Dr D Weinhold, CON. H710 and Dr S Sequeira, CON. H709.

This course is for students taking MSc Development Studies; MSc Development Management; MSc Anthropology and Development; MSc Environment and Development; MSc Political Science and Political Economy; MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies; MSc Environmental Economics and Climate Change; MPA International Development; MSc Political Economy of Late Development or from other departments who have had undergraduate second level courses in intermediate macro and microeconomics to a level assessed as adequate by the Teachers responsible. Other suitably qualified and interested graduate students may take this course as permitted by the regulations for their degrees and with the permission of the teachers responsible. The instructors reserve the right to limit enrolment in this course. At the instructors' discretion, enrolment may be denied to any student on the basis of a pre-quiz administered in the first lecture.

This course focuses on analytically and empirically rigorous analyses of economic policies in developing countries. We review current theoretical debates and consider how the use of empirical evidence can help to inform our analyses. In particular, increasing data availability has meant that the effectiveness of development policies, in terms of improving welfare, reducing poverty and promoting growth, can now be analysed using a variety of quantitative techniques. By looking at how these approaches can be applied to a range of development issues, the course will provide an overview of new thinking on the design of public policy in developing countries. While a strong mathematical or statistical background is not necessary to follow the course, students will be expected to actively learn and engage with regression analysis and other econometric techniques. These skills are developed through the year with mandatory weekly problem sets and occasional in-class quizzes supplementing the lectures and readings.

The course consists of one lecture on the interpretation of empirical regression analysis and the role of quantitative methods in policy evaluation, approximately nine lectures focusing on policies related to macroeconomic issues, and about nine lectures on policies relating to microeconomic issues. Topics themselves may vary from year to year but in the past macroeconomic topics discussed have included determinants of growth; human capital accumulation; globalisation and the political economy of trade policy; structural adjustment; transition; economic geography of development; aid; debt relief; corruption; and environment and growth. Microeconomic topics have included health and education intra-household resource allocation; credit markets; social networks; and behavioural economics applied to the design of development policies. Seminars consist of student-led participatory in-depth analyses of best-practice quantitative empirical research papers which students assess and critique. Seminars will also include introductory sessions to quantitative analysis with statistical packages.

The course will be taught during Michaelmas Term and Lent Term and will consist of 20 two-hour lectures and 20 seminars/classes of one-and-a-half hours each. Please note, unlike many International Development elective courses, DV409 seminars will be taught in the first week.

The bulk of the course will be taught using journal articles. A reading list will be handed out by the lecturers at the beginning of their sessions. Useful reference texts include D Ray, Development Economics (1998) which will serve as the course text, W Easterly, The Quest for Growth; A Deaton, Analysis of Household Surveys: a Microeconomic Approach to Development Policy (1997); J Behrman & T N Srinivasan, Handbook of Development Economics (1995).

Students will be assessed both by continuing evaluation (30%) and by a three-hour written examination to be held in the Summer Term (70%).