Prof. Maria Amparo Cruz Saco
ECO 440, Globalism, Globaphobia, and Paradoxes
1. Purpose
Based on the analytical frameworks developed by Bhagwati, Collier, Easterly, Karlan, North,
Rodrik, Sen, Stiglitz, and Yunus, we will discuss pressing economic issues affecting emerging
economies. We will assess arguments for and against globalization and liberalization of trade
and financial accounts, and analyze the implications of “Washington Consensus” policies, the
China effect, immigration and remittances, the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, and
global environmental implications. In addition, students will complete a research project on any
of the issues that we have discussed and a selected country. This research project will be
presented in both written and oral form.
2. Seminar description
Students are required to read the assigned bibliography for each session. Every week I will
collect entry journals with written responses to the readings for both sessions. Each student is
required to actively participate in presentations and discussions of the material, and will take
turns in leading the discussion. Because the seminar is small, you will have an opportunity to be
a major participant in the learning process. By the second or third week into the semester, you
will select a country of choice that will serve as your “lab” for the application of the concepts,
ideas, and issues that we analyze. You will complete two critical review essays on the material
that we have covered and one country-and-issue research paper following guidelines that I will
distribute. Both, your critical review essays and your research paper will be presented in class.
Note that I prefer that you do not use a computer in class, and if you do, it should be restricted
to presentation of material for class discussion.
Pre-requisites for this seminar are Economics 206 and Economics 332 or Economics 306 or
Economics 311 or Economics 330. This seminar is limited to juniors and seniors
3. Course requirements
30%
Class participation
40%
Two critical review essays
30%
Final research project (selected country-and-issue)
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3. Program
Week 1
8/30
Introduction: Sen’s Development as freedom and the role of institutions
Amartya Sen, ch 2, The Ends and the Means of Development, in Sen, 1999, Development
as Freedom
Douglas North, 1989, “Institutions and Economic Growth: A Historical Introduction”
9/4
Good institutions, igniting and sustaining growth
Dani Rodrik, ch 1, “Fifty Years of Growth (and Lack Thereof): An Interpretation,” in
Rodrik, 2007, One Economy, Many Recipes
9/6
Rodrik’s Criticisms
Understanding the “Globalization Paradox”
Dani Rodrik, 2011, ch 1-4, The Globalization Paradox
Week 2
9/11
Globalization Follies
Dani Rodrik, 2011, ch 5-8, The Globalization Paradox
9/13
Giving Globalization a chance
Dani Rodrik, 2011, ch 9-12 and the Afterword, The Globalization Paradox
Week 3
9/18
Stiglitz’ Criticisms
Joseph Stiglitz, 2002, ch 1-4, Globalization and Its Discontents
9/20
Easterly’s Position on Foreign Aid
William Easterly, 2002, ch 1-3, The Elusive Quest for Growth
Week 4
9/25
Collier’s Growth Traps
Paul Collier, 2007, ch 1-6, The Bottom Billion. Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and
What Can Be Done About It
9/27
Yunus’ Social Business proposal
Muhammad Yunus, 2007, ch 1-4, Creating a World Without Poverty
Week 5
10/2
Karlan’s behavioral economics approach to poverty reduction
Dean Karlan and Jacob Appel, 2011, ch 1-5, More Than Good Intentions
------First critical review essay is due
10/4
Bhagwati’s defense of Globalization
Jagdish Bhagwati, 2004, ch 1-6, In Defense of Globalization
Week 6
10/9
Rising China
Eva Paus, Penelope Prime, and Jon Western, eds., 2009, ch 1-3, Global Giant. Is China
Changing the Rules of the Game?
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10/11
China’s threat to Latin America
Kevin Gallagher and Roberto Porzecanski, 2010, ch 1-3, The Dragon in the Room
Week 7
10/16
The 2008 Global Financial Crisis
Joseph Stiglitz, 2010, ch 1-3, Freefall
10/18
The Global Aftermath
Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff, 2009, ch 13-16, This Time is Different
Week 8
10/23
Immigration
Hein De Haas, 2005, “International Migration, Remittances and Development: myths and
facts,” in Third World Quarterly, vol 26, no 8, pp 1269-1284
Rosemary Vargas-Lundius and Guillaume Lanly, 2008, International migration,
remittances and rural development
10/25
Remittances
Dean Yang, 2011, “Migrant Remittances,” in Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol 25, no 3,
pp 1-24
Week 9
10/30
Motives for remittances
Hillel Rapoport and Frédéric Docquier, 2005, The Economics of Migrants´ Remittances,
Discussion Paper Series no 1531, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
Cruz-Saco, López-Anuarbe, and Park, “Hispanic Remittances and the Gender Gap” (draft)
Cruz-Saco, López-Anuarbe, Murdock ’13, and Rudolf ’12, “Hispanics and Remittances in
New London” (draft)
11/1
The political economy of the Global Environment
Jennifer Clapp and Peter Dauvergne, ch 1, “Peril or Prosperity? Mapping Worldviews of
Global Environmental Change” and ch 2 “The Ecological Consequences of
Globalization,” in Clapp and Dauvergne, Paths to a Green World
Week 10
11/6
The reign of waste
Jennifer Clapp, 2002, ch 7, “The Distancing of Waste: Overconsumption in a Global
Economy,” in Princen, Maniates, and Conca, eds., Confronting Consumption
Aimin Chen, Kim Dietrich, Xia Huo, and Shuk-mei Ho, 2011, “Developmental
Neurotoxicants in E-Waste: An Emerging Health Concern,” in Environmental
Health Perspectives, vol 119, no 4.
David Pellow, ch 5, “Ghosts of the Green Revolution: Pesticides Poison the Global South,”
in Pellow, Resisting Global Toxics
11/8
Global environmental issues
Kate O’Neil, 2007, “Curbing Toxic Trade: The Basel Convention in the Twenty-First
Century” (draft)
Sanjeev Khagram, 2004, ch 4, “The Transnational Campaign to Save India’s Narmada
River”, in Khagram, Dams and Development. Transnational Struggles for Water and
Power
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Week 11
11/13
DVD “Waste Land” directed by Lucy Walker, 2010. In this documentary artist Vik Muniz
travels back from Brooklyn to his native Brazil, and the world’s largest garbage
dump, Jardim Gramacho, located in Rio de Janeiro.
11/15
DVD “The Inside Job” directed by Charles Ferguson, 2010. Insightful presentation of the
roles and responsibilities of Wall Street, big financial institutions, and regulators
in the making of the 2008 financial crisis.
Week 12
11/20
DVD “Food, Inc.” directed by Robert Kenner, 2008. A film about America’s corporate
controlled food industry.
----------First draft of research paper is due
11/22
Thanksgiving break
Week 13
11/27
Synthesizing lessons learned in the seminar
------Second critical review essay is due
11/29
Conclusions of seminar
Week 14
12/4
Student presentations of semester long research project
12/6
Student presentations of semester long research project
Week 15
12/11
Student presentations of semester long research project
Important information
--------Academic honor is of utmost importance. Depending on the violation, a student could
receive an F grade on the test, assignment or course, and could be suspended or expelled from
the College. All students must write the following pledge in every exam before it is handed in
for grading: “ I promise neither to give nor receive any aid on this examination.” Please, read
the section on academic integrity at
http://aspen.conncoll.edu/camelweb/index.cfm?fuseaction=zbook&circuit=4&function=view&ac
tion=10063&solution=40&zbook=1584&fuse=plagiarism#zbook1584.
If you wish to enhance your writing skills please note that The Roth Writing Center provides
one-to-one peer tutoring (free of charge) to help student writers of all abilities during all stages
of the writing process. To make an appointment, call x2173 or stop by the Writing Center at 214
Blaustein. If you're a confident, experienced writer we can help you to push your ideas and
polish your style; if you're a relatively inexperienced and not-so-confident writer we can also
help you, by working on grammar or organization or whatever you need. Writing Center
tutors are trained to help you to discover what you think through writing. Working with a
tutor gives you the opportunity to share your work-in-progress with an actual reader, so that
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you can get useful feedback on that work before you have to turn it in for a final grade. For
further information, visit the Writing Center web page at http://write.conncoll.edu/.
--------If you have a physical or mental learning disability which may require classroom, testtaking or other reasonable accommodation, please let me know as soon as possible. If you have
not already done so, please be sure to register with Sherine A. Miller, Director of the Office of
Student Disability Services, extension 5240.
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