Spring 2015 - 61370 - PA393L - Advanced Policy Economics

This course explores the process of urbanization, urban policy, and local governance in developing countries. A comparative public policy perspective is adopted and cities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America will be considered. The first element of the course will discuss the global context of urban development, including impacts of the international economy and trade. The second element will examine analytical frameworks for studying urban growth, including the important demographic dimensions. The final segment will examine the public policy challenges faced in cities, especially large cities, in the global south and the strategies being adopted by local and national governments. The policy analysis framework will incorporate the public sector, civil society, and politics and their interaction and as well as intergovernmental relations in formulating and implementing public policy. Using a comparative framework, each student will choose a city and prepare a paper on its policy problems and governance regime, including its national governance context, and make a oral presentation to the class.