Comparative Economic Systems
ECON-257-01 Office: 582B ICC
Professor Viksnins Tel.: 687-5890
E-mail: viksning@georgetown.edu

COURSE INFORMATION
                                                             (Spring 2005)

The text for the course is George J. Viksnins, Economic Systems in Historical Perspective. It is not necessary to buy the book, if you attend religiously and take copious notes. There are also copies on two-hour reserve in the library. The chapter headings below describe what will be covered, although the material in the last four chapters will be updated and changed considerably. There will be a midterm exam, probably shortly before the spring break and a final at the scheduled date.

Ch. 1 – Introduction

Ch. 2 – Adam Smith and Competitive Capitalism

Ch.3 – The Keynesian Revolution

Ch. 4 – Macroeconomic Disagreements

Ch. 5 – Marx vs. Schumpeter

Ch. 6 – The Stalinist Model

Ch. 7 – The CMEA in Transition

Ch. 8 – The World Economy View of Underdevelopment

Ch. 9 – The Traditional Society View and the Washington Consensus

Ch. 10 – China’s Two Systems

Ch. 11 – Japan’s Success

Ch. 12 – Japan’s Problems

Ch. 13 – The “Capitalist-Roaders of Asia” and Globalization

Ch. 14 – Cowboy Capitalism?

   You can add up to four points to your average by reading two books -- one from Group A and the other from Group B below. The book reports for the first group (no more than typed pages) are due by March 3 and for the second group April 7.

Group A

Bell, Daniel, The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism E169.12.B37

Cox, W. Michael and Richard Alm, Myths of Rich & Poor  HC106.82 .C69 1999

Easterbrook, Greg, The Progress Paradox HM891. E27 2003

Ebenstein, Alan, Hayek’s Journey HB101.H39E24 2002

Friedman, Milton, Capitalism and Freedom HB501.F7 1982

Gersemann, Olaf, Cowboy Capitalism;European Myths, American RealityHC103.G4713

Goff, Brian and Arthur A. Fleischer III, Spoiled Rotten HC110 . W4 G58 1999

Jay, Peter, The Road to Riches HC 79 .W4 J39 2000

Landes, David S., The Wealth and Poverty of Nations HC240 .Z9W45 1998

Minowitz, Peter, Profits, Priests and Princes:  Adam Smith's Emancipation of Economics from Politics and Religion HB72.M53 1993

Olson, Mancur, Power and Prosperity HD87.O47 2000

Rajan, Raghuram, and Luigi Zingales, Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists HG4523 .R345 2003

Samuelson, Robert J., The Good Life and Its Discontents HJ7543.S26 1995

Schneider, Friedrich, and Dominik H. Enste, The Shadow Economy: An International Survey HD2341.S5362 2002

Schumpeter, Joseph, Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy HX86.535 1975

Skousen, Mark, The Making of Modern Economics HB75.S545 2001

Sloan, John W., The Reagan Effect HC106.8 .S574 1999

Vines, David, and Christopher l. Gilbert (eds.), The IMF and its Critics HB3881.5 .I58I384 2004

Group B

Aslund, Anders, Building Capitalism HC 244 .A813 2002

Ayittey, George B.N.,  Africa in Chaos  HG 800 .A98 1998

Barber, Benjamin R., Jihad vs. McWorld HM 201 .B37 1995

Chang, Gordon C., The Coming Collapse of China  HC 427.92 .C3375

De Soto, Hernando, The Mystery of Capital HB 501 .S778 2000

Easterly, William R., The Elusive Quest for Growth HC 559.72 .P6 E17 2001

Ellman, Michael and Vladimir Kontorovich (eds.), The Destruction of the Soviet Economic System:  An Insider's History
   HC 336.26.D48  1998

Friedman, Thomas L., The Lexus and the Olive Tree  HF 1359 .F74 1999

Gros, Daniel, and Alfred Steinherr, Economic Transition in Central and Eastern Europe HC244 .G689 2004

Lincoln, Edward J. Arthritic Japan HC 462.95 .L56

Lipton, Michael, Why Poor People Stay Poor:  Urban Bias in World Development HC79.P6 L56 1977

Lomborg, Bjorn, The Sceptical Environmentalist GE 149 .L65 2001

Mandle, Jay R., Globalization and the Poor HF1359 .M356 2003

Nolan, Peter, China's Rise, Russia's Fall HC427.92.N65 1995

Rangel, Carlos, Third World Ideology and Western Reality HC59.7.R26513

Roberts, Paul Craig, and Karen LaFollette Araujo, The Capitalist Revolution in Latin America HC 125 .R5415 1997

Yeager, Timothy L., Institutions, Transition Economies, and Economic Development HD 82 .Y4 1999

ALL ARE ON THREE- DAY RESERVE AT THE LIBRARY