Economics 471
Growth and Development
Fall 2010
Professor:
James Tybout
E-mail:
jtybout@psu.edu
Phone:
865-4259
Office:
517 Kern Building
Office hours: Tuesdays
4:00-5:00, Wednesdays 4:00-5:00, and by appointment
Teaching assistant: Wiroy Shin
E-mail: wus130@psu.edu
Office: 505 Kern Building
Office hours: 10:30-12:30 Wednesdays, and by appointment
This course introduces students to the distinctive characteristics and problems of less developed countries (LDCs). The prerequisites are either Econ 302, 304, 370 or 372. There will be two midterms, each counting for 25 percent of your grade, and a final exam counting for 30 percent of your grade. Problem sets and class participation will determine the remaining 20 percent of your grade. The midterms will be administered in class on Thursday, September 23, and Thursday, October 28. The final exam date has not been set yet.
Readings
There are two textbooks for this course:
Weil, David. 2009. Economic Growth, 2nd edition. Boston: Pearson/Addison-Wesley
Easterly, William. 2002. The Elusive Quest for Growth. Cambridge: MIT Press.
The first book provides much of the theoretical foundation for the course. The second book provides a non-technical (and somewhat controversial) perspective on growth and development. Copies of each will be placed on reserve at the library, should you not wish to buy them. Also, used copies are generally available through Amazon.com and other sources
Academic
Integrity
Guidelines for the Department of Economics, Penn
State University* The
ability of the University to achieve its purposes depends upon the quality and
integrity of the academic work that its faculty, staff and students perform.
Academic freedom can flourish only in a community of scholars which recognizes
that intellectual integrity, with its accompanying rights and responsibilities,
lies at the heart of its mission. Observing basic honesty in one's work, words,
ideas, and actions is a principle to which all members of the community are
required to subscribe.
All course work by students
is to be done on an individual basis unless an instructor clearly states that
an alternative is acceptable. Any reference materials used in the preparation
of any assignment must be explicitly cited. In an examination setting, unless
the instructor gives explicit prior instructions to the contrary, whether the
examination is in-class or take-home, violations of academic integrity shall
consist of any attempt to receive assistance from written or printed aids, or
from any person or papers or electronic devices, or of any attempt to give
assistance, whether the one so doing has completed his or her own work or not.
Other violations include, but are not limited to, any attempt to gain an unfair
advantage in regard to an examination, such as tampering with a graded exam or
claiming another's work to be one's own.
Violations shall also consist
of obtaining or attempting to obtain, previous to any examinations, copies of
the examination papers or the questions to appear thereon, or to obtain any
illegal knowledge of these questions.
Lying
to the instructor or purposely misleading any Penn State administrator shall
also constitute a violation of academic integrity.
In
cases of a violation of academic integrity it is the policy of the Department
of Economics to impose the most severe penalties that are consistent with
University guidelines.
*Part of the text in this section has been directly obtained
from sections of an earlier document concerning academic integrity
on Princeton University's website (particularly Rights, Rules,
Responsibilities, page 1 and pages 52-65). The most current
version of this document can be found here .
Valid
Excuses and Missed Evaluative Events
During the course many
possible situations may arise that would result in your inability to attend
class, attend exams, or perform at a minimally acceptable level during an
examination. Illness or injury, family emergencies, certain University-approved
curricular and extra-curricular activities, and religious holidays can be legitimate
reasons to miss class or to be excused from a scheduled examination.
In the case of your own
illness or injury, confirmation from a physician, physician's assistant, a
nurse-practitioner, or a nurse is required. Be advised that University Health
Services cannot provide such verification unless they have provided treatment
and the student authorizes release of information to the instructor. Further,
barring extraordinary circumstances, the confirmation must be available to the
instructor prior to the missed course event.
With regard to family
emergencies, you must provide verifiable documentation of the emergency. Given
the vast array of family emergencies the instructor will provide precise
guidance as to what constitutes adequate documentation. Unless the emergency is
critical you should notify the instructor in advance of your absence from the
scheduled course event. In cases of critical emergencies, you must notify the
instructor within one week of your absence.
For University-approved
curricular and extra-curricular activities, verifiable documentation is also
required. The student should obtain from the unit or department sponsoring the
activity a letter (or class absence form) indicating the anticipated
absence(s). The letter must be presented to the instructor at least one week
prior to the first absence.
In the case of religious
holidays, students should notify the instructor by the third week of the course
of any potential conflicts.
If a student misses a class during which an evaluative event (e.g., a quiz or an exam) takes place, and the student has a valid excuse, he or she will receive a course grade based on their remaining course work. If the student does not provide a valid excuse, he or she will receive a score of zero for the missed evaluative event.
Disabilities
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified people with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities and is committed to the policy that all people shall have equal access to programs, facilities, and admissions without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible.
Communicating concerns
Students with concerns about this course are encouraged to
communicate them promptly to the instructor. Those who feel uncomfortable doing
so should utilize the Department suggestion box located on the window sill in
608 Kern. Their concerns will be forwarded to the instructor anonymously.
Assignments
(Homework assignments and solutions
will be posted on ANGEL as the course progresses.)
Course Outline
1. Overview of the developing world