DV590      Half Unit
Economic Development Policy I

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Availability

Requisites

Additional requisites:

DV494 or an equivalent background in the econometrics of quantitative causal inference.

This course explores the foundations of applied macroeconomic policy analysis with applications to the theory and empirics of long-run growth in developing countries. Throughout the course, lectures provide analytical but non-technical overviews of broad themes in long-run growth and development policy, including growth theory, institutions and history, economic geography, globalization, inequality, balance of payments and financial crises, debt, and international aid. There is a strong emphasis on how the body of knowledge has evolved over time via the synthesis of theoretical advances and rigorous empirical testing.

The seminars give students an opportunity to repeatedly practice and improve their analytical skills by working through methodologically-focussed problem sets based on top academic journal articles addressing issues from the lectures on macroeconomic development.

15 hours of seminars and 20 hours of lectures in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

This course is delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars in the MT.

Students will be expected to produce 1 piece of coursework in the WT.

A plan for the research paper (1500-2000 words) on which the student will receive feedback and topic approval

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 Mastering ‘Metrics:the Path from Cause to Effect, by Angrist & Pischke, Princeton University Press (2014); and The Quest for Growth by W. Easterly, MIT Press (2001)

Essay (100%, 5000 words)