ECON 522 Politics and Development
How do good ideas become public policy? For any interesting development question, a large number of solutions are often proposed. So what determines which ideas are finally implemented? Why do some reforms succeed in one country and fail in another? How do policymakers, international organizations and their partners in think tanks, civil society, advocacy groups, the media and others ensure that one policy gets implemented over another? Regardless of the intellectual merit of an idea or solution, often the most important part of the answer is related to politics and the competition among interest groups in different institutional settings.
This course will help future policymakers and those evaluating their impact to have greater understanding and awareness of political dynamics (including those within bureaucracies), a greater ability to communicate ideas to a variety of publics, and develop an understanding of the mechanics of coalitions needed to get ideas implemented. The course will use case studies and readings that illustrate political aspects of contemporary reforms and initiatives in countries around the world.
Prerequisite
Open to students in the M.A. in Applied Economics program. Other students must request permission to enroll through the Department of Economics.