Comparative Political Economy Essay

Comparative Political Economy Essay

Pick one question from the 10 question list, follow the request to finish it.

Questions:

The references most directly linked to the questions are noted below each.

1. How do political institutions affect long-run economic growth?

Week 3, especially Acemoglu Johnson Robinson; North-Weingast; Engerman-Sokoloff; possibly also Eichengreen, Toniolo-Crafts (week 2)

2. Are differences in European growth patterns better explained by supply-side or demand-side differences in the political economy?

Week 2, Wren, Eichengreen, Hall-Soskice, Baccaro-Pontusson, also Carlin-Soskice from week 5.

3. Do the personal characteristics of central bankers help explain monetary policy variation across countries since 2008?

Week 6, Adolph, Vivyan et al, Roubini.

4. Are monetary policy outcomes determined by class conflict?

Week 6, Blyth, Hung-Thompson, (but also Adolph and Vivyan et al)

5. What caused the turn away from the Keynesian policy ‘paradigm’ in the late 1970s and early 1980s?

Week 5, Hall; also week 6, Blyth; week 2, Hall-Soskice, Wren, Eichengreen.

6. What explains variation across countries in the extent of austerity policies implemented since 2008?

Week 5, Walter, Wren-Lewis. You might also think about how Stanley and/or Barnes-Hicks would translate to a cross-nationally comparative context to help answer this question.

7. Has income inequality followed the same trajectory in all advanced industrial countries since 1995? If not, what are the most important differences across countries?

Week 7, Alvaro et al, Piketty, Atkinson et al. Hacker-Pierson, Campbell, Bartels and Goldin-Katz; also Wren, Hall-Soskice, (week 2)  Iversen-Soskice (week 9).

8. Does economic inequality help or hinder economic growth?

Comes out of week 7, Piketty; Goldin-Katz; Atkinson; see also week 2, Eichengreen, Toniolo-Crafts, Hall-Soskice.

9. Does left-wing government reduce income inequality?

Week 9, Iversen-Soskice; Bradley et al, Esping-Andersen, Bartels.

10. What explains variation in individuals’ support for government efforts to reduce economic inequality?

Week 8, de la O and Rodden, Barnes, Morgan-Prasad, Rueda-Stegmueller.