Ec 365 Topics in public finances in history
January 21: first states in the fertile crescent
- Slides 1
January 26: Egypt
- preparation: You will benefit more from the lecture when you follow these instructions.
- Slides 2
February 2
- Assignment 1: to be handed over in class, in person. Please follow the instructions in the assignment.
- Slides on metallic money and Athens
- Velde, François (2013). "The Origin of Specie," WP.
ANNOUNCEMENT: the first mid-term will be on Monday, February 23 (not on February 18--we missed a class on a snow day, and I think that for a test, Monday is better than Wednesday).
February 4: Rome
February 9:
- Assignment 2: seignorage with metallic money
- Slides
February 11:
February 17
- Assignment 3: to be handed over in class, in person.
- Slides: Cities, charters and representation in England 1300
- References:
- Angelucci, Meraglia and Voigtländer (2022), “How Merchant Towns Shaped Parliaments: From the Norman Conquest of England,” 112(10), American Economic Review, 3441-87.
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Van Zanden, J. L., E. Burigh and M. Bosker (2012). “The rise and decline of European parliaments,” 1188-1789." The Economic History Review, 65(3), 835-861.Required reading: pages 846-852. (You may ignore the pages after 852; they are pretty bad).
February 18
- Slides (4 per page): Slides
- Reading: Fratianni, Michele (2006). "Government Debt, Reputation and Creditors' Protections: The Tale of San Giorgio," Review of Finance, 10(4). Read Section 2 (skip 2.1 and 2.2) and Section 3, (5 pages).
February 18
Week of March 15
Assignment
- Read the paper by Robinson and Pincus.The assignment will be posted on Monday, 3/8. It will be based on the paper by Pincus and Robinson. The VOX article provides an introduction (ignore the preachy advice for the EU), but the assignment requires reading the entire paper. The "Glorious Revolution" is a central issue in economic history and raises several questions that do not have simple yes/no answers. It requires thoughtful reflection, and the break provides a good opportunity to consider these ideas carefully. This process is part of developing your own informed perspective on events, both past and present.
- The essay questions will be posted on 3/8, but you can begin reading the two pieces now.