Gregory Clark                                                                                      ECN 110A, Winter 2010

1137 Social Science and Humanities                                                   Wellman 2, MWF 8:00-8:50

302-1030 (gclark@ucdavis.edu)                                            

http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/gclark/teaching.html           

Office Hours: M, Tue 10:00-11:50

 

TAs:  Hang-Wei Hao [hwhao@ucdavis.edu],              Stephen Sun [sstevesun@gmail.com]

                                               

 

ECN 110A - World Economic History – Pre-History to Industrial Revolution



DESCRIPTION

 

            This course detials 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 on the class web site, and cover all the material for this quarter.  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.

 

 

Week of

Monday

Wednesday

 

Friday

 

 

 

 

Jan 4

Lecture 1

Lecture 2

Lecture 3

Jan 11

Lecture 4

Lecture 5

Lecture 6

Jan 18

MLK Day

Lecture 7

Lecture 8

Jan 25

Lecture 9

Lecture 10

Lecture 11

Feb 1

Lecture 12

Lecture 13

Midterm 1
 (sample Midterm)

(answers-sample Midterm)

Feb 8

Lecture 14

Lecture 15

Lecture 16

Feb 15

Presidents’ Day

Lecture 17

Lecture 18

Feb 22

Lecture 19

Lecture 20

Midterm 2
Sample midterm 2

Mar 1

Lecture 21

Lecture 22

Lecture 23

Mar 8

Lecture 24

Lecture 25

Lecture 26

Mar 15

Lecture 27

-

-

 

 

 

 

FINAL, Fri 19 March,  1-3 pm (Sample Final)

 

 


READINGS

 

            The text is my book, A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World (Princeton University Press, 2007), available from the bookstore.  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, two midterms, 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           - 20%               Midterm 1 - 20%                     Midterm 2 - 20%                     Final - 40%

 

By Economics Department policy the class average GPA will be 2.7.

 

MISSED MIDTERM


Everyone should do both midterms.  If, however, you need to miss either midterm for any reason – illness, a sports event, a crucial interview – then I just reweight the quizzes and other tests proportionately.


 

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

Answer to Chapter 2 questions


Caplan Critiques the Malthusian Model  Clark Responds

Caplan Second Round Clark Second Round


19-39

3.

Material Living Standards  Questions on Chapter 3

Answers to Chapter 3 Questions


Bessino and Ma on Japan  Allen (pp 1-6)


40-70

4.

Fertility    Questions on Chapter 4
Answers to Chapter 4 Questions

71-90

5.

Life Expectancy   Questions on Chapter 5
Answers to Chapter 5 Questions


91-111

6.

Malthus and Darwin: Survival of the Richest

Surnames, Genetic Selection and Social Mobility


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

Questions on Chapter 14

272-302