Moodle UDE

Economic development is a process of change that goes beyond just economic growth. A well-functioning market is a dynamic more than just how supply and demand meets. In recent decades increased attention has been paid to the context and institutions under which economic activities take place. Understanding the interrelation between markets and institutions can explain much of the differences in economic outcomes across time and space. China’s remarkable economic transition and growth experience in the past forty years has attracted a lot of academic attentions. This course is about understanding the basics of what institutions are and why they are important for understanding differences in outcomes over time in Chinese history. We will do so by examining both micro and macro questions, both theoretically and empirically. We will introduce and apply different methods used in economics, and sometimes political science, to analyze the subject. We will also take a closer look at institutions in Chinese markets, and in particular how institutions may influence (for good and bad) the prospects for economic development in China.