96425 - ECONOMIA DELLE ISTITUZIONI, DEMOCRAZIA, SVILUPPO

Learning outcomes

The course provides an introduction to methods and topics in Political Economics and to the theory of institutional change. Students are expected to learn the methodological basis of the field and to perform autonomously a critical analysis of the issues related to the aggregation of individual preferences and institutional change.

Course contents

• Institutions, culture and economic development
• Models of electoral competition.
• Democratization. Democracy, development and inequality.
• Political regimes, public finances and economic performance in Europe in the long-run.

Readings/Bibliography

References:

Persson T., and G. Tabellini (2000) Political Economics: Explaining Economic Policy, MIT Press

Acemoglu D., and J. A. Robinson (2006) Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, Cambridge University Press

Dincecco M. (2013) Political Transformation and Public Finances, Cambridge University Press

Journal publications in English, of which a complete list will be made available on the course’s VIRTUALE platform prior to the beginning of classes

Teaching methods

Class lectures where students' active involvement will be encouraged.

Assessment methods

• Final oral exam (65% of the final grade) which will test the acquired knowledge of the course contents
• Research paper (35% of the final grade) which will test the students' ability to develop autonomous research on issues related to the course topics. The paper should be handed in by the first course's final exam date.

In the case of online exams envisaged by the University of Bologna, the structure of the exam remains the same.

Grading:

<18 failed
18-23 sufficient
24-27 good
28-30 very good
30 e lode excellent

 

Teaching tools

Class slides will be made available on the course's online platform VIRTUALE together with additional information on course contents and exams.

Office hours

See the website of Massimiliano Gaetano Onorato