Development Economics examines one of the most important economic, political, and moral challenges of our time, namely, the demand for economic growth and development in low-income countries, and the prospects for their transformation into modern, globalized, and high-income economies. 

The course consists of seven modules.  The first five of these explore the nature and causes of development and underdevelopment, the effects of development aid in recipient countries, and the vexing phenomenon of "growth without development," all in terms of

(1) the four major macroeconomic models of development;

(2) the basic contemporary policy debate ("Planners" vs. "Searchers");

(3) obstacles and opportunities attributable to the international aid architecture;

(4) theoretical and technical approaches to assessing aid effectiveness; and

(5) project management tools for evaluating specific development initiatives.

In the closing weeks of the course, the complex role of (6) political economy of development and democracy is also introduced in advance of our (7) final research assignment.