Development policies
A.A. 2024/2025
Obiettivi formativi
The objectives of this course consist in enhancing students' ability to: understand and interpret the process of economic development and underdevelopment; consolidate their understanding of those elements of basic economic theory as applied to the problems of development; identify the key determinants of economic growth and development, with an emphasis on the distinction between proximate and deeper causes; and analyze how development policies can foster the long-term growth performance and the development path of a country, focusing on contemporary debates and challenges at stake.
Risultati apprendimento attesi
The course is intended to lead the student to:
- (judgment) develop an analytical method of thought in order to critically assess contemporary process of economic development and learn to evaluate choices and policies made by policy makers in order to foster development;
- (knowledge and understanding) consolidate the fundamental concepts of development economics and the rationales for different tools and policies adopted in the process of economic growth and development; gain adequate knowledge of the main stylized facts of economic development and growth of different nations in the world, focusing on the effects of the adopted policies in historical perspective and in contemporary debates;
- (ability to apply knowledge and understanding) possess the tools in order to identify and interpret the most critical issues in development dynamics in low and middle income economies and the causes of divergence among economic systems on the ground of key structural and contextual characteristics and of their significance for economic and human development.
- (judgment) develop an analytical method of thought in order to critically assess contemporary process of economic development and learn to evaluate choices and policies made by policy makers in order to foster development;
- (knowledge and understanding) consolidate the fundamental concepts of development economics and the rationales for different tools and policies adopted in the process of economic growth and development; gain adequate knowledge of the main stylized facts of economic development and growth of different nations in the world, focusing on the effects of the adopted policies in historical perspective and in contemporary debates;
- (ability to apply knowledge and understanding) possess the tools in order to identify and interpret the most critical issues in development dynamics in low and middle income economies and the causes of divergence among economic systems on the ground of key structural and contextual characteristics and of their significance for economic and human development.
Periodo: Terzo trimestre
Modalità di valutazione: Esame
Giudizio di valutazione: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Corso singolo
Questo insegnamento può essere seguito come corso singolo.
Programma e organizzazione didattica
Edizione unica
Responsabile
Periodo
Terzo trimestre
Programma
Il corso offre un'introduzione agli aspetti fondamentali dell'economia dello sviluppo, con particolare attenzione alla progettazione e alla valutazione di interventi di policy.
Nella prima parte il corso introduce i principali concetti d'interesse per i ricercatori e gli esperti di economia dello sviluppo: definizione e misurazione della povertà ed evoluzione del fenomeno negli ultimi due secoli. Successivamente, il corso analizza le determinanti di lungo periodo dei processi di sviluppo, identificando le principali ragioni storiche alla base delle disuguaglianze economiche analizzate dalla letteratura economica.
Il secondo modulo del corso introduce i concetti fondamentali della valutazione di impatto delle politiche pubbliche, presentando una panoramica delle metodologie principali, con particolare attenzione ai metodi di analisi quantitativa.
L'ultima parte del corso esamina il ruolo del capitale umano nei processi di sviluppo. In primo luogo si analizza l'importanza dell'investimento in istruzione sia da un punto di vista privato che pubblico. Successivamente, vengono presentati i risultati di alcuni studi relativi a interventi volti a migliorare il livello di apprendimento degli studenti. Infine, il corso esplora la relazione bidirezionale tra salute e crescita economica nel contesto dei paesi in via di sviluppo.
Nella prima parte il corso introduce i principali concetti d'interesse per i ricercatori e gli esperti di economia dello sviluppo: definizione e misurazione della povertà ed evoluzione del fenomeno negli ultimi due secoli. Successivamente, il corso analizza le determinanti di lungo periodo dei processi di sviluppo, identificando le principali ragioni storiche alla base delle disuguaglianze economiche analizzate dalla letteratura economica.
Il secondo modulo del corso introduce i concetti fondamentali della valutazione di impatto delle politiche pubbliche, presentando una panoramica delle metodologie principali, con particolare attenzione ai metodi di analisi quantitativa.
L'ultima parte del corso esamina il ruolo del capitale umano nei processi di sviluppo. In primo luogo si analizza l'importanza dell'investimento in istruzione sia da un punto di vista privato che pubblico. Successivamente, vengono presentati i risultati di alcuni studi relativi a interventi volti a migliorare il livello di apprendimento degli studenti. Infine, il corso esplora la relazione bidirezionale tra salute e crescita economica nel contesto dei paesi in via di sviluppo.
Prerequisiti
Non ci sono prerequisiti formali, è consigliabile una conoscenza preliminare dei concetti base di statistica
Metodi didattici
Le lezioni introducono i concetti fondamentali dell'economia dello sviluppo con particolare attenzione ad alcune questioni di policy particolarmente rilevanti.
Materiale di riferimento
List of selected papers and book chapters. Full details available on Ariel:
· Roser, Max. 2021. "Extreme poverty: how far have we come, how far do we still have to go?" On VoxDev, https://ourworldindata.org/extreme-poverty-in-brief.
· The World Bank, Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018 - Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/poverty-and-shared-prosperity-2018
· Banerjee, Abhijit, and Esther Duflo. 2007. The Economic Lives of the Poor. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 21(1): 141-167.
· Diamond, Jared (2002), "Evolution, consequences and the future of plant and Animal domestication", Nature, Vol.418
· J. Sachs (2001). Tropical underdevelopment. NBER working paper. Available at: https://www.nber.org/papers/w8119
· Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson (2002), "The Reversal of Fortune". Quarterly Journal of Economics 117
· Nunn (2008). The long-term effects of Africa's slave trade. Quarterly Journal of Economics 123(1).
· Alesina, Giuliano, Nunn (2013). On the origins of gender roles: women and the plough. Quarterly Journal of Economics 128(1).
· Gertler, P., Martinez, S., Premand, P., Rawlings, L.B., Vermeersch, C.M.J. (2016), Impact Evaluation in Practice, Second Edition, Washington, D.C.: World Bank (selected chapters)
· Duflo (2001). Schooling and labor market consequences of school construction in Indonesia: Evidence from an unusual policy experiment. American Economic Review, 91(4)
· Osilia, Una Okonkwo and Bridget Terry Long 2008. Does female schooling reduce fertility? Evidence from Nigeria. Journal of Development Economics 87(1),57-75
· World Bank (2018). World Development Report. Learning. Chapters 2 and 3. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2018
· Glewwe, P., Muralidharan, K. (2016). Improving education outcomes in developing countries: evidence, knowledge gaps, and policy implications. In Handbook of the Economics of Education y Sections 3, 4 and 5 required
· Jensen, R. (2010). The (perceived) returns to education and the demand for schooling. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 125(2), 515-548.
· Baird, S., McIntosh, C., & Özler, B. (2011). Cash or condition? Evidence from a cash transfer experiment. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 126(4), 1709-1753.
· Banerjee, Cole, Duflo and Linden. 2007. "Remedying Education: Evidence from Two Randomized Experiments in India". The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122(3):1235-1264.
· Ortiz-Ospina, E. and Roser, M. "Global Health", Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/health-meta.
· Dupas, Pascaline, and Edward Miguel. "Impacts and Determinants of Health Levels in Low-Income Countries", 2017, Handbook of Field Experiments, (eds.) Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee
· Acemoglu, D., & Johnson, S. (2007). Disease and development: the effect of life expectancy on economic growth. Journal of political Economy, 115(6), 925-985.
· Poor Economics, Chapter 3: Low-Hanging Fruit for Better (Global) Health? (pp.41-70)
· Tarozzi, A., Mahajan, A., Blackburn, B., Kopf, D., Krishnan, L., & Yoong, J. (2014). Micro-loans, insecticide-treated bednets, and malaria: evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Orissa, India. American Economic Review, 104(7), 1909-1941.
· Augsburg, B., Caeyers, B., Giunti, S., Malde, B., & Smets, S. (2023). Labeled loans and human capital investments. Journal of Development Economics.
· Roser, Max. 2021. "Extreme poverty: how far have we come, how far do we still have to go?" On VoxDev, https://ourworldindata.org/extreme-poverty-in-brief.
· The World Bank, Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018 - Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/poverty-and-shared-prosperity-2018
· Banerjee, Abhijit, and Esther Duflo. 2007. The Economic Lives of the Poor. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 21(1): 141-167.
· Diamond, Jared (2002), "Evolution, consequences and the future of plant and Animal domestication", Nature, Vol.418
· J. Sachs (2001). Tropical underdevelopment. NBER working paper. Available at: https://www.nber.org/papers/w8119
· Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson (2002), "The Reversal of Fortune". Quarterly Journal of Economics 117
· Nunn (2008). The long-term effects of Africa's slave trade. Quarterly Journal of Economics 123(1).
· Alesina, Giuliano, Nunn (2013). On the origins of gender roles: women and the plough. Quarterly Journal of Economics 128(1).
· Gertler, P., Martinez, S., Premand, P., Rawlings, L.B., Vermeersch, C.M.J. (2016), Impact Evaluation in Practice, Second Edition, Washington, D.C.: World Bank (selected chapters)
· Duflo (2001). Schooling and labor market consequences of school construction in Indonesia: Evidence from an unusual policy experiment. American Economic Review, 91(4)
· Osilia, Una Okonkwo and Bridget Terry Long 2008. Does female schooling reduce fertility? Evidence from Nigeria. Journal of Development Economics 87(1),57-75
· World Bank (2018). World Development Report. Learning. Chapters 2 and 3. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2018
· Glewwe, P., Muralidharan, K. (2016). Improving education outcomes in developing countries: evidence, knowledge gaps, and policy implications. In Handbook of the Economics of Education y Sections 3, 4 and 5 required
· Jensen, R. (2010). The (perceived) returns to education and the demand for schooling. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 125(2), 515-548.
· Baird, S., McIntosh, C., & Özler, B. (2011). Cash or condition? Evidence from a cash transfer experiment. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 126(4), 1709-1753.
· Banerjee, Cole, Duflo and Linden. 2007. "Remedying Education: Evidence from Two Randomized Experiments in India". The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122(3):1235-1264.
· Ortiz-Ospina, E. and Roser, M. "Global Health", Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/health-meta.
· Dupas, Pascaline, and Edward Miguel. "Impacts and Determinants of Health Levels in Low-Income Countries", 2017, Handbook of Field Experiments, (eds.) Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee
· Acemoglu, D., & Johnson, S. (2007). Disease and development: the effect of life expectancy on economic growth. Journal of political Economy, 115(6), 925-985.
· Poor Economics, Chapter 3: Low-Hanging Fruit for Better (Global) Health? (pp.41-70)
· Tarozzi, A., Mahajan, A., Blackburn, B., Kopf, D., Krishnan, L., & Yoong, J. (2014). Micro-loans, insecticide-treated bednets, and malaria: evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Orissa, India. American Economic Review, 104(7), 1909-1941.
· Augsburg, B., Caeyers, B., Giunti, S., Malde, B., & Smets, S. (2023). Labeled loans and human capital investments. Journal of Development Economics.
Modalità di verifica dell’apprendimento e criteri di valutazione
Esame scritto (durata 1h e 30 minuti). La prova di esame verte sugli argomenti trattati durante le lezioni e consiste in una serie di domande aperte che possono prevedere operazioni di calcolo, discussione dei risultati o riferimenti alla letteratura presentata durante il corso. L'esame include anche alcune domane a risposta multipla.
SECS-P/01 - ECONOMIA POLITICA - CFU: 6
Lezioni: 40 ore
Docente:
Giunti Sara
Turni:
Turno
Docente:
Giunti SaraDocente/i