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.

Other readings for lectures:

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.

For the threaded discussion, read the Wall Street Journal every day (available free at the entrance to the B&E Building).  Look for articles on any of the former Soviet or Soviet-block countries.

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. 

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
European economies from socialism to capitalism. The course objective
will be met by extensive reading, class discussion, and by the
experiential learning afforded by visiting a specific economy,
experiencing the operation of markets and institutions, and direct
discussion with scholars in the country visited.
 

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:
My own lectures on the Transitional Economies of Europe will begin with an introduction to comparative economic systems. We will study three economic systems: capitalism, planned socialism, and market socialism. The former Soviet Block transitional economies, which are the ones we will focus on, were planned socialist economies, although there were elements of market socialism in some, including Hungary.  Yugoslavia was a market socialist economy.

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:
Throughout the course you will participate in a Web-based threaded discussion. This is a very important component of the course, and I have arranged to have experts on transition and Poland participate with us in the discussions.  I will post the first discussion topic a couple weeks into the course. To prepare, you should start reading the Wall Street Journal every day, as this will be one source for my discussion postings.  Free copies of the WSJ are yours for the taking at the entrance to the B&E Building.

Exam:
The exam will be right before the trip. It will cover all the readings and all the lectures. I will post the questions on the WebCT Exam tool at 5PM on March 19 and you are to post your answers by 5PM on March 21.

Journal:
While in Poland, you are to write a daily journal. This journal will include your DETAILED notes from the lectures and field trips. It should also record what you learned each day, your impressions of Poland, its people, culture, economy, religion, politics, race relations, music, art, language, and anything else that interests you. Your task is to convince me that you are an informed and astute observer of the Polish scene. After your return to the U.S., you will type up your journal (double spaced) and submit it to me, along with any supplemental material you may wish to include (such as drawings, if you are an artist) by April 10.

Research paper:
For the research paper, you will have almost complete freedom concerning your topic. Your task is to demonstrate to me that you know something about the transitional economies, that you can analyze transition from the perspective of an economist. This is to be a major project and I cannot imagine how you could do it justice in anything less than fifteen pages (double spaced, 12 point font). You should be thinking about your topic well before the trip and you should discuss it with me. I expect that you will do most of the work on the paper after the trip, but the more you can get done before the trip, the easier it will be for you. We will have no classes after the trip, so you should have plenty of time to work on your project. The paper will be due on April 27 at 5PM. On matters of writing style, you might find it useful to consult a classic guide at http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html.

For International Studies majors enrolled in INTS 488:
Those of you who are taking this course in conjunction with the International Studies Capstone Experience (INTS 488) will have additional requirements for the research paper and journal, which you should discuss with Professor Hagan.

Attendance:
I do expect you to come to every class in Morgantown. Please read the assigned materials before we cover them so that you can participate in discussions, answer the many questions I will ask in class, and do well on the exam.

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:
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Please refer to the West Virginia University Student Handbook for more information about academic dishonesty. Please note that a student will receive a failing grade in this course for cheating.

Neuberger (1989).

Gross & Steinherr, Ch 1 and 2.

Leeson&Trumbull