Economic Growth and Development 2 Spring 2024
ECON 407

Outline of Topics:

Introductory class

Economic growth, data and description

Malthusian growth theory

Neoclassical growth theory, part 1

Neoclassical growth theory, part 2

Midterm 1 

Endogenous growth theory, part 1

Endogenous growth theory, part 2

Growth theory empirics

Midterm 2

The fundamental causes of economic growth

Institutions, conflict, and the state

Final Exam

Since there is no textbook that closely fits the structure and level of this course, there will be no required textbook for the class. Instead, the main reference for this class will be the class notes that I have posted on Learn.

For a textbook pitched at a level a bit below Econ 407, but covering many of the same topics, I recommend: 

Weil, David N. (2013) Economic Growth, Routledge

If you prefer something pitched at a slightly higher mathematical level than Econ 407, then you might want to try:

Acemoglu, Daron. (2009) An Introduction to Modern Economic GrowthPrinceton University Press

1. Pre-class reading assignments:

I will post notes for each topic (other than the introductory class). For some units, I will ask you to go through the readings before we cover the topic in class. You will be expected to submit questions/comments about each of the readings prior to the in-class discussions via the dropbox on Learn. 

Each assignment will be worth 3% of your final grade. In any case where your final exam grade exceeds your grade on one or more of the reading assignments (for example, you miss one of the assignments due to illness) I will transfer the weight from those assignments to the final exam.

The due dates, and associated topics, are posted below—these due dates may be pushed back if needed but will not be moved forward. 

Assignment due dates:

i) Malthusian growth theory, Monday, May 13^th, 11pm

ii) neoclassical growth theory, part 1, Wednesday, May 22^nd, 11pm

iii) endogenous growth theory, part 1, Monday, June 10^th, 11pm

iv) endogenous growth theory, part 2, Monday, June 17^th, 11pm

v) growth theory empirics. Monday, July 8^th, 11pm

I will discuss the pre-class reading assignments in additional detail during the introductory lecture on May 6^th.

2. Midterms:

The midterms will be written tests and will take place in the regular classroom during the regular class meeting times. The first midterm will take place on Wednesday, June 5^th and the second midterm will take place on Wednesday, July 3^rd.

A student who misses a midterm for acceptable medical reasons will have the weight of the missed midterm assigned to the final exam. 

3. Final exam:

The final exam will be scheduled by the Registrar’s Office during the final exam period.

Economics Department Deferred Final Exam Policy

All deferred Final Exam requests for economics courses are administered by the Economics Undergraduate Office. Please consult the Deferred Exam Policy at 

https://uwaterloo.ca/economics/undergraduate/resources-and-policies/deferred-final-exam-policy.

Applications for Accommodation

Students applying for accommodation due to illness or extenuating circumstances should submit their documentation (verification of illness forms, narratives concerning circumstances) to the Arts Undergrad Office using the form available at  

Accommodations for illness or extenuating circumstances | Arts (uwaterloo.ca)

Instructors have a VIF system window linked to Quest that lists students’ exemptions (including self-declared absences).  Both the category of exemption granted, and the relevant dates appear in the system.  This procedure is meant to protect student privacy.  For further information on the process, see the page listed above.

Discretion regarding the form the accommodation takes rests with the course instructor.  Guidelines are described in the course calendar,

Undergraduate Studies Calendar | University of Waterloo (uwaterloo.ca)

Academic integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.]

Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of their university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.

Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for their actions. [Check the Office of Academic Integrity for more information.] A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate associate dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline. For typical penalties, check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.

Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes they have a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals.

Note for students with disabilities: AccessAbility Services, located in Needles Hall, Room 1401, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with AccessAbility Services at the beginning of each academic term.

Turnitin.com: Text matching software (Turnitin®) may be used to screen assignments in this course. Turnitin® is used to verify that all materials and sources in assignments are documented. Students' submissions are stored on a U.S. server, therefore students must be given an alternative (e.g., scaffolded assignment or annotated bibliography), if they are concerned about their privacy and/or security. Students will be given due notice, in the first week of the term and/or at the time assignment details are provided, about arrangements and alternatives for the use of Turnitin in this course.

It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor if they, in the first week of term or at the time assignment details are provided, wish to submit alternate assignment.