Objectives
The goal of the course is to provide the students with 1) a good understanding of the state of the literature in the field of economic history and 2) the basic tools for producing their own contribution to that field.After successfully completing this course, students will have a rigorous understanding of the economic approach to the study of historical processes.
Readings
- Selection of papers from academic journals
- Allen, D. W. (2011). The institutional revolution: Measurement and the economic emergence of the modern world. University of Chicago Press.
- Blum, M. & Colvin, C. L. An Economist’s Guide to Economic History. Palgrave.
Topics
- Fundamentals of economic modeling
- The economic approach to historical analysis
- Analytical narratives
- Exchange institutions throughout history
- Contract theory
- Ancient economic history
- Medieval economic history
- Modern economic history
- The Commercial revolution
- The Great Divergence
- The Industrial Revolution
Grading
The course grade will be a weighted average of 1) weekly quizzes based on the content of the assigned readings (20%); 2) two homework sets (30%); 3) a final paper on a topic in economic history (50%).