 March 2024
15
16 August 2022
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
GV900 or GV903
(none)
(none)
This module provides an introduction to contemporary research on the political economy of development.
We will study how politics and political institutions enable and constrain policy choices and implementation. Much of the best modern work combines theory and empirical work with a specific focus on identification and issues of causal inference.
This micro-level literature will be a particular focus of this class. The readings from this class are drawn from the modern political economy literature, a cross-disciplinary endeavour at the intersection of political science, economics, and others. Therefore, relevant papers from all of these fields are on this syllabus.
The aims of the module are to:
1. To provide students with an overview of trends both, in development policy practices and the academic study of study of development.
2. Familiarize students with political economy theories of development, focusing on varieties of actors and macro, regional, local, and individual levels of analysis.
3. Introduce research design and empirical methods that allow for the rigorous study of hypothesized relationships and causal mechanisms.
4. Application of analytic theoretical and empirical tools to critical cases and in the formulation of development policies.
By following this module, students will gain the following skills:
1. An ability to explore complex development problems and analyze their main characteristics, determinants, and consequences
2. Knowledge of current policy debates in development policy, and the ability select and read appropriate materials that contain pertinent information and data.
3. Synthesize the obtained information to use it for relevant purposes (e.g., essays, presentations, discussions, etc.).
4. Organize information clearly and coherently.
5. Explore complex security-relevant problems and analyze their main characteristics, determinants, and consequence.
6. Identify and articulate empirical strategies appropriate for the testing of a wide range of theories.
Syllabus
Week 16 I Economic Growth – Puzzles and Theory: Growth theory
Week 17 I Economic Growth – Puzzles and Theory: Institutions
Week 18 I Economic Growth – Puzzles and Theory: Historic legacies
Week 19 II Policy approaches: Foreign aid, macro
Week 20 II Policy approaches: Foreign aid, micro
Week 21 II Policy approaches: Credit markets and micro finance
Week 22 II Policy approaches: Education
Week 23 III Politics and development: Ethnic divisions
Week 24 III Politics and development: Corruption and redistribution
Week 25 III Politics and development: Civil war and development
This module will be taught in a weekly 2-hour seminar.
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Robert E. Lucas, Jr. (1990) ‘Why Doesn’t Capital Flow from Rich to Poor Countries?’,
Why Doesn’t Capital Flow from Rich to Poor Countries?, 80(2), pp. 92–96. Available at:
https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=9709182707&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295.
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Lant Pritchett (1997) ‘Divergence, Big Time’,
Divergence, Big Time, 11(3), pp. 3–17. Available at:
https://www-aeaweb-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.11.3.3.
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De Vries, G., Timmer, M. and de Vries, K. (2015) ‘Structural Transformation in Africa: Static Gains, Dynamic Losses’,
The Journal of Development Studies, 51(6), pp. 674–688. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2014.997222.
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Acemoglu, D., Johnson, S. and Robinson, J.A. (2005) ‘Institutions as a Fundamental Cause of Long-Run Growth’, in
Handbook of Economic Growth. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 385–472. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=166815&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_385.
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Michalopoulos, SteliosPapaioannou, Elias (2013) ‘National Institutions and Subnational Development in Africa.’ Available at:
https://www-nber-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/system/files/working_papers/w18275/w18275.pdf.
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Firmin-Sellers, K. (2000) ‘Institutions, Context, and Outcomes: Explaining French and British Rule in West Africa’,
Comparative Politics, 32(3). Available at:
https://doi.org/10.2307/422366.
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Clemens, M.A.
et al. (2012) ‘Counting Chickens when they Hatch: Timing and the Effects of Aid on Growth’,
The Economic Journal, 122(561), pp. 590–617. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2011.02482.x.
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De Mesquita, B.B. and Smith, A. (2009) ‘A Political Economy of Aid’,
International Organization, 63(2), pp. 309–340. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818309090109.
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Simone Dietrich (2016) ‘Donor Political Economies and the Pursuit of Aid Effectiveness’,
Donor Political Economies and the Pursuit of Aid Effectiveness, 70(1), pp. 65–102. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/24758286?sid=primo.
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Deaton, A. (2010) ‘Instruments, Randomization, and Learning about Development’,
Journal of Economic Literature, 48(2), pp. 424–455. Available at:
https://pubs-aeaweb-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/jel.48.2.424.
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Honig, Dan (2019) ‘When Reporting Undermines Performance: The Costs of Politically Constrained Organizational Autonomy in Foreign Aid Implementation’,
International Organization, 73(1), pp. 171–201. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/26569513?sid=primo.
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Banerjee, A.V. and Duflo, E. (2011b) ‘Chapters 1 & 2’, in
Poor economics: a radical rethinking of the way to fight global poverty. New York: PublicAffairs. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570586.
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Bird, JuliaLebrand, MathildeVenables, Anthony J. (2020) ‘The Belt and Road Initiative: Reshaping economic geography in Central Asia?’,
Journal of Development Economics, 144. Available at:
https://www-sciencedirect-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S030438782030016X.
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Mawdsley, E. (2019) ‘South–South Cooperation 3.0? Managing the consequences of success in the decade ahead’,
Oxford Development Studies, 47(3), pp. 259–274. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2019.1585792.
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Amanor, Kojo S.Chichava, Sérgio (2016) ‘South–South Cooperation, Agribusiness, and African Agricultural Development: Brazil and China in Ghana and Mozambique.’ Available at:
https://ecdpm.org/work/emerging-economies-and-africa-volume-3-issue-4-april-2014/south-south-cooperation-in-african-agriculture-china-brazil-and-international-agribusiness.
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Fouillet, C.
et al. (2013) ‘Microfinance Studies: Introduction and Overview’,
Oxford Development Studies, 41(sup1), pp. S1–S16. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2013.790360.
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Abhijit Banerjee (2015) ‘The Miracle of Microfinance? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation’, 7(1), pp. 22–53. Available at:
https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/app.20130533.
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‘Do Traditional Institutions Constrain Female Entrepreneurship? A Field Expe...’ (2010)
American Economic Review [Preprint]. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=50844360&site=eds-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295.
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Gul, Ferdinand A.Podder, JyotirmoyShahriar, Abu Zafar M. (no date) ‘Performance of Microfinance Institutions: Does Government Ideology Matter?’,
World Development, 100, pp. 1–15. Available at:
https://www-sciencedirect-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S0305750X16302017.
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Edward Miguel (no date) ‘Tribe or Nation? Nation Building and Public Goods in Kenya versus Tanzania Abstract’,
World Politics [Preprint]. Available at:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/25054263?refreqid=excelsior%3A64be1d059e54c6ec685653f81b22e45d&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents.
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TAJIMA, Y., SAMPHANTHARAK, K. and OSTWALD, K. (2018) ‘Ethnic Segregation and Public Goods: Evidence from Indonesia’,
American Political Science Review, 112(3), pp. 637–653. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055418000138.
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Aidt, T.S. (2009) ‘Corruption, institutions, and economic development’,
Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 25(2), pp. 271–291. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grp012.
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Rothstein, B. (2015) ‘The Chinese Paradox of High Growth and Low Quality of Government: The Cadre Organization Meets Max Weber’,
Governance, 28(4), pp. 533–548. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12128.
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Persson, A., Rothstein, B. and Teorell, J. (2013) ‘Why Anticorruption Reforms Fail-Systemic Corruption as a Collective Action Problem’,
Governance, 26(3), pp. 449–471. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0491.2012.01604.x.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Essay |
|
40% |
| Coursework |
Response paper 1 |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Response paper 2 |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Presentation |
|
20% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Martin Steinwand, email: martin.steinwand@essex.ac.uk.
Martin Steinwand
Module Supervisor: Martin Steinwand, martin.steinwand@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
Yes
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
Government
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