Classes

Underdeveloped societies are agrarian and rural; developed societies, industrial and urban. Economic growth and economic development would appear therefore to imply a great transition. How does this transformation take place? What are the processes that lead rural and...

One of the salient economic and political facts about the modern world is the dire poverty of Sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this course is to investigate the reasons for this and pose the question: Why is Africa poor?

Explores the politics and economics of contemporary Africa. Combines studies of specific countries with works on democracy, ethnicity, and political conflict.

Students will attend lectures of Social Analysis 52 and then meet as a separate seminar. The readings and discussion will focus on the political economy of agriculture and industrialization; of ethnicity and political conflict; and of state formation and political collapse.

A microperspective on various topics in political economy, including the emergence and development of institutions, property rights, agency relationships, the effects of time on politics, and the role of politicians ("putting the politicians back in"), political demography...

Examines social science research on the politics and political economy of Africa.

Covers recent work on state failure, civil war and terrorism. It included recent work on ethnicity and ethnic conflict as well. Most papers utilize formal theory or econometric methods. Grades will be based on the presentation and discussion of the papers in class and on a...

Intended for graduate students in the third year and above, this course welcomes scholarship of all types and on all aspects of political economy. Intended to provide a venue in which to develop and to debate work in progress.