Econ 4514: European Economic History
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The European continent was the first place to experience modern economic growth. The resulting transformation, covering the period from 1000 to the present, began one of the most important and ongoing processes in world history, and one with far-reaching impacts for economic development and political union. The first part of this course focuses on the preconditions for growth, including the institutional and technological determinants of Europe's divergence from the rest of the world. The second part examines Europe's role in the integration of the global economy starting with the Industrial Revolution and ending with World War I. The final part considers the forces behind the economic and political catastrophes of the 1930s and 1940s, political and economic integration during the postwar period, and more recent changes in the European Union.
All materials (lectures, required readings, etc) will be available on this page. You should complete readings before we cover the topic in class. The books An Economic History of Europe by Karl Gunnar Persson and Paul Sharp and The European Economy since 1945 by Barry Eichengreen are required.
★ required 📖 book recommendation • supplementary
Missing more than three classes will result in a full letter grade reduction of your final grade (e.g., an "A" becomes a "B"). Each additional three classes missed will result in a further letter grade reduction.
Find a research article published in the Journal of Economic History, Explorations in Economic History, or Economic History Review for each topic. Identify a table or figure from the article, give a brief description, and provide a proper citation.
Write a short in-class essay on an approved book related to one of the course topics. You must provide evidence that you came into physical contact with the book. The in-class essay will take the form of a review summarizing the thesis and analyzing a key empirical claim.
Propose a question or hypothesis and then use data (e.g., Maddison Project Database, Penn World Table) to answer the question or test the hypothesis. Download a data series, construct a figure or table, and discuss how it is useful for addressing your question or hypothesis.
One in-class midterm exam and a final exam on the date and time set by the University. All exams are cumulative.
I encourage you to attend office hours or to set up a time to meet outside of office hours. You should come to office hours prepared with questions or ready to discuss course material. Office hours are the appropriate forum for addressing questions about course material or policies. Use email to set up a time to meet outside of office hours, if necessary.