31503

SoSe 16: Conflict and Development

Julia Zimmermann

Additional information / Pre-requisites

Students wanting to participate in the class must either possess a basic understanding of econometrics at Bachelor level or be willing to catch up; econometric concepts will, however, be briefly repeated in a review session. This course will discuss a limited set of academic articles in depth; students are expected to read these articles before class. Furthermore, students are expected to prepare a 20-minute presentation on an assigned paper in a week of their choice, which will be evaluated by their peers for clarity of speech, presentation style and ability to convey the information of the scientific paper. close

Comments

This course aims at introducing students to the recent literature on conflict and economic development. To date, the study of conflicts has been dominated by political scientists, which prejudges the phenomenon as purely political. However, the use of economic theory and statistical evidence alongside the traditional case-studies can offer valuable analytical insights on the causes of inter- and intrastate conflicts and terrorism and its effect on economic development. Students are introduced to models of armed conflict. We discuss cross-country evidence and case-studies which aim at increasing understanding of what economists have in their tool kit for estimating the causal impact of various conflicts on outcomes relevant for growth and vice-versa. At the end of this course students will not only have achieved a better understanding of what rational choice explanations for war are but also how conflicts affect growth-relevant variables. close

14 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Wed, 12:00 - 14:00 14 Class schedule

Wed, 2016-04-20 12:00 - 14:00

Lecturers:
Julia Zimmermann