EH101     
The Internationalisation of Economic Growth, 1870 to the present day

This information is for the 2014/15 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Christopher Minns CMK.C320 and Prof Stephen Broadberry CMK.C420

Availability

This course is compulsory on the BSc in Economic History, BSc in Economic History with Economics, BSc in Economics and Economic History and BSc in Economics with Economic History. This course is available on the BA in History, BSc in Environment and Development, BSc in International Relations and BSc in International Relations and History. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

Course content

The course examines the inter-relationships between the development of the international economy and the growth of national economies since the late nineteenth century. The course is designed to introduce students not only to a wide variety of topics and issues, but also to the wide variety of approaches used by historians. The course includes analyses of the original leading nation, Britain, and its replacement, the United States, we well as the catch-up of areas such as continental Europe, and the failure to catch-up of earlier well-placed areas such as Latin America. The effects of major events - such as wars and debt crises - are investigated, and we also consider the implications of changing global economic institutions, such as the Gold Standard and IMF, as well as the effects of sometimes rapid changes in product and process technology.

Teaching

10 hours of lectures and 7 hours of classes in the MT. 10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the LT. 2 hours of lectures and 2 hours of classes in the ST.

Lectures: There is one lecture course (EH101) with 22 lectures in the MT, LT and ST. The lectures are given by Professor Broadberry and Dr Leunig. A lecture programme will be circulated at the first meeting. This course uses Moodle to provides a web based location for your core LSE course materials. Classes The lectures are accompanied by weekly classes (EH101.A). Classes are given by several different teachers. They do not necessarily deal with the same topics each week but they all cover the same ground.

Formative coursework

Students are expected to write four very short papers during the year and two longer essays.

Indicative reading

The following are particularly useful: A G Kenwood & A L Lougheed, The Growth of the International Economy, 1820-2000 (2000); J Foreman-Peck, A History of the World Economy; R Floud & P Johnson (Eds), The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Britain, Vol 2 & Vol 3 (2004); T Kemp, The Climax of Capitalism. The US Economy in the 20th Century; P Johnson (Ed), Twentieth-Century Britain: Economic, Social and Cultural Change (1994); E Jones, L Frost & C White, Coming Full Circle. An Economic History of the Pacific Rim (1993); C H Feinstein, P Temin & G Toniolo, The European Economy between the Wars (1997); M S Schulze (Ed), Western Europe, Economic & Social Change; B Eichengreen, Globalizing Capital. A History of the International Monetary System; M S Blackford, The Rise of Modern Business in the USA, Britain and Japan; William Easterly, The Elusive Quest for Growth (2002). (A fuller reading list and class topics will be given out at the first meeting.)

Assessment

Exam (100%, duration: 3 hours) in the main exam period.

Teachers' comment

Survey questions on feedback to students may be non-informative because assessed work comes later in the term than the survey.

Key facts

Department: Economic History

Total students 2013/14: 187

Average class size 2013/14: 15

Capped 2013/14: No

Lecture capture used 2013/14: Yes (MT & LT)

Value: One Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

PDAM skills

  • Self-management
  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Application of information skills
  • Communication
  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Specialist skills

Course survey results

(2011/12 - 2013/14 combined)

1 = "best" score, 5 = "worst" score

The scores below are average responses.

Response rate: 79.6%

Question

Average
response

Reading list (Q2.1)

2

Materials (Q2.3)

1.8

Course satisfied (Q2.4)

1.8

Lectures (Q2.5)

1.9

Integration (Q2.6)

2.1

Contact (Q2.7)

2.2

Feedback (Q2.8)

2.2

Recommend (Q2.9)

Yes

74.9%

Maybe

22.5%

No

2.6%