DEV-130: Why Are So Many Countries Poor, Volatile, and Unequal?

This course explores the causes and consequences of three salient and interrelated characteristics of developing countries, namely poverty, volatility, and inequality, and it links them to current themes in development policy. The course will characterize the relationships between these three problems and a varied class of proximate and deeper determinants of economic development, including national saving, human capital accumulation, international trade, technology diffusion, demography, geography, economic complexity, and macroeconomic, structural, contractual, and political institutions. The emphasis throughout will be on informing the discussion on development policy. Prerequisites: There are no formal prerequisites but familiarity with economics and elementary statistics is strongly recommended. Students lacking this background may find the material challenging. This course meets the requirement for an introductory course to the PED area of concentration.

Please note, DEV-130 is not open to MPA/ID students unless by permission of the instructor.