Marmara University
Department of Economics

ECON 8008 Topics in Economic Growth
 

A. Suut Doğruel 2017-2018, Spring
Meeting: Wednesday, 14.00-16.40
 

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

 

The primary requirement of the course is to keep current with the readings and to participate in the discussion.  

Topic Works: You are expected to submit two (and only two!) discussion questions, as the first part of the topic works, concerning the readings for each meeting. These questions should be designed to promote specific discussion of the issue we are examining, and you should explainin a paragraph the significance of each of the questions.  As the second part of the topic works, you are asked to write a critical short essay (3-5 pages) on a specific question that you design. Primary references of your essays should be the discussion articles of the topics.

Project Proposal: The research project proposal should be 10-15 pages, with 20 pages as the maximum including tables and references.  Last meeting of the course is devoted to the discussions of the proposals.

Complete footnoting of all quotations and paraphrasing is essential in all written works. For style and citationplease refer to “Writing Guide for Term Papers and Theses”.

Grades for this course will be calculated as the sum of five topic works (10 points each), research project proposal (30 points) and final examination (20 points).  

PROJECT (30 points)
Submission of the project (on time): 15 points
Survey of literature: 4 points
Specification of the question(s): 4 points
Creativity and contribution: 4 points
Contributions to other project proposals: 3 points

TOPIC WORKS (10 points each x 5 highest)
Questions, attendance and discussion (3 points for each topic)
Each minus (-1): Late submission, absence, etc.

Short essays (7 points for each topic)
i) Independent thinking, plus (iii):7 points
ii) Attempt to think independently, plus (iii):6 points
iii) Attempt to define specific question(s):5 points
iv) Summary only:4 points
Penalty: -1 for each one day delay

 

READINGS:

 

Reading list will be distributed for each topics. Following books can be used as complementary references for the entire course:
 

Aghion, P. and Howitt P.,2009, The Economics of Growth, The MIT press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Acemoğlu, D., 2009, Introduction to Modern Economic Growth, Princeton University Press.

Barro, R. J. and Sala-i Martin, X, 2004, Economic Growth, 2nd Ed. The MIT press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
 

Aghion, P. and Howitt P., 1999, Endogenous Growth Theory, The MIT Press, Cambridege, Massachusetts.
 

Description of the Penn World Table [Penn World Tables] 8.1 is given by::
 

Summers, R. and Heston, A., 1988, “A New Set of International Comparisons of Real Product and Price Levels Estimates for 130 Countries, 1950-1985,” Review of Income and Wealth, V.34, N.1, pp. 1-25.
 

Summers, R. and Heston, A., 1991, “The Penn World Table (Mark 5): An Expanded Set of International Comparisons, 1950-1988,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, V.106, N.2, pp.327-368.
 

Heston, A. and Summers, R., 1996, International Price and Quantity Comparisons: Potentials and Pitfalls,” American Economic Review, V.86, N.2, pp.20-24.
 

 

 

COURSE OUTLINE:

0. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF THE TOPICS: BASIC CONCEPTS: DETERMINANTS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH

1. NEOCLASSICAL THEORY OF GROWTH

2. ENDOGENOUS TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND HUMAN CAPITAL

SUBMISSION AND DISCUSSION ON RESEARCH PROPOSAL TOPICS

3. SCHUMPETERIAN GROWTH

4. DIFFUSION OF TECHNOLOGY

5. GROWTH ACCOUNTING

6. GROWTH POLICY

 PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSALS 

 FINAL EXAMINATION