The course is intended to provide students with an overview of development economics mainly from a microeconomic perspective. The central aim of the course is to present basic analytical and empirical tools to understand household decisions and the functioning of markets and institutions in developing countries. The course will first give an overview of economic development and discuss its measurement. We will study the role of human capital (health and education) as a key determinant of development. We will analyze how imperfections in land, labor and credit markets may constrain growth and development in poor countries. The course will also introduce students to recent research in the field of development economics. It will provide an overview of the most recent empirical methodologies to measure the impact of policies and programs implemented in developing countries. Students will learn what determines the decisions of individuals, households and firms and what constraints do they face. We will examine why many developing countries face extreme poverty, high child mortality, low levels of education and what policies, if any, might be effective in alleviating these problems.
- Docente: MARIA ANNA LEONE