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ECON 493J
Course Description
and Rules Spring, 2007 |
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Office: 420 Business and Economics Building Phone: 304-293-7860 Fax: 304-293-5652 E-mail: william.trumbull@mail.wvu.edu Office Hours: MF 10:00-11:30 or by appointment. |
| Readings:
NOTE: Most required readings will
either be
from the Gros and Steinherr text or can be downloaded (most in pdf
format). Main text: Daniel Gros and Alfred Steinherr, Economic Transition in Central and Eastern Europe: Planting the Seeds. Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Bornstein, Morris, "The Comparison of Economic Systems" in Morris Bornstein (ed.) Comparative Economic Systems: Models and Cases, 6th ed. Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1989. Peter T. Leeson and William N. Trumbull, "Comparing Apples: Normalcy, Russia, and the Remaining Post-Socialist World." Forthcoming in Post-Soviet Affairs. Neuberger, Egon, "Classifying Economic Systems," in Morris Bornstein (ed.) Comparative Economic Systems: Models and Cases, 6th ed. Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1989.
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| Course outputs:
One exam, a Web-based threaded discussion, a daily journal written in Poland, and a research paper. Note special requirements for International Studies majors enrolled in INTS 488: International Studies Capstone Experiences. |
| Course objectives:
Economic transition is one of the dominant economic issues of our
time. The objective of this course is to examine basic principles of
economics by studying the transition of various |
| Expected learning outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course students: |
| Course description:
Although the name of the course is the Transitional Economies of Europe, we will study the politics of the transitional economies, their history, and their culture, as well as the economics. Thus, you can expect a highly integrative learning experience in which you will study the transitional economies from several disciplinary perspectives, you will learn the material from the perspectives of both American and Polish scholars, and you will experience the situation for yourself when we take our field trip to Poland in March. Lectures: Having discussed the various types of economic systems, we
will undertake a review of the transitional period, from about 1989 to
the present. Threaded discussions: Exam: Journal: Research paper: For International Studies majors
enrolled in
INTS 488: Attendance: You absolutely must attend every event in Poland, including classes and field trips. For every event you miss, you will lose half a letter grade. Falling asleep during a lecture will also cost you half a letter grade. Being late will cost you points, depending on how late you are. I want you to have a good time in Poland (I sure plan to!) but the academic program comes first. Academic dishonesty: |
Weighting (%):
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| Grading scale: A 93+ A- 90-92 B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82 C+ 77-79 C 73-76 C- 70-72 D+ 67-69 D 63-66 D- 60-62 F 59- |
Important due dates:
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Lectures
Check back here to download PowerPoint slides outlining class
lectures.
You should print them out three slides per page in handout
format.
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Schedule of Classes
To download the readings, you will need the Acrobat Reader plug-in.
If you don't have it, you can down-load it free:
| Date | Topic | Readings |
| Jan. 8 | Introduction | |
| Jan. 11 | Polish history (Prof. Blobaum) | |
| Jan. 16 | Polish history (cont.) | |
| Jan. 18 | Polish culture -- literature, cinema, architecture (Prof. DiBartolomeo) | |
| Jan. 23 | Introduction to comparative economic systems | Bornstein (1989).
Gross & Steinherr, Ch 1 and 2. |
| Jan. 25 | Polish culture -- literature, cinema, architecture (cont.) | |
| Jan. 30 | Comparative economic systems (cont.) | |
| Feb. 1 | Comparative economic systems (cont.) | |
| Feb. 6 | Introduction to transition |
Gross & Steinherr, Ch 3 and 4. |
| Feb. 8 | Continuation of the introduction to transition | |
| Feb. 13 | Continuation of the introduction to transition | |
| Feb. 15 | Transition in Russia |
Gross & Steinherr, Ch 7 and 8. |
| Feb. 20 | Transition in Russia | |
| Feb. 22 | Transition in Russia | |
| Feb. 27 | Transition in Central Europe |
Review Gross & Steinherr, Ch 3 and 4. |
| March 1 | Czech Republic |
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| March 6 | Hungary | |
| March 8 | Poland | |
| March 13 | Unfinished business |
Gross & Steinherr, Ch 5 and 11. |
| March 15 | Unfinished business |
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