Gregory
Clark
ECN 110A, Winter 2012
1137
Social Science and Humanities
Wellman 2, MWF 8:00-8:50
(gclark@ucdavis.edu)
Office Hours: M,
Wed 1:00-2:30
http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/gclark/teaching.html
TAs: Kelly Erickson [keerickson@ucdavis.edu]
Max Hao [maxhao@ucdavis.edu]
DESCRIPTION
This course details the nature and development of
economies from pre-history to the Industrial Revolution. It explains how this
was dramatically different from modern economies. Finally it
considers what caused the Industrial Revolution, why it was in
Europe, and why it was delayed till 1800.
SCHEDULE
Below is the schedule for the quarter. Because of a
shortage of large lecture rooms this class has to be offered
at 8 am, not a favored time for most of you. The lectures from
this class in Spring 2009 were
videotaped. These
lectures are at iTunes
University,
and cover all the material for this quarter (except for one
lecture). Thus
you can take the class without having to attend the 8 am
lectures. However,
to encourage you to keep up with the lectures there will be a
weekly short quiz in the TA sections.
Date |
Day in Week |
Lecture at iTunes |
Chapter |
|
|
|
|
Jan 9 |
Mon |
Introduction |
1 |
Jan 11 |
Wed |
Logic
of Malthusian Model |
2 |
Jan 13 |
Fri |
Logic
of Malthusian Model |
2 |
Jan 16 |
MLK
Day |
------ |
- |
Jan 18 |
Wed |
Logic
of Malthusian Model |
2 |
Jan 20 |
Fri |
Logic
of Malthusian Model |
2 |
Jan 23 |
Mon |
Living
Standards Before 1800 |
3 |
Jan 25 |
Wed |
Living
Standards Before 1800 |
3 |
Jan 27 |
Fri |
Fertility
in the Pre-Industrial World |
4 |
Jan 30 |
Mon |
Fertility
in the Pre-Industrial World |
4 |
Feb 1 |
Wed |
Survival
of the Richest |
6 |
Feb 3 |
Fri |
Survival
of the Richest |
6 |
Feb 6 |
Mon |
Mortality
in the Pre-Industrial World |
5 |
Feb 8 |
Wed |
Slow
Technological Advance pre 1800 |
7 |
Date |
Day in Week |
Lecture at iTunes |
Chapter |
Feb 10 |
Fri |
Institutions
and Technological Advance |
8 |
Feb 13 |
Mon |
The
Myth of Institutional Barriers |
8 |
Feb 15 |
Wed |
Social
Mobility |
- |
Feb 17 |
Fri |
MIDTERM |
- |
Feb 20 |
Presidents’ Day |
------ |
- |
Feb 22 |
Wed |
The
Emergence of Modern Man |
9 |
Feb 24 |
Fri |
The
Emergence of Modern Man |
9 |
Feb 27 |
Mon |
Culture and Modern Growth |
9 |
Feb
29 |
Wed |
Modern Growth |
10 |
Mar 2 |
No
Class |
------ |
- |
Mar 5 |
Mon |
Modern Growth |
10 |
Mar 7 |
Wed |
Why
was the Industrial Revolution
delayed 100,000 years? |
11 |
Mar 9 |
Fri |
Theories
of the Industrial Revolution |
11 |
Mar 12 |
Mon |
Theories
of the Industrial Revolution |
11 |
Mar 14 |
Wed |
The
English Industrial Revolution |
12 |
Mar 16 |
Fri |
The
English Industrial Revolution |
12 |
Mar 19 |
Mon |
England
and Theories of Growth |
13 |
Mar 21 |
Wed |
Review (TBA) |
- |
Mar 24 |
Sat |
Final,
8-10
(Sample
Final) |
- |
READINGS
The text is my book, A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the
World (Princeton University Press, 2007). There will also be
weekly supplementary readings available as links to the
syllabus on my web site.
Some will be on more technical material, such as
mathematical models of growth.
Others will be case studies illustrating points in the
book.
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
There will be 8 short quizzes in the TA sections, a
midterm, and a final. Anyone
registered for the course has to be available for the midterms
and final as scheduled. The
grade for the class will be:
Quizzes -
30%
Midterm
-
20%
Final - 50%
By
Economics
Department policy the class average GPA will be 2.7.
PROBLEM
SETS
Problems
on each chapter will be posted through the links below.
The TAs will go over these questions as well as the
supplementary material in the review sections.
OUTLINE
Ch |
Topic |
Pages |
1. |
Introduction Jared
Diamond – The Worst Mistake in the History of the
Human Race |
1-18 |
|
|
|
The
Malthusian Trap: Economic Life to 1800 |
||
2. |
The
Logic of the Malthusian Economy Questions
on Chapter 2 |
19-39 |
3. |
Material
Living Standards
Questions
on Chapter 3 |
40-70 |
4. |
Fertility Questions
on Chapter 4 |
71-90 |
5. |
Life
Expectancy
Questions
of Chapter 5 |
91-111 |
6. |
Malthus
and Darwin: Survival of the Richest Questions
of Chapter 6
|
112-132 |
7. |
Technological
Advance Growth
Accounting |
133-144 |
8. |
Institutions Malawi
vs Sweden North
and Thomas North
and Weingast |
145-165 |
9. |
The
Emergence of Modern Man |
166-192 |
|
|
|
The
Industrial Revolution |
||
10. |
Modern
Growth: the Wealth of Nations Growth
Accounting |
193-207 |
11. |
The
Problem of the Industrial Revolution |
208-229 |
12. |
The
English Industrial Revolution |
230-258 |
13 |
Why
England? Why not China, Japan, or India? |
259-271 |
14 |
Social
Consequences of the Industrial Revolution |
272-302 |