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Academic Year 2004/2005

Economies in Transition
ECON 265 SP
Crosslistings:
REES 235

The transition of the formerly centrally planned and bureaucratically managed economies of the now-defunct Soviet bloc to market economies based on private property and individual initiative is an event unparalleled in history. The course is divided into three conceptual modules; the first, transition as process, examines the historical antecedents and initial conditions of post socialist economies in transition. The two core topics are macroeconomic stabilization and microeconomic structural reform. For each of the core topics, the experiences of two countries will be studied in depth to illustrate the methodology of comparative economics. Each student will choose one transition country, e.g., China, and prepare a research paper dealing with an issue of concern in that country. Students will make presentations of their research work in progress to the class.

MAJOR READINGS

Boyco, Maxim, Shleifer, Andrei, and Vishny, Robert, PRIVATIZING RUSSIA, The MIT Press, 1996.
Lavigne, Marie, THE ECONOMICS OF TRANSITION: FROM SOCIALIST ECONOMY TO MARKET ECONOMY: Second Edition, St. Martin's Press Inc., 1999.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

1. Three position papers, one on each topic listed in the course description.
2. A research paper for a country chosen by the student. If this country is one that we use in analyzing a core topic, the paper must be on a different topic.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Please note that if you do not match one of the prerequisite listings EXACTLY, then you need a prerequisite override.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS ECON    Grading Mode: Student Option   

Prerequisites: ECON101 OR ECON110 Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-21-2005

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