Political Economy of Institutions and Development

This course is part of the SDG initiative addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically for the following SDGs [1, 8, 10 and 16]. We hope you will join in our efforts to reach the SDG’s in small but measurable and actionable ways, cooperating with Development Done Differently. Expand your impact. You can create a better world. In today’s world, politics and economics are interconnected, but what is the nature of this connectivity? What are the power relationships that shape the world economy today and create new challenges for international institutions facing globalization? What makes some countries wealthier than others? Do we face cultural diversity or fragmentation? Does the type of governance effect economic development and social change or is it the other way around? How do we measure it and how trustworthy is the data? These issues and many more will be examined in this course along with a wide library of sources and a biting criticism.

• Introduction into this course
• Welcome to this course! Here we present the instructor and his team, what we will do in the upcoming modules, and what is exactly Political Economy. You play an important role in this module. We would also like to hear who you are and what are your expectations from this course. Don't forget to read before that our academic standards and tips and tricks that will help you succeed in this course. Good luck!
• Data used in Political Economy
• Basic Data. Reviews the basic data of population, output and development used to make international comparisons between countries.
• Trust
• Trust. Argues for the centrality of trust in explanations of differences in wealth and poverty between nations but highlights difficulties in measuring it and in explaining the direct of causality.
• Society and Fragmentation
• Inequality and Fragmentation. Examines how society can be fragmented along lines of religion, language, ethnicity and income
• Governance
• Governance. Argues that good governance provides a transparent and stable environment for risk assessment and decision-making and contributes to welfare and growth. The question is how to get it.
• Economic Development
• Development Assistance. Assesses the motivations for development assistance but raises doubts about the extent to which it can overcome local issues.
• Globalisation
• Let us now focus on the international context of the elements we've seen so far. Globalisation - what is it really? What are the benefits it is supposed to confer and what is the role, if any, left for national governments in today's world?
• International organizations
• International organization. What role do they play in the world economy?
• Non Governmental actors
• Even though they do not belong to any establishment or an institution, certain non- governmental institutions can have a lot of power and influence. Who are those actors? How much power do they really have? We will dive into these question in this module!
• Extra Material
• Not for the test - but very good for your general knowledge!