15.015 | Fall 2011 | Graduate

Macro and International Economics

Readings

Study Questions are available for each session to guide your reading. A Textbook Guide is also available to highlight recommended chapters for students who want to augment their knowledge of the material.

SES # TOPICS READINGS
1 The issues, short–term and long–term

Kennedy, Robert E. “National Income Accounting.” Harvard Business School Case. Harvard Business School Publishing. Case: 9–797–075, November 15, 1996.

Bureau of Economic Analysis. “GDP Growth Accelerates in Fourth Quarter.” U.S. Department of Commerce. (PDF)

———. “GDP and the Economy: Third Estimates for the First Quarter of 2011.” U.S. Department of Commerce, July 2011. (PDF)

World Economic Outlook Update.” International Monetary Fund, June 17, 2011.

2 Determinants of long–term growth Acemoglu, Daron, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson. “Institutions as a Fundamental Cause of Long–Run Growth.” Chapter 6 in Handbook of Economic Growth, Volume 1A. Edited by Philippe Aghion and Steven N. Durlauf. North Holland, 2006, pp. 388–420. ISBN: 9780444520418. [Preview with Google Books]
3 Exchange rates for emerging markets

Alfaro, Laura, Rafael Di Tella, et al. “China: To Float or Not to Float? (A)” Harvard Business School Case. Harvard Business School Publishing. Case: 9–706–021, March 2, 2006.

Rigobon, Roberto. “The BB–NN Model.” (PDF - 1.1MB)

Johnson, Simon. “Brace for a Long Recovery From Global Credit Glut: Simon Johnson.” Bloomberg, September 11, 2011.

4 Exchange rates for industrialized countries

Alfaro, Laura, Rafael Di Tella, et al. “U.S. Current Account Deficit.” Harvard Business School Case. Harvard Business School Publishing. Case: 9–706–002, July 6, 2005

Rigobon, Roberto. “Simple Notes on the ISLM Model.” 

Boone, Peter, and Simon Johnson. “What Next for Greece and for Europe?The New York Times, September 15, 2011.

5 Banking crises Moss, David A., and Cole Bolton. “The Federal Reserve and the Banking Crisis of 1931.” Harvard Business School Case. Harvard Business School Publishing. Case: 9–709–040, January 20, 2009.
6 Modern financial crises

Alfaro, Laura, and Renee Kim. “The First Global Financial Crisis of the 21st Century.” Harvard Business School Case. Harvard Business School Publishing. Case: 9–709–057, April 7, 2009.

Bernanke, Ben. “The Financial Accelerator and the Credit Channel.” The Federal Reserve, June 15, 2007

7 Japan’s lost decade

Schraede, Ulrike. “Japanese Financial System: From Postwar to the New Millennium.” Harvard Business School Case. Harvard Business School Publishing. Case: 9–700–049, October 20, 1999.

Kwak, James. “Japan for Beginners.” The Baseline Scenario, December 21, 2008.

8 Crisis in Asia, 1997–98

Alfaro, Laura, Rafael Di Tella, et al. “Korea: After the 1997 Financial Crisis.” Harvard Business School Case. Harvard Business School Publishing. Case: 9–707–042, March 20, 2007.

Johnson, Simon, and James Kwak. “Other People’s Oligarchs.” Chapter 2 in 13 Bankers: The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltdown. Pantheon, 2010. ISBN: 9780307379054.

9 Who is more prone to crisis now—Europe or the US? Boone, Peter, and Simon Johnson. “Europe on the Brink.” Peterson Institute for International Economics, Policy Brief 11–13, July 2011. (PDF – 1.6MB)

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