The Politics of Economic Development

Other Courses to Consider

These courses might also be of interest.

• 
  Correlation or Causation? Applied Causal Reasoning in Economics

  Every day we are surrounded by claims about what causes what: from “minimum wages raise unemployment levels” to “new supplement in the market improves focus and grades.” But how do we know which of these claims are true? In a world with abundance of data, the challenge is not finding information, but correctly assessing patterns from the real world.

  This course gives you the tools to do exactly that. You will learn how economists separate coincidence from real cause-and-effect using modern techniques that power today’s most influential research in the field.

  Throughout the program, you will explore real-world questions, work hands-on with data, and practice methods used to evaluate everything from education policies to health interventions. The course builds toward a collaborative class paper, where you will investigate a causal question and present your findings.

  By the end of this course, you will have the foundational skills beyond only understanding the difference between correlation and causation - you will know how to test it yourself. These skills will stay with you well beyond the classroom, helping you make sense of the news, analyze studies you encounter online, and succeed in future college-level coursework.

  Residential
• 
  Fundamentals of Psychology: Theory & Research

  This course introduces basic concepts and research in the study of human behavior. A breadth of topics will be included such as: sensation and perception, emotions, memory, development, and psychological disorders.

  Lectures, readings (both textbook and academic journal articles), discussions, and field trips will give you an overview of the scientific study of psychology across areas of inquiry. Several topics throughout the course will also include hands-on psychological research lab demonstrations.

  For the final project in the course, students, working in small groups, will develop and execute their own experimental research projects.

  Residential
• 
  The Global Political Economy: Power and Inequality (in-person)

  Since the 1970s, economic inequality has been steadily rising. Today, the world’s richest 1% own 44% of the world’s total stock of wealth. The problem is especially acute in the United States, where three individuals alone own more wealth than the bottom half of the country combined.

  This course argues that far from being natural or inevitable, inequality is created when, through violence or the operation of institutions that reflect the interests of powerful actors, it becomes difficult for ordinary people to provide for themselves. We will draw on the work of political economists, historians, journalists, and activists to examine the world-historic causes of socio-economic inequality (such as the roles played by capitalism, colonialism, and chattel slavery), how inequality intersects with identity markers like gender and ethnicity, and the ways in which the climate crisis is pushing the haves and have-nots even further apart.

  In closing, we will consider how reorienting our economies for “use” as opposed to “profit” may help to reverse this tendency.

  Residential