AØKK08089U Political Economics

Volume 2016/2017
Education

MSc programme in Economics – elective course

Content

The course provides a broad overview of modern political economics. It deals with the interaction of politics and economics, using formal models to understand the implications for economic policy of various political settings and institutions. The course relates the theoretical predictions to real world examples and systematic empirical findings.

The course covers the following topics:

  • Electoral competition and voter behavior

  • Partisan politics and political agency

  • Redistributive aspects of politics

  • Legislative bargaining

  • Impact of different political institutions on economic policy

  • Sources of differences in political preferences

  • Politics and the media

  • Money and political influence

  • Violence and political conflict
Learning Outcome

After completing the course, the student:

Knowledge:

  • must have acquired knowledge about the basic and more advanced theoretical models of different aspects of political-economic process as well as methods and results of empirical assessment of these models.
  • must have acquired knowledge about the tools of modeling as well as empirical methods and results within the topics listed under the course content above.

 

Skills:

  • should be able to apply methods and results from the list of topics above, to analyze variations and extensions of these and closely related topics within political economics.
  • should be able to critically discuss the underlying assumptions and methods within these topics and their impact on the analytical results.

 

Competencies:

  • should be able to discuss the topics of the course within both a national and international practical and empirical context at the level corresponding to that presented in class.

The main text for the course is the textbook “Political Economics” by Persson and Tabellini, 2002, ISBN no. 9780262661317.

Supplemented by selected journal articles and lecture notes/slides.

For the econometric methods introduced in the course we will use chapters from the textbook “Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist’s Companion” by Joshua D. Angrist and Jörn-Steffen Pischke, 2009, ISBN no. 978-0691120355.

Public Finance introduces some of the topics covered in the course, but is not a prerequisite. Some familiarity with basic game theoretical concepts (e.g. Nash equilibrium, subgame perfect equilibrium) and econometric techniques (e.g. OLS regression, IV estimation) is required. More advanced econometric techniques are introduced during the course but familiarity with these is not a prerequisite.
The course consists of 2 hours of classes (lectures) every week and 2x2 hours every second week for 14 weeks.
Timetable and venue:
To see the time and location of classroom please press the link under "Se skema" (See schedule) at the right side of this page (16E means Autumn 2016).

You can find the similar information partly in English at
https:/​/​skema.ku.dk/​ku1617/​uk/​module.htm
-Select Department: “2200-Økonomisk Institut” (and wait for respond)
-Select Module:: “2200-E16; [Name of course]””
-Select Report Type: List
-Select Period: “Efterrår/Autumn – Weeks 30-3”
Press: “ View Timetable”
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 3
  • Lectures
  • 42
  • Preparation
  • 161
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 3 hours under invigilation
Individual written closed-book exam at the computers of Copenhagen University.
The exam assignment is given in English and must be answered in English.
Exam registration requirements

To register for the exam, each students must i) present a paper from the course reading list in front of the class; and ii) discuss a paper presented by other student. Presentations and discussions are done in groups of students, and each student must be in a presenting group and a discussion group at least once.

Aid
Without aids
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
100 % censorship
Exam period

The exam takes place January 17, 2017 at Peter Bangs Vej 36. 2000 Frederiksberg http:/​/​pc-eksamen.ku.dk/​pc_exam The exact time of the exam will be informed in the Self-Service at KUnet.

For enrolled students more information about examination, exam/re-sit, rules etc. is available at the student intranet for Examination (English) and student intranet for Examination (KA-Danish).

Re-exam

The written re-exam takes place February 17, 2017 at Peter Bangs Vej 36. 2000 Frederiksberg http:/​/​pc-eksamen.ku.dk/​pc_exam The exact time of the exam will be informed in the Self-Service at KUnet mid-July.

If only a few students have registered for the re-exam, the exam might change to an oral exam including the date for the exam, which will be informed  by the Examination Office.

 

Criteria for exam assesment

Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the course.

To receive the top grade, the student must be able to demonstrate in an excellent manner that he or she has acquired and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.

Specifically, the student must demonstrate

Knowledge
1) knowledge of the methods and results within the topics covered in the course

Skills
2) the ability to apply these methods to analyze variations and extensions of these and closely related topics within political economics
3) the ability to critically discuss assumptions and methods used within these topics

Competencies
4) the ability to discuss the topics of the course within both a national and international practical and empirical context at the level corresponding to that presented in class.