Courses

All the required readings for these courses can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate course title.

Inequality Course

This course is composed of four different sessions.  Session 1 focuses on Inequality of What, and Amongst Whom? Session 2 on Measurement of Inequality. Session 3 on What Determines Inequality? and Session 4 on How Do Macrovariables Influence Inequality?

SAIS Course

The objective of the course is to give an overview of post-Communist transition with an emphasis on economic and social issues.  Unlike the more traditional courses on transition, this one situates transition from Communism within the context of globalization and successes and failures of the Washington consensus policies.

The course is divided into four parts.  The first part (lectures 1 to 4) tries to explain a marked difference in performance among the post-Communist economies: is it mostly due to different policies they followed, their initial circumstances or choice of inadequate policies ("one size fits all")?  The second part (lectures 5 to 8) looks at governance, democratization, corruption and inequality.  The third part (lectures 9-10) compares the transitions in Russia and China.  The fourth part (lectures 11-13) evaluates the role of the "Washington consensus," and summarizes the lessons of ten years of transition.  There may be one invited ("external") lectures.

Each part will contain one or two case studies (to be assigned in class) that students will have to read and discuss.  Each student will be randomly assigned one case study to present in class (others are supposed to have read it too, in order to have a nice discussion).  The presentation will count for 25% of total grade.  Another 25% will depend on class participation; the in-class final exam (given at the last day of class) will count 50%.

University of Maryland

The objective of the course is to give an overview of global inequality (inequality between citizens of the world) and to draw ethical and political implications from these findings.

The course is divided into three parts.  The first part (lectures 1 and 2) looks at the definition of inequality, its measurement, and the sources of data where we get information on inequality.  The second part (lectures 3 to 7) is the core part of the course.  It defines the three concepts of (international) inequality and reviews how they have evolved over the last fifty years.  It addresses the reasons for divergence in mean incomes between countries and reviews evidence on global (inter-personal) inequality.  The third part (lectures 8-12) reviews the political and ethical implications of the empirical findings.  Can we say that inequalities are too high?  Is there causality between global inequality and globalization?  Are rich countries (or people) obligated to help poor countries (and people)?

For consultations: you can see me after class, call, or send Email:

office phone:  202-473-6968
Email: bmilanovic@worldbank.org