Description
This course will explore the economic development of Latin America since independence. While covering over two centuries of economic history, this course will center around answering the question why a region with so many opportunities, has failed to fulfill the promise of economic development? In particular, this course will focus on the role that institutions (or lack of) have on the economic development in the region, and how other economic factors have affected the long run performance of the region. Among the topics covered by this course are: the legacy of colonialism, inequality and internal strife; industrialization, unionization, corporatism, and political protectionism; the post-war years, import substitution and foreign debt, and the limits and challenges of neoliberalism. Prerequisites: ECON052 PO, and either ECON057 PO, MATH08 PO, or POLI090 PO.