79364 - Advanced Economic Policy and Methods

Learning outcomes

The aim of this course is to provide students with instruments concerning the analysis of economic policies, and their role/impact within the economic and social development, at regional and European level. In particular, the students will be able to: - evaluate and choose indicators useful to the dynamic description of the socio-economic landscapes - carry out socio-economic analyses for the programmes and interventions of regional and territorial development - analyse the impacts of EU policies on economic convergence.

Course contents

The Program of the course is organized by means of two strictly complementary perspectives (Advanced Economic Policy and Methods) which interact when dealing with economic policy problems.

First, the principal economic policy actions of EU, on the basis of the directions established in the Maastricht Treatment, as well as their links with Italian and international policies, will be examined. In this context, the European and extra-European economies will be analysed and compared with the Italian ones, from the structural viewpoint, at the various spatial scale levels. Theoretical approaches and methods, such as, for example, the study of regional economic convergence, and the analysis of economic growth and development, will be illustrated in order to study the dynamics of the economic cycles in the various spatial scale levels.

Secondly, the concepts of economic resilience and vulnerability, as well as of well-being, will be dealt with. The related indicators will be experimented in case studies concerning European and extra-European states, in order to identify the role of economic resilience/vulnerability – and well-being – in the light of the convergence policies.

Finally, these analyses will be deepened by means of economic (in)equality indicators (e.g. Gini, Zipf and entropy indices), which will be theoretically discussed and applied to the same case studies, for the different scale levels.

Readings/Bibliography

Main References

Boggio L., Seravalli G., Lo sviluppo economico, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2015 (specific chapters).

Cellini R., Politica economica, McGraw-Hill, Milano, 2011 (specific chapters).

Martin R. L., Regional Economic Resilience, Hysteresis and Recessionary Shocks, Journal of Economic Geography, 2012, 12, pp. 1–32.

Stiglitz J,. Sen A. K, Fitoussi J-P., The Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress Revisited: Reflections And Overview, 2009.

Viesti, G., Prota, F., Le nuove politiche regionali dell'Unione Europea, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2007 (specific chapters).

 

Additional reading material concerning the topics of the course will be made available, at the end of each lecture, at the lab-site.

Teaching methods

The teaching method is to deal, first, empirically with a problem of economic policy and then to show the approach of comparative analysis, by means of the use and discussions of the theories, data, and policies concerning the problem, jointly with the utilization of statistical analyses

Assessment methods

The degree of knowledge and competences acquired will be assessed through a final essay and specific power point presentations along the year. At the end of the course, students are expected to hold the following competences:

• knowledge of the economic policies in EU and their links with the Italian and International policies;
• ability to apply methods and tools presented during the course;
• ability to design 'Research Questions' concerning the use of the adopted instruments to analyse the impacts of the policy strategies;
• ability to discuss the emerging findings, in order to interpret the phenomena under analysis in the light of recent literature and current economic policy strategies .

 

Teaching tools

Reading material will be made available, at the end of each lecture, at the lab-site.

In parallel with the theoretical lectures, empirical experiments and applications will be carried out in the lab, on the basis of the principal ‒ European and extra-European ‒ sources of economic data, at various spatial scale levels (national, regional, municipality, etc.) and with reference to the dynamics of (in)equality, resilience and well-being indicators.

Office hours

See the website of Aura Reggiani