Topics in Economics (MIM)

aje on December 18, 2021

This course introduces students to several important and contemporary issues that relate to economics. Having already covered the key insights from Micro and Macroeconomics, this advanced course goes deeper into the frontiers of the discipline. Students will challenge their understanding of complex and controversial issues and develop their perspective on how to become managers of the future.

🏅 Assessment

50% Individual assignment (see here for instructions)
50% Final exam (MCQ) (see here for a practice exam)

🗓️ Content

Topic	Before	During	After
1. Money and central banking	Menger, C., 1892, “On the Origin of Money” Economic Journal, 2:239-55 Radford, R.A., 1945, “The Economic Organization of a P.O.W. Camp”, Economica, 12(48):189-201	Lecture handouts	More resources Economics: A Complete Guide for Business Chapter 7 (Section 7.3; pp. 216-255) Economics: A Complete Guide for Business Chapter 8
2. Central banking and digital transformation	Bitcoin: A Primer for Policymakers, Mercatus Center The Bullish Case for Bitcoin, Vijay Boyapati, March 2nd 2018 “Central banks, the monetary system and public payment infrastructure: lessons from Brazil’s Pix” BIS Bulletin No. 52 Cowen, T., and Tabarrok, A., Cryptoeconomics (Chapter 8 in Modern Principles)	Lecture handouts	More resources
3. Macro Models	Raworth, K., 2012, A Safe and Just Space for Humanity: Can We Live within the Doughnut? Oxfam Discussion Papers “Why climate policy has failed” William Norhaus, Foreign Affairs, October 12th 2021	Lecture handouts	More resources
4. Growth	Solow, R., 1956, “A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 70(1):65-94 Cowen, T., “The Case for the Longer Term“, Cato Unbound, January 9th 2019	Lecture handouts	More resources Economics: A Complete Guide for Business Chapter 12 (Section 12.1)
5. Prosperity	Pre class quiz Economics Mission Statement, March 2018	Lecture handouts	More resources Economics: A Complete Guide for Business Chapter 12 (Section 12.2-12.3)
6. Inequality	Pre class survey Watch the full movie Parasite (2019), Bong Joon Ho Saez, E., and Zucman, G., 2020, “The Rise of Income and Wealth Inequality in America: Evidence from Distributional Macroeconomic Accounts” Journal of Economic Perspectives, 34(4):3-26 Kopczuk, W., and Zwick, E., 2020, “Business Incomes at the Top” Journal of Economics Perspectives, 34(4):27-51,	Lecture handouts	More resources
7. Stagnation	Watch “Steve Jobs – iPhone Introduction in 2007” (first 17 minutes is fine) Eichengreen, Barry, 2015, “Secular Stagnation: The Long View.” American Economic Review, 105 (5): 66-70 Southwood, Ben, “Scientific slowdown is not inevitable“, Works in Progress, April 21st 2022	Lecture handouts	More resources
8. Progress	Watch the full movie The Greatest Showman (2017), Michael Gracey Dourado, Eli, “Notes on technology in the 2020s“, December 31st 2020 Shariatmadari, David, “An optimist’s guide to the future: the economist who believes that human ingenuity will save the world” The Guardian, April 30th 2022	Lecture handouts	More resources

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