96425 - Institutional Economics, Democracy, Development

Academic Year 2024/2025

Learning outcomes

The course provides an introduction to methods and topics in Political Economics and to the theory of institutional change. Students are expected to learn the methodological basis of the field and to perform autonomously a critical analysis of the issues related to the aggregation of individual preferences and institutional change.

Course contents

  • Causality in social sciences
  • Institutions, culture and economic development
  • Democratization, development and inequality
  • Political regimes, public finances and economic performance in the long-run

Readings/Bibliography

Journal publications in English, of which a complete list will be made available on the course’s VIRTUALE platform prior to the beginning of classes.

Teaching methods

Class lectures where students' active involvement will be encouraged.

Assessment methods

  • Final written exam and class presentations.
  • Students may refuse the grade only once.
  • For more details, please see the syllabus posted on Virtuale.

In the case of online exams envisaged by the University of Bologna, the final exam will be written rather than oral.

Grading:

<18 failed
18-23 sufficient
24-27 good
28-30 very good
30 e lode excellent

Teaching tools

Slides and teaching materials will be available after each lecture on the Virtuale platform.

Office hours

See the website of Massimiliano Gaetano Onorato