Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session

Course Description

Syllabus (PDF)

Examines role of European states in postwar period of rapid economic growth and current crisis. Includes analysis of different state traditions ("etatist," liberal, authoritarian); government's role in decline of some economies and rise of others; why and where Keynesianism, indicative planning, and state enterprises were introduced; alternative conceptions of contemporary economic problems (new international division of labor? too few producers? oil shock?); and of policies to deal with them (industrial policy? monetarism? protectionism?).

Requirements

Students must do all the reading before attending the class. The course focuses on reading and discussion. The assignments are either

  1. two short papers (12-15 pages each), or
  2. a major research paper.

Grading

Grading is based mainly on the essays, with some consideration of class participation.