Teaching the History of Economic Growth (Econ 135) Next Semester: Toward a Schedule & Topics: NOTES
Putting this behind the paywall, as it is definitely not ready for prime time...
Putting this behind the paywall, as it is definitely not ready for prime time...
<https://classes.berkeley.edu/content/2024-fall-econ-135-001-lec-001>
How a group of jumped-up monkeys more-or-less accidentally became first a band-wide, then a continent-wide, and then a global-wide anthology intelligence, and then hunted frantically for formal and informal organizational and cultural institutions to make that work…
Along the way, we fell into a Malthusian Trap of dire poverty, in which we turned aside from societies of cooperation to societies of domination…
Then we developed the institutions of modern economic growth, which made us rich at a dizzying rate…
Unfortunately, that rate of progress and transition was much too fast for any process of gradient-descent societal institutional evolution to cope well…
Plus we are still marked by our long history under the harrow of the societies of domination…
Now we face what turns out to be the truly big problem: that of building institutions for managing us as a prosperous species, given that we are a very imperfect anthology intelligence and desperately need a society that will actually enable us to live wisely and well…
Required Readings:
Crone, Patricia. 1989. Pre-Industrial Societies: Anatomy of the Pre-Modern World. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. <https://archive.org/details/preindustrialsoc0000cron>.
Wyman, Patrick. 2021. The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, & Forty Years That Shook the World. New York: Twelve. <https://archive.org/details/the-verge-reformation-renaissance-forty-years-that-shook-the-world>.
Koyama, Mark & Jared Rubin. 2022. How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth. Hoboken: Wiley. <https://www.google.com/books/edition/How_the_World_Became_Rich/t2BkEAAAQBAJ>…
DeLong, J. Bradford. 2022. Slouching Towards Utopia: The Economic History of the 20th Century. New York: Basic Books. <https://archive.org/details/slouching-towards-utopia-the-economic-history-of-the-20th-century>.
Allen, Robert C. 2011. Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <https://archive.org/details/global-economic-history-a-very-short-introduction>.
Optional Readings:
Henrich, Joseph. 2015. The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, & Making Us Smarter. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/secretofoursucce0000henr>
Gellner, Ernst. 1988. Plough, Sword, & Book: The Structure of Human History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. <https://archive.org/details/ploughswordbooks0000gell>
Clark, Greg. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/farewelltoalmsbr00clar>.
Berry, Christopher. 2018. Adam Smith: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <https://www.google.com/books/edition/Adam_Smith/irRwDwAAQBAJ>.
Course Structure:
The hope is to…
Use Mondays and Wednesdays for lecture…
Use sections for readings discussions…
Use Fridays for doing some in-class Python programming (or, at least, watch me doing some in-class Python programming), trying to get them to use Jupyter Notebooks as a data-science Swiss Army Knife and so wean them off of any future reliance on Excel…
We are in GSPP 150 <https://www.berkeley.edu/map/?goldman> <https://rtl.berkeley.edu/classroom-database/goldman-school-public-policy-0150>.
Thus bring-your-devices and actually-use-them should be definitely possible…
Tentative Schedule:
2024-08-28 We 10:00 PDT: Introduction: “The Enlargement of the Human Empire, to the Effecting of All Things Possible”
DeLong, J. Bradford. 2022. Slouching Towards Utopia: The Economic History of the 20th Century. New York: Basic Books. <https://archive.org/details/slouching-towards-utopia-the-economic-history-of-the-20th-century>. Focus on: Intro.
Clark, Greg. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/farewelltoalmsbr00clar>. Focus on: 1. Intro (& save the rest of the book for later).
Koyama, Mark, & Jared Rubin. 2022. How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth. Hoboken: Wiley. <https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ehsrev/v75y2022i4p1379-1380.html>. Focus on: 1. Why, When, & How?, & save the rest of the book for later
2024-08-30 Fr 10:00 PDT:DeLong: Neoliberal Turn—the shift towards neoliberal economic policies starting in the late 20th century, and their global impact on deregulation, privatization, and the reduction of government intervention in the economy. Hyperglobalization—the acceleration of globalization in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, driven by advances in information technology and changes in global trade and communication. Recession—the 2008 financial crisis and its prolonged economic repercussions, with ineffective recovery efforts devastating long-term impacts…
Clark: Introduction: The Sixteen-Page Economic History of the World—a brief economic history, stressing the preindustrial Malthusian trap where technological gains did not translate into better living standards due to population growth that kept average incomes low…
DeLong: Introduction: The twentieth century witnessed an enormous and unprecedented economic uplift, dramatically enhancing human prosperity via rapid technological advancements and substantial increases in productivity, income, and standards of living across the entire the world. This surge in economic growth created a near "utopia" compared to any previous historical period. However, growth brought about significant challenges and disparities—inequality, and the destabilization of traditional lifestyles and social contracts, as solving the problem of baking an economic pie ample so that everyone could potentially have enough did not resolve the problems of slicing the pie—equitably distributing it—and tasting it—utilizing our common collective wealth wisely and well so that people felt safe and secure, and were healthy and happy…
Koyama & Rubin: Why, When, & How Did the World Become Rich?—This chapter sets the stage for the book by discussing how unprecedented the modern era of wealth is compared to the entirety of human history. It introduces the central theme: understanding the dramatic rise in global wealth and the mechanisms behind it…
I: Long Prehistory -300,000 to -3000—how humans evolved and adapted to different environments, how they developed tools and technologies, how they organized themselves into bands and tribes, how they traded and exchanged; prestige, reciprocity, redistribution, dominance
2024-09-04 We 10:00 PDT: Before History: Anthology Intelligence: Reciprocity, Redistribution, & Prestige…
Henrich, Joseph. 2015. The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, & Making Us Smarter. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/secretofoursucce0000henr>. Skim entire, but focus on the following eight chapters: 1. Puzzling Primate, 2. Not Our Intelligence, 3. Lost European Explorers, 4. Cultural Species, 12. Collective Brains, 15. Rubicon, 16. Why Us?, & 17. New Kind of Animal.
2024-09-06 Fr 10:00 PDT: In-Class Quantitative Exercises: The long-run shape of the human economy I…
Henrich: Puzzling Primate—Humans are biologically underwhelming, lacking in physical strength and innate survival skills, relying on culturally acquired knowledge for survival. Not Intelligence—our success is not due to inherent intelligence but rather our ability to accumulate and build upon cultural knowledge. Lost Explorers—people failed to survive in new environments without local knowledge, illustrating the critical role of adaptive cultural information. Cultural Species—evolutionary mechanisms that have made humans a uniquely cultural species, emphasizing social learning and information transmission. Collective Brains—our shared knowledge and cultural institutions plays the critical role in our adaptive success. Crossing Rubicons—how cultural developments led to significant changes in societal structures and individual behaviors. Why Us?—reflecting on the unique path of human evolution. A New Kind of Animal—understanding ourselves as a species with a gulf between us and the rest of the animal kingdom, driven by our developed capacity for culture…
II: Civilizations -3000 to +500—how humans created complex societies with states, laws, religions, writing, arts, and sciences, and how the two most important features of those civilizations were (a) their ensorcellment by the Devil of Malthus, and (b) the resulting diversion of society's energy from progress understanding nature to figuring out how to dominate and exploit humans.
2024-09-09 Mo 10:00 PDT: Agrarian-Age Malthusian Equilibrium Pre-1500
Clark, Greg. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/farewelltoalmsbr00clar>. Skim: 2. Malthusian Economy & 3. Living Standards
2024-09-11 We 10:00 PDT: Agrarian-Age Societies of Domination Pre-1500 & Slow Pace of Technological Progress Pre-1500
Crone, Patricia. 1989. Pre-Industrial Societies: Anatomy of the Pre-Modern World. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. <https://archive.org/details/preindustrialsoc0000cron>. Focus on 1. Intro, 2. Organization, 3. State, 4. Politics, 5. Culture, 6. Individual, & 7. Religion.
Clark, Greg. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/farewelltoalmsbr00clar>. Skim: 6. Technological Advance
2024-09-13 Fr 10:00 PDT: In-Class Quantitative Exercises: The long-run shape of the human economy II…
Clark: Malthusian Economy—in the Malthusian trap increases in population would neutralize gains from increased productivity, resulting in stagnant living standards. Living Standards—typically, very low…
Crone: Introduction: Complex Societies—what are the economic, social, and political structures that characterize complex pre-industrial societies? Organization—the dominance of agricultural economies, the limited role of markets, and subsistence living standards. The State—maintaining social order, managing resources, and extracting what surplus there was. Politics—non-centralized power systems and the integration of religious and military influences. Culture—how beliefs, values, and practices shaped social norms and contribute to societal cohesion and identity. Society & the Individual—social hierarchies and communal obligations dictating individual roles and behaviors. Religion—legitimizing social hierarchies and supporting the existing social order of societies of domination…
Clark: Technological Advance—the slow pace of technological advances in the preindustrial era and their limited impact on economic growth due to the constraints of the Malthusian trap…
III: The Medieval Millennium +500 to +1500--the political and social fragmentation and economic near-stagnation of Eurasia in the Late-Antiquity Pause, followed by the Medieval recovery that restored civilizational complexity, but with denser populations and higher levels of technology (but not, yet, faster economic growth)
2024-09-16 Mo 10:00 PDT: Efflorescences & Dark Ages: Bronze, Iron, & “Classical”, & Advanced Modes of Human Interaction: Reciprocity, Redistribution, Hierarchy, Prestige, Honor, Bureaucracy, Propaganda, Market…
2024-09-18 We 10:00 PDT: Gunpowder Empires: ca. 1500: Inca, Mexica, Songhai, Osmanlis, Safavids, Gurkani, Brilliant-Dynasty Central Country—& the Dover Circle
Crone, Patricia. 1989. Pre-Industrial Societies: Anatomy of the Pre-Modern World. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. <https://archive.org/details/preindustrialsoc0000cron>. Focus on: 8. The Oddity of Europe.
Allen, Robert C. 2011. Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <https://archive.org/details/global-economic-history-a-very-short-introduction>. Focus on: 5. Great Empires.
2024-09-20 Fr 10:00 PDT: In-Class Quantitative Exercises: Societies of domination, & the shape of human progress and human exploitation…
Crone: The Oddity of Europe—how Europe was a failed society of domination, and diverged from typical pre-industrial patterns, particularly in its the economic, cultural, and political developments that preceded modern industrialization…
Allen: Great Empires—the economic histories and impacts of major empires, including the roles they played in the global economic system, and how their economic policies and structures influenced both their own economies and those of other regions.
IV: Imperial-Commercial Societies +1500 to +1770--how humans transformed their world through globalization, colonization, empire-building, mercantilism, innovation, and capitalism, in a context in which for the first time technologies, ideas, and institutions such as printing, gunpowder, navigation, enlightenment, democracy, and others are developing fast enough to make a big difference over a single human lifetime.
2024-09-23 Mo 10:00 PDT: Columbian Exchange, Seaborne Empires, Princes vs. Merchants; Communication & Inquiry
Koyama, Mark, & Jared Rubin. 2022. How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth. Hoboken: Wiley. <https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ehsrev/v75y2022i4p1379-1380.html>. Skim: 2. Geography, 3. Institutions, 4. Culture, 6. Exploitation, & 7. Northwestern Europe.
Allen, Robert C. 2011. Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <https://archive.org/details/global-economic-history-a-very-short-introduction>. Skim: 1. Divergence, 2. Rise of the West, 3. Industrial Revolution, 4. Ascent of the Rich
Clark, Greg. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/farewelltoalmsbr00clar>. 8. Institutions, 9. Modern Man, & 10. Wealth of Nations.
Wyman, Patrick. 2021. The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, & Forty Years That Shook the World. New York: Twelve. <https://archive.org/details/the-verge-reformation-renaissance-forty-years-that-shook-the-world>. Focus on: 0. Intro, 1. Exploration, 2. State, 5. Printing, & 10. Conclusion. Skim over: 3. Banking, 4. War, 6. Capitalism, 7. Church, 8. Ottoman, 9. Charles V
2024-09-25 We 10:00 PDT: The Greatest Slave Trade—& the Racialization of Status—& The Dover Circle & the British Empire ca. 1770
Berry, Christopher. 2001. Adam Smith: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <https://www.amazon.com/Adam-Smith-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0198786098>. Skim: 1. Life, 2. Imagination, 3. Spectators, & 4. Virtuously. Focus on: 5. Working, 6. Trading, & 7. Legacy.
2024-09-27 Fr 10:00 PDT: Midterm I
Koyama & Rubin: Geography Lottery—geographic features have historically provided some advantages that shaped the economic trajectories of societies. Institutions—robust, inclusive institutions like property rights and political stability are key drivers of economic growth. Culture—to what extent do “cultural” attributes like religion, work ethics, and social norms can significantly influence economic outcomes? Colonization & Exploitation—the role of colonization in economic history, with exploitation and the inadvertent transfer of technology and institutional frameworks. Northwestern Europe—geographic location, institutional development, and historical contingencies in the relative rise of the Dover Circle…
Clark: Institutions—challenging the view that institutions alone are key to understanding economic growth. Modern Man—behavioral traits that would support the rise of modern economic growth became more prevalent through the cultural-evolutionary pressures of the Malthusian era. Wealth of Nations—the features and causes of sustained economic growth that began with the Industrial Revolution….
Wyman: Exploration—maritime voyages opened up the Atlantic world, reshaping economies and societies through. State—centralizing power and territorial consolidation to enable resource mobilization. Printing—the key innovation for the dissemination of knowledge and ideas across Europe. Conclusion—a uniquely plastic and innovative civilization for mobilizing resources…
Berry: Life—Adam Smith’s role as a foundational figure , but beware of common misconceptions about his promotion of self-interest and minimal state intervention. Imagination—Smith's view on human communication and social interaction, emphasizing sympathy and the impartial spectator as the mechanism by which humans internalize social norms to assess their own and others' actions. Virtue—Smith’s views on the necessity and nature of justice, prudence, and beneficence. Working—labor and value, with the division of labor key for productivity and economic development. Trading—the argument for the benefits of free-market policies as a natural regulatory mechanism. Legacy—Adam Smith’s lasting impact…
V: Toward Steampower Society +1770 to +1880--how the engine of modern economic growth began to be built with the triple marriage of nascent empirical natural science, the market economy, and the commodities of coal, cotton and sugar. That marriage gave birth to the profession of engineering--and to fast enough techno-economic change to overthrow and destabilize all other features of society.
2024-09-30 Mo 10:00 PDT: The Last Efflorescence: The Dover Circle 1770-1870
Allen, Robert C. 2011. Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <https://archive.org/details/global-economic-history-a-very-short-introduction>. 1. Divergence, 2. West, 3. Industrial Revolution, 4. Ascent of the West
Crone, Patricia. 1989. Pre-Industrial Societies: Anatomy of the Pre-Modern World. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. <https://archive.org/details/preindustrialsoc0000cron>. Focus on: 9. Modernity.
Clark, Greg. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/farewelltoalmsbr00clar>. 11. Industrial Revolution, 12. Industrial Revolution in England, 13. Why England? & 14. Social Consequences.
Koyama, Mark, & Jared Rubin. 2022. How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth. Hoboken: Wiley. <https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ehsrev/v75y2022i4p1379-1380.html>. Skim: 8. Britain’s Industrial Revolution
2024-10-02 We 10:00 PDT: The Steampower Economy, the Pseudo-Classical Semi-Liberal Order, & the Gunpowder-Empire Steampunk Path
2024-10-04 Fr 10:00 PDT: In-Class Quantitative Exercises: Commercial, industrial, & steampunk economies…
Allen: Great Divergence—why significant income and economic disparities between different regions of the world began to emerge around 1500, with these disparities then accentuated by European exploration and the subsequent economic integration of the world. The West—factors that led to Western Europe’s economic ascendance, stressing institutional developments, technological advancements, and the exploitation of new world resources. Industrial Revolution—a pivotal moment that accelerated economic growth in Europe, particularly in England with technological innovations and new manufacturing processes played central roles. Ascent of the Rich—how Western Europe and its offshoots became wealthy through industrial growth, while others did not, leading to the current global economic landscape…
Crone: Modernity—changes in social structures, economic practices, and cultural beliefs that accompany “modernization”…
Clark: Industrial Revolution—what were the key economic and social conditions in England, and what were the specific innovations and social changes. Why Not China, India, or Japan?—conversely, why they were not the first to industrialize. Social Consequences— the wide-ranging social impacts of industrialization on social structures and the distribution of wealth…
Koyama & Rubin: Industrial Revolution—why Britain was the first with its unique mix of cultural, geographic, and institutional factors making the first industrialization possible…
VI: Applied-Science Society +1880 to +1920-- how industrialization, urbanization, science, education, and democracy brought societal revolution after revolution, with growth development, inequality, poverty, warfare, fascism, communism, and nationalism all coming successively to the stage as Schumpeterian creative-destruction came not once a century but once a decade.
2024-10-07 We 10:00 PDT: Engineering, Research Labs, Corporations—& Globalization: The Applied-Science Economy
2024-10-09 Fr 10:00 PDT: Economic El Dorado: Modern Economic Growth
Clark, Greg. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/farewelltoalmsbr00clar>. 15. Growth since 1800.
2024-10-11 Fr 10:00 PDT: In-Class Quantitative Exercises: Modern Economic Growth…
2024-10-14 Mo 10:00 PDT: The Demographic Transition
Clark, Greg. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/farewelltoalmsbr00clar>. 4. Fertility, 5. Life Expectancy, 6. Malthus & Darwin.
2024-10-16 We 10:00 PDT: The Development of Underdevelopment
Clark, Greg. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/farewelltoalmsbr00clar>. 16. Divergence, & 17. Why Isn’t the Whole World Developed?
2024-10-18 Fr 10:00 PDT: The Fight Over Orders: Imperial-Military Bureaucratic, Pseudo-Classical Semi-Liberal, Socialism, Fascism, Social Democratic, & the New Deal Order
Koyama, Mark & Jared Rubin. 2022. How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth. Hoboken: Wiley. <https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ehsrev/v75y2022i4p1379-1380.html>. Skim: 5. Babies, & 9 Modern Economy.
Allen, Robert C. 2011. Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <https://archive.org/details/global-economic-history-a-very-short-introduction>. Skim: 6. Americas, 7. Africa, & 8. Standard Model.
DeLong, J. Bradford. 2022. Slouching Towards Utopia: The Economic History of the 20th Century. New York: Basic Books. <https://archive.org/details/slouching-towards-utopia-the-economic-history-of-the-20th-century>. Focus on: 1. Globalizing, 2. Revving, 3 Democratizing, 4. Empires, 5. WWI, 8 Socialism, & 9. Fascism.
Clark: Growth since 1800—the divergence between industrialized and non-industrialized parts of the world. Fertility—patterns and their economic implications in the pre-industrial world. Life Expectancy—historical trends in life expectancy and their relationship to economic conditions. Survival of the Richest—how relative economic success translated into reproductive success. Divergence—the widening economic gap between developed and developing countries since the 1800s. Why Isn’t the Whole World Developed?—reasons for persistent underdevelopment in various parts of the world despite the spread of technology and institutions.
Koyama & Rubin: Babies—demographic changes, particularly the role of declining fertility rates and changes in family structure, in fostering economic growth. Modern Economy—broad changes brought about by industrialization and the spread of modern economic practices, including the impacts on global disparities.
Allen: Americas—how different regions developed economically post-colonization and the unique economic paths taken by North, Central, and South America. Africa—colonial exploitation, the slave trade, and post-colonial challenges all impacting on African economic development. Late Industrialization—challenges faced by countries attempting to industrialize later than Western Europe.
DeLong: Globalizing—the global economic integration that began around 1870, highlighting the profound changes in technology, industry, and international connections. Revving—how technological innovations drastically increased productivity and economic growth, fundamentally changing how economies functioned worldwide. Democratizing—political and social reforms in the Global North that accompanied economic changes. Empires—shaping global economic and political orders, and their eventual decline as global power dynamics shifted. World War I—economic factors contributing to the start and outcome of the war. Socialism—the implementation and realities of socialist policies in various countries. Fascism—the economic conditions that facilitated the rise of fascist and Nazi ideologies, and their effects on Europe and beyond.
VII: Mass-Production Society +1920 to +1980--how the development of mass production techniques, such as assembly lines, automation, and standardization, enabled the production of large quantities of standardized goods at lower costs and higher quality. How mass production transformed industries such as automobiles, consumer goods, and electronics, and created new markets and consumer cultures. How mass production also had social and environmental impacts, such as worker alienation, unionization, urbanization, suburbanization, pollution, and resource depletion.
2024-10-21 Mo 10:00 PDT: Mass-Production Economy
DeLong, J. Bradford. 2022. Slouching Towards Utopia: The Economic History of the 20th Century. New York: Basic Books. <https://archive.org/details/slouching-towards-utopia-the-economic-history-of-the-20th-century>. Focus on: 6. Twenties, 7. Depression, & 10. WWII.
2024-10-23 We 10:00 PDT: Mixed Economy & the Thirty Glorious Years
DeLong, J. Bradford. 2022. Slouching Towards Utopia: The Economic History of the 20th Century. New York: Basic Books. <https://archive.org/details/slouching-towards-utopia-the-economic-history-of-the-20th-century>. Focus on: 14. Glorious Years.
2024-10-25 Fr 10:00 PDT: In-Class Quantitative Exercises: Demographic transitions & mass-production economies…
2024-10-28 Mo 10:00 PDT: The Soviet Experience, & False (& True) Starts to Development
Allen, Robert C. 2011. Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <https://archive.org/details/global-economic-history-a-very-short-introduction>. 9. Big Push.
DeLong, J. Bradford. 2022. Slouching Towards Utopia: The Economic History of the 20th Century. New York: Basic Books. <https://archive.org/details/slouching-towards-utopia-the-economic-history-of-the-20th-century>. Focus on: 11. Cold War & 12. Development.
2024-10-30 We 10:00 PDT: Midterm II
DeLong: Twenties—how post-war optimism and technological advancements led to a decade of significant economic growth and cultural change. Great Depression—how it disrupted global economies and led to the rise of the social-democratic New Deal Order. World War II—how economic strategies and resources influenced the conduct and outcomes of the war.
Allen: Big Push—how some countries attempted to rapidly industrialize through heavy government intervention and the varying levels of success these efforts achieved.
DeLong: Cold War—competition and coexistence of capitalist and socialist economic models. Development—economic strategies employed by countries in the Global South that failed, and those that led to sustainable development.
VIII: Global Value-Chain Society +1980 to +2020--how the fragmentation and dispersion of production across different countries and regions, facilitated by trade liberalization, lower transport costs, information and communication technologies, and innovations in logistics. How global value chains (GVCs) increased the efficiency, competitiveness, and diversity of products and services, but also created new challenges and risks, such as coordination, quality control, governance, distribution of value added, and vulnerability to shocks.
2024-11-01 Fr 10:00 PDT: The Productivity Slowdown & the Neoliberal Order
DeLong, J. Bradford. 2022. Slouching Towards Utopia: The Economic History of the 20th Century. New York: Basic Books. <https://archive.org/details/slouching-towards-utopia-the-economic-history-of-the-20th-century>. Focus on: 15. Neoliberal.
2024-11-04 Mo 10:00 PDT: East Asian Miracles & China Stands Up
2024-11-06 We 10:00 PDT: Petro-States, & Russia Sits Down
2024-11-08 Fr 10:00 PST: In-Class Quantitative Exercises: East-Asian miracles & global divergence…
2024-11-13 We 10:00 PST: The Global Value-Chain Economy & Hyperglobalization
DeLong, J. Bradford. 2022. Slouching Towards Utopia: The Economic History of the 20th Century. New York: Basic Books. <https://archive.org/details/slouching-towards-utopia-the-economic-history-of-the-20th-century>. Focus on: 16. Hyperglobalization & 17. Recession.
2024-11-15 Fr 10:00 PST: Status Inclusion & within-Rich Nation Income Divergence
Koyama, Mark, & Jared Rubin. 2022. How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth. Hoboken: Wiley. <https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ehsrev/v75y2022i4p1379-1380.html>. 10. Industrialization & 11. The World
DeLong, J. Bradford. 2022. Slouching Towards Utopia: The Economic History of the 20th Century. New York: Basic Books. <https://archive.org/details/slouching-towards-utopia-the-economic-history-of-the-20th-century>. Focus on: 13. Inclusion
DeLong: Neoliberal Turn—the shift towards neoliberal economic policies starting in the late 20th century, and their global impact on deregulation, privatization, and the reduction of government intervention in the economy. Hyperglobalization—the acceleration of globalization in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, driven by advances in information technology and changes in global trade and communication. Recession—the 2008 financial crisis and its prolonged economic repercussions, with ineffective recovery efforts devastating long-term impacts…
Koyama & Rubin: Industrialization & the World—how different regions of the world responded to the opportunities and challenges of industrialization…
DeLong: Inclusion—efforts and policies aimed at including more diverse populations in terms of race, gender, and economic class in economic benefits…
IX: Attention-Info-Bio-Tech Society +2020 onward--how the convergence of information technology and biotechnology revolutionized science and humanity in the 21st century, creating new possibilities and risks for knowledge, discovery, creativity, and enhancement. How info-biotech enabled new forms of data generation, analysis, and manipulation, as well as new applications in health, agriculture, energy, environment, and security. How info-biotech also raised ethical and existential questions about the nature and future of life.
2024-11-18 Mo 10:00 PST: The Renewed Fight Over Orders: Parasitic, New Deal, Neoliberal, Neofascist, State Surveillance Capitalist (with & without Egalitarian Aspirations
2024-11-20 We 10:00 PST: The Attention-Info-Bio-Tech Economy
2024-11-22 Fr 10:00 PST: In-Class Quantitative Exercises: The economics of an Attention economy…
2024-11-25 Mo 10:00 PST: Global Warming
2024-12-02 Mo 10:00 PST: The Drake Equation & the Fermi Paradox
2024-12-04 We 10:00 PST: Living Wisely & Well?
DeLong, J. Bradford. 2022. Slouching Towards Utopia: The Economic History of the 20th Century. New York: Basic Books. <https://archive.org/details/slouching-towards-utopia-the-economic-history-of-the-20th-century>. Focus on: Conclusion
Clark, Greg. 2007. A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. <https://archive.org/details/farewelltoalmsbr00clar>. 18. Conclusion.
Allen, Robert C. 2011. Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. <https://archive.org/details/global-economic-history-a-very-short-introduction>. Focus on: Epilogue
2024-12-06 Fr 10:00 PST: REVIEW
RRR Week Project?
FINAL
DeLong: Conclusion—are we still slouching towards utopia?; the historical trajectory towards a better global society, with it being an open question whether progress is truly being made towards a utopian future, or whether humanity is on a hedonic and status treadmill without solving many of the most fundamental problems…
Clark: Conclusion: Strange New World—the modern economic world shaped by historical economic processes…
Allen: Epilogue—factors driving economic growth and divergence among different nations; importance of understanding the historical and economic contexts from technology and institutions to capital and labor dynamics; shifting economic centers from East to West and back again, andn why manufacturing and economic dominance moved from Asia to Europe and then began reverting; the enduring question of what constitutes the best policy for economic development remains open with no straightforward answers and only the weasel-words that policies must be adapted to specific historical and economic contexts…
Ah! To be an undergraduate again knowing what I know now. I'd learn so much more!
Hey Brad,
As someone who is trying to move away from excel, why are you using python instead of RStudio? There's a movement in my industry, real estate appraisal, to switch to RStudio but very few are using python.
Thanks