Economics 367 - Post Independence African Deve

This course provides the tools for understanding the evolution of African economies after independence and their current situation in the global economy. The course emphasizes the importance of the interactions between political institutions and economic systems in determining economic and social outcomes. The course will begin with a quick overview of pre-colonial and colonial Africa followed by a selection of topics on independent Africa. Students will lead a series of presentations of country case studies. The aims of this course are both to understand African economies and their trajectory specifically and more generally to build both students? ability to critically evaluate and respond to economic arguments that are a blend of both facts and ideology and a broader understanding of World and African history and socio economic stratification. Students will be expected to complete 9 written assignments ranging from 2 page response papers to a full 12 page research paper. Students will also participate in peer reviewing a colleague?s work. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BA-Econ majors.

Pre Req: ECON 103 or RESEC 102 To request Department Consent for enrollment in this class, students must complete an Economics Department Consent Form and attend class to obtain the instructor's signature on the form before submitting it. The form and instructions are here: http://www.umass.edu/economics/Department_Consent_Form_1-15-2015.pdf

May be used to fulfill the IE requirement for Econ primary majors.