Category: Bibliography

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Bibliography Courses Harvard

Harvard. Business Cycles Course. Hansen, 1950.

According to the course catalogue for 1950-51, this course was to be co-taught by Professor Alvin Hansen and Assistant Professor Richard Goodwin. (Official Register of Harvard University. Vol. 47, No. 23, September, 1950.) However, Goodwin did not receive tenure at Harvard and moved on to Cambridge University in 1950. In the following years material for this course was swept into the second semester of Economics 141. “Money, Banking and Economic Fluctuations” offered jointly by Hansen and John H. Williams.

________________________

Economics 145a
Business Cycles 1950-51
Professor Hansen

Part I. Descriptive Survey

Haberler, Prosperity and Depression, Ch. 1,9.
Hansen, Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles, Ch. I, II.
Schumpeter, “The Analysis of Economic Change,” in Readings in Business Cycle Theory, Ch. I.
Federal Reserve Chart Book (available at the Coop.)

Suggested Reading:

Mitchell, “Business Cycles,” in Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences, Vol. 3, pp. 92-106.
Kondratieff, “The Long Waves in Economic Life,” in Readings in Business Cycle Theory, Ch. 3.
Frickey, Economic Fluctuations in the United States.
Burns and Mitchell, Measuring Business Cycles.
Beveridge, Full Employment in a Free Society, Part II, Sec. 1 and Appendix A.
Schumpeter, Business Cycles, pp. 161-174; 212-219.
Dewey and Dakin, Cycles, Ch. 1-9.
Aschinstein, Introduction to Business Cycles, 1950.

Part II. The Meaning and Genesis of National Product

Hansen, Economic Policy and Full Employment, Ch. 3, 4.
Gilbert and Jaszi, “National Product and Income as an Aid in Economic Problems,” in Readings in the Theory of Income and Distribution, Ch. 2.
Machlup, “Period Analysis and Multiplier Theory,” in Readings in Business Cycle Theory, Ch. 10, only pp. 210-234.
Morgan, Income and Employment, Ch. I.
Haberler, Prosperity and Depression, Ch. 8, Section 4, pp. 222-232; Ch. 13, Section 1, pp. 455-461.
Hansen, Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles, Ch. XI, XII, XIII, XIV.

Suggested Reading:

National Income, Supplement to Survey of Current Business, July, 1947.
Kuznets, (a) The National Income and its Composition, Ch. 1; (b) National Income, A Summary of Findings.
Kaldor, “The Quantitative Aspects of the Full Employment Problem in Britain,” Appendix C in Beveridge, Full Employment in a Free Society.

Part III. Theory of Cycles and Investment

Haberler, Prosperity and Depression, Ch. 10, 11, and 3; Ch. 13, Section 3, pp. 473-479.
Hansen, (a) Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles, Ch. XVI and XVII; (b) Economic Policy and Full Employment, Ch. 14-16.
Keynes, General Theory, ch. 22.
Lerner, Economics of Control, Ch. 21, 22.
Harris, The New Economics, Ch. 33.
Schumpeter, Business Cycles, Ch. IV, Sections A, B, and C, pp. 130-161; Ch. VII, Section C., pp. 325-351.
Morgan, Income and Employment, Ch. 7-9.

Suggested Reading:

Tinbergen and Polak, The Dynamics of Business Cycles.
Long, Building Cycles and the Theory of Investment, Ch. I, II, VII, VIII, XII.
Haberler, Prosperity and Depression, Chapter VIII.
Schumpeter, Business Cycles, Chapters 6 and 7.
Tinbergen, Robertson, Hayek, Hawtrey in Readings in Business Cycle Theory, Ch. 4, 15, 16, 17.
Clark, Strategic Factors in Business Cycles.
Wilson, The Fluctuations in Income and Employment Ch. 1-10.
Estey, Business Cycles, Ch. 1-16.
Hansen (a) Business Cycle Theory, Ch. 4, 8; (b) Full Recovery or Stagnation, Ch. 3 (Hayek); and Appendix Keynes’ Treatise, pp. 331-343.
Metzler, (a) “The Nature and Stability of Inventory Cycles,” in Review of Economic Statistics, August, 1941; (b) “Business Cycle Theory and the Theory of Employment,” in American Economic Review, June, 1946.
Samuelson, Readings in Business Cycle Theory, Ch. 12.
Samuelson, Chapter II in Harris’ Postwar Economic Problems: Income, Employment and Public Policy, Norton, 1948.

Part IV. Policy

Beveridge, Full Employment in a Free Society, Parts IV and V.
C. E. D., Taxes and the Budget, 1947.
Hansen, (a) Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles, Ch. 9; (b) Economic Policy and Full Employment, Ch. 5-13; 22.

Suggested Reading:

Hicks, Ch. 24, in Readings in Income Distribution (Keynes and the Classics; also in Econometrica, Vol. 5, 1937).
Pigou, Lapses from Full Employment.
Kaldor, “Stability and Full Employment,” in the Economic Journal, December, 1938.
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Postwar Studies, No. 3, Musgrave, “Federal Tax Reform,” pp. 22-52.
Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, Ch. XV, XVI, XVII.
Twentieth Century Fund, American Housing, Ch. 12, pp. 311-341.
Financing American Prosperity, Twentieth Century Fund, (especially, Clark, Slichter and Williams).

READING PERIOD ASSIGNMENT

Read one of the following four assignments:

  1. Morgan, Income and Employment, Ch. 10-18.
  2. Polanyi, Free Trade and Full Employment, Ch. 3, 4, 6, 7; AND John H. Williams, “Free Enterprise and Dull Employment,” Chapter 7 in Financing American Prosperity.
  3. Terborgh, George, The Bogey of Economic Maturity (entire book, disregarding appendices) AND H. Hansen’s review of Terborgh’s book in Appendix B in Economic Policy and Full Employment AND Wright’s review in Review of Economic Statistics, February, 1946, pp. 13-22.
  4. National and International Measures for Full Employment, United Nations, Department of Economic Affairs, 1949.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1895-2003 (HUC 8522.2.1), Box 5. Folder: “Economics, 1950-1951 (1 of 2)”.

Image Source:  Harvard Album 1952.

Categories
Bibliography Exam Questions Harvard Suggested Reading

Harvard. U.S. history for economics graduate students. F. J. Turner, 1912

The object of the “general examination” for Harvard Economics Ph.D. students in 1911-1912 was “to ascertain the applicant’s attainments within a considerable range of subjects in the field of History, Political Science, or Economics.” The ordinary case would be that Ph.D. students would be “be examined in six subjects in all, chosen from the groups defined below under the respective departments of study” but not to include the subject of a student’s “special field” that would be subject to a second examination.

“Of the six subjects, at least one must be taken from each of the groups A, B, C, and D, the first three of these groups being purely economic, while the fourth, more general in character, is intended to secure a somewhat broader basis of preparation. In all cases at least one of the subjects chosen must be historical in character, either economic history under group B or one of the historical fields defined under Group D.”

Of the seven topics listed in Group D, one was the “History of American Institutions.” In 1912 the economics chairman, Professor Charles J. Bullock asked colleagues for reading lists to provide students preparing for their degree examinations.  The historian Frederick Jackson Turner responded with the following list. In the same folder there is a list of Ph. D. examination questions for U. S. history that is undated but most likely from that time as well (1912).

__________________________________

153 Brattle St
Cambridge, June 14, 1912

 

Professor C. J. Bullock,
Harvard University

 

My dear Bullock,

I suggest the following list in reply to your letter asking for books suitable for preparation for the examination of one of your graduates in Economics. I omit economic aspects in my list, as I take it these are covered by other lists.

For a general view he should read

either

A. B. Hart (ed) Epochs of Am. Hist.—3 vols.

or

Encyclopaedia Britannica, art. U. S.—history, 11th ed.

or

Cambridge Modern History, VII (U.S.)

 

He should read more extensively in standard histories. One of the following groups would seem reasonable:

A. Select ten volumes from:

E. Channing, History of U. S. (2 vols. out)

J.  Schouler,   History of U. S.

J. F. Rhodes, History of U. S.

or B. Select fifteen volumes from:

A. B. Hart (editor) Am. Nation Series, e.g. vols. 10-19, 21-25. The colonial period and the civil war could, in this case, be supplied by reading C. M. Andrews, The Colonial Period (in press, H. Holt) and F. L. Parson, The Civil War, both of the above being little books in the Home University Library. Of course it would be better to read Channing, or Osgood (Am. Colonies, 3 vols.)

 

or C. Select ten volumes of Am. Nation Series and ten volumes of the following:

American Statesmen Series:

Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, Clay (2 vols.), Calhoun, Lincoln, Chase, Blaine; and T. Burton, John Sherman, A. Johnson, Douglas, R. G. Thwaites, D. Boone.

 

On political institutions and diplomacy:

J. Bryce, American Commonwealth (last edn)
E. Stanwood, Presidency
A. Johnston, American Politics
C. A. Beard, American Government and Politics
McClain’s or Boyd’s Cases on Constitutional Law
H.W. Rogers (editor) Constitutional History (“Michigan Law Lectures”

J. B. Moore, American Diplomacy
or J. W. Foster, Century of American Diplomacy

A.B. Hart, Foundations of American Foreign Policy
or A. C. Coolidge, U. S. as a World Power

In general I should say that the candidate should possess a good general knowledge of the narrative American History; a clear understanding of the history of political parties and issues, including the most important constitutional questions, leading cases, etc.; a firm hold on the history of the development of the significant political institutions; a good working knowledge of the main problems of our foreign relations; and a well considered and well based estimate of the work and characteristics of the leading statesmen. (Of course such economic history as lands, tariff, internal improvement, banking, and currency and finance are otherwise provided for.)

It is not unlikely that you may conclude that the above list is either too extensive or too limited for the purpose in hand. In that case use your judgment.

Sincerely yours,

[signed]

Frederick J. Turner

__________________________________

Ph. D. Examination in American History since 1789.

  1. Of what officers was Washington’s first cabinet composed? Is the cabinet provided for in the constitution? When and under what circumstances have additions been made to it? What are its powers? What books treat of its history?
  2. What are the principal periods and steps in the development of the speakership of the House of Representatives? Name and characterize the four greatest speakers. Give a list of secondary sources useful on this topic.
  3. Could a political party which held the Presidency and Congress procure a repeal of decision of the supreme court obnoxious to it, as for example the income tax decision of 1895, if the Democrats had won? How could this be done, if it could be done? On what occasions would a dominant party have been tempted to make use of such a power if it existed?
  4. What were the most important legislative policies of the following men: Henry Clay, Thomas H. Benton, John C. Calhoun?
  5. Ought Stephen A. Douglas’s biography to be included in the American Statesmen series? Why?
  6. What were the significant policies of the Democratic party 1830-1850, and who were the leaders of the party?
  7. Was the Mexican war an unjust war? What is its significance in American history? Authorities on the question.
  8. Discuss Thaddeus Stevens as an American Statesman? Was his reconstruction policy wise? How far was it put in operation? How did Lincoln’s and Johnson’s reconstruction policy differ from each other? What were the most enduring results of the legislative and constitutional enactments constituting reconstruction?
  9. Briefly explain the following leading cases: Hylton v. U.S.; Prize cases; Marbury v. Madison; Fletcher v. Peck; Cohens v. Virginia?
  10. Sketch three important incidents showing the influence of sectionalism in American history, selecting one from each of these periods: 1789-1815; 1815-1835, 1870-1896.
  11. What is the best “help” in finding “congressional documents” for the purposes of American history? What are the primary sources for debates in House and Senate 1789-1820?

 

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence & Papers, 1902-1950 (UAV 349.10), Box 25, Folder “Suggested Readings”.

Image Source: Harvard Album, 1916.

 

Categories
Bibliography Chicago Courses Syllabus

Chicago. Course on International Economic Policies. Viner, 1944.

As the previous posting for Economics 370 (International Trade and Finance) taught by Jacob Viner at the University of Chicago during the Winter Quarter of 1944, this posting is based on detailed notes taken by Don Patinkin from which I have extracted a rough course outline with a corresponding list of assigned as well as suggested readings and references. 

After the course description, the course outline and Viner’s reading assignments as written by Don Patinkin in his notes have been transcribed.  A list of term paper topics for the course has also been transcribed. I am happy to report that almost all of the readings have been properly identified and brought into proper bibliographic form in a separate list placed at the end of this posting. As most of the readings for Viner’s policy course are well on this side of the copyright threshold, fewer links can be offered. The periodical literature that can be accessed at jstor.org has been linked, but most folks this interested in the history of 20th century economics have access to jstor through their university affiliations.

__________________________

[Course Description]

XI. INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS

  1. International Economic Policies. A survey, with particular reference to the United States, of the international aspects of the economic policies and activities of governments. Topics: the fundamentals of international trade; tariffs and tariff technique; quotas and exchange controls; commercial treaties; unfair competition; colonial policies; international capital investments; commodity controls; the international aspects of shipping and railroad policies; international economic institutions; economic factors in diplomacy and war. Prereq: Two years’ work in the Division of the Social Sciences, or equiv. Spr: M, W, F, 9, Viner.

Source: The University of Chicago, Announcements, The College and the Divisions. Sessions of 1943-1944.   Vol. XLIII, No. 10 (August 10, 1943), p. 317.

__________________________

[Course Outline and Reading Assignments]

Economics 371
International Economic Policies
Spring Quarter, 1944
Jacob Viner

[Outline]

 

Subject LECTURES
Types of Econ. Policy
Mercantilism
Scandal Theory
Tariffs (MFN & CMFN)
Tariff Bargaining (History etc.)
New Forms of Trade Barriers
Monopoly Question
Int’l Cartels
Customs-Union
Colonial Problems
Native Labor Problem
Int’l Movements of Capital
Postwar investment policy
Raw Materials
Commodity Agreements
International Agencies

 

[Readings Assigned/Suggested in Sequence As Announced by Viner]

Winslow, “Marxian, Liberal, & Sociological Theories of Imperialism,” JPE v. 39 #6,Dec. ’31, pp. 713-86]

Robbins, Economic Causes of War, pp. 94-8, & Appendix pp. 111-24, London, 1939.

Staley, Foreign Investment & War. U. of C. Public Policy Pamphlets, 13-24]

Sulzbach, “Capitalistic Warmongers” U. of C. Public Policy Pamphlets. 25-35

cf. also Staley “War & The Private Investor” [not assigned]

John H. Herz, “Power Politics & World Organization” Am. Pol. Science Review Dec 42, v. 36 #6.

Int’l Relations. Jacob Viner, Proceeding American Econ Association March ‘44

Jacob Viner. Address before League of Nations. Society in Canada. Interdependence, V. 13 #3 &4 1936, pp. 218-229.

Haberler, Theory of Int’l Trade pp. 211-26, 245-95,
or
Ellsworth, Int’l Econ. pp. 275-340

U.S. Tariff Comm. Reciprocity Report, pp. 27-47, 504-510

Viner, Tariffs, Ency. Soc. Sciences

Tasca, Reciprocal Trade Policy of U.S. ch.’s 2-5 (pp. 10-9

Viner, Most Favored Nations Clause, JPE Feb ’24,
Index Jan ‘31

Viner, Trade Relations between Free-Market & Controlled Economies (League of Nations Memo 1943)

Joseph B. Lockey Am. Journal of Int’l Law 235-43

B. Nolde, Recueil de Cours Academie de Droit Internationale, 1924 II.

Viner—Proc. American Econ. Assoc. March 1944, pp. 315-29 “Intern. Relations between State-Controlled Nat. Economies”

Ellsworth
Haberler

(These not assignments, merely references)
Margaret Gordon, Barriers to World Trade
Howard Ellis, Exchange Control
Henry J. Tasca, World Trading Systems (Diff. between U.S. & Eng. on export controls)

 

League of Nations, Commercial Policy in Interwar period

[League of Nations] Haberler, Quantitative Trade Controls

Howard Ellis, Exchange Control, pp. 13-17

July [sic, May] ’43 Social Research. Schüller

Corwin Edwards “Int’l Cartels as Obstacles to Int’l Trade”. Proceed. A. E. Assoc. March ‘44

Ervin Hexner “Int. Cartels in the Post-War World” Southern Econ. Journal. Oct. ‘43

New Republic—special supplement on Cartels March 27, 1944

Federalist—No. XI & passim

De Beers “Tariff Aspects of the Federal Union” QJE Nov. 1941

U.S. Tariff Comm. Colonial Tariff Policies, Introduction, pp. 1-16, 26-42, 55-9, 63-78

P. Bidwell Tariff Policy of the U.S. 1933, pp. 70-101

Royal Institute of Int’l Affairs—The Colonial Problem. ch’s 1, 3,4.

Viner. typewritten article on U.S. colonial policy – on reserve.

Violet Conolly, Soviet Trade from the Pacific to the Levant” (1935)

[Violet Conolly], Soviet Economic Policy in East 1933.

Haberler [Regional blocs]—in Seymour Harris ed. Postwar Econ. Problems 1943, pp. 325-344

Skim [next three items]

Feis, Europe the World’s Banker. ch’s 1-3, pp. 463-69
Viner, Int’l Finance & Balance of Power Diplomacy, Southwestern Political and Social Science Quarterly March ’29, V. IX, No. 4.
Viner, Political Aspects of Int’l Finance” Journal of Business of U. of C. April-July ’28.

R.I.I.A.—The Problem of Int’l Investment. ch’s 1, 2,3 (=pp. 1-39); & 8 (=pp. 102-12)

J.W. Angell—Financial For. Policy of U.S. 1933—ch’s 3, 4,7

O. R. Hobson, The Function of Foreign Lending (pamphlet on reserve)

Staley, “Une critique de la protection diplomatique des placements à l’étranger” Revue gén. de Droit Int. Pub. Sept-Oct., 1935, pp. 541-558.

Knorr- Hist. of Eng. Colonial Theories (U of C. Ph.D. thesis)

On forced colonial labor: Lord Olivier, White Men & Colonial Labor (sic, white capital and coloured labour. McMillan (Penguin book). Lord Hailey, African Surveys.

Wallace & Edminster, Int’l Control of Raw Materials, ch’s 1, 9, 10, 11, 12

Staley, Raw Materials in Peace & War ch’s 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8,11

Round Table Discussion. Proceedings A.E. Assoc. (St. Louis, 1926), pp. 41-8

Viner, (Rubber Control), Foreign Affairs, July ‘26

Viner, Raw Materials Problem in Porritt (ed.), The Causes of War, 185-202 (Just look at last two)

Viner, Objectives of Post-War Int’l Econ. Reconstruction. New Wilmington lecture. May 1942,(on reserve).

______________________________

Possible Term Papers

Policy of U. S. with respect to any post war econ.

Lessons for post-war settlement from past failures

Foreign Investment in Backward Countries

Econ. Provisions other than P-p(?)

Lend-Lease as means of Inter-Allied Econ. Relation[?]

Case studies: Missionaries & Imperialism

Am. gov. preferences to domestic trade in gov. purchases

gov. intervention to collect foreign debt—any case study

Study of literature dealing with econ motives of U.S. entry into World War I.

Econ. Doctrine as applied by World Court in its Decisions

Canadian-American Hydro-agreements

Int’l action of cooperatives

Intl trade theories underlying activities of I. L.O.

 

______________________________

Bibliography for Viner’s Economics 371 in 1944

 

Angell, James Waterhouse. Financial foreign policy of U.S. New York: 1933. [A report to the second International studies conference on the state and economic life, London, May 29 to June 2, 1933, prepared for the American committee appointed by the council on foreign relations.]

Bidwell, Percy Wells. Tariff policy of the U.S.; A study of recent experience. New York: Council on Foreign Relations.1933 [A report to the second International studies conference on the state and economic life, London, May 29 to June 2, 1933, prepared for the American committee appointed by the council on foreign relations.]

Conolly, Violet. Soviet trade from the Pacific to the Levant, with an economic study of the soviet Far Eastern region. London: Oxford University Press, H. Milford, 1935.

Conolly, Violet. Soviet economic policy in the East; Turkey, Persia, Afghanistan, Mongolia and Tana Tuva, Sin Kiang. London: Oxford University Press, H. Milford, 1933.

de Beers, John S. Tariff aspects of a federal union. Quarterly Journal of Economics v. 56, no. 1 ( November 1941), pp. 49-92.

Edwards, Corwin D. International cartels as obstacles international trade. American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings. v. 34, No. 1, part 2 supplement (March 1944) pp. 330-40.

Ellis, Howard Sylvester. Exchange control in central Europe. Harvard economic studies, no. 69. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1941. [Originally published as ‘Exchange control in Austria and Hungary’ and ‘Exchange control in Germany’ in the Quarterly journal of economics, volume 54, no. 1, part 2, November, 1939 and volume 54, no. 4, part 2, August, 1940.]

Ellsworth, Paul Theodore. International economics. New York: Macmillan, 1938.

Feis, Herbert. Europe the world’s banker, 1870-1914. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1931.

Gordon, Margaret S. Barriers to world trade; a study of recent commercial policy. New York: Macmillan, 1941. [Bureau of international research of Harvard university and Radcliffe college.]

Hamilton, Alexander. The utility of the union in respect to commercial relations and a navy. The Federalist, Number 11. 1787-88.

Haberler, Gottfried. The theory of international trade with its application to commercial policy (translated by Alfred W. Stonier and Frederic Benham). London: W. Hodge & company, 1936.

Haberler, Gottfried. Quantitative trade controls: their causes and nature. Geneva: League of Nations, Series II, Economic and financial. 1943. [“Prepared by Professor Gottfried Haberler … in collaboration with Mr. Martin Hill.”]

Haberler, Gottfried. “The political economy of regional or continental blocs” In Seymour Edwin Harris (ed.), Postwar economic problems, New York, McGraw Hill, 1943, pp. 325-44.

Hailey, William Malcolm (Lord Hailey). An African survey: a study of problems arising in Africa south of the Sahara. London: Oxford University Press, 1938. [Issued by the Committee of the African Research Survey under the auspices of the Royal Institute of International Affairs.]p

Herz, John H. Power Politics and world organization. American Political Science Review v. 36, no. 6 (December 1942), pp. 1039-1052.

Hexner, Ervin. International cartels in the postwar world. Southern Economic Journal v. 10, no. 2 (October 1943), pp. 114-135.

Hobson, O.R. The function of foreign lending. [International Chamber of Commerce. 9th International Congress (Berlin), 1937, Document #3].

Knorr, Klaus. British colonial theories, 1570-1850. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1944. [University of Chicago Ph.D. thesis]

League of Nations. Economic, Financial and Transit Department. Commercial policy in interwar period. Geneva: League of Nations, 1942.

Lockey, Joseph B. Pan-Americanism and imperialism. American Journal of International Law vol. 32, no. 2 (April 1938), pp. 244-243.

New Republic. Special supplement on cartels, March 27, 1944.

Nolde, Boris. Recueil des Cours 1924 II. Académie de Droit Internationale.

Olivier, Sydney Haldane (Lord). White capital & coloured labour. London: Independent Labour Party,1906 [also London: Hogarth Press by Leonard & Virginia Woolf]

Robbins, Lionel. Economic causes of war. London: J. Cape, 1939.

Royal Institute of International Affairs. The colonial problem. London: Oxford Press, 1937.

Royal Institute of International Affairs. The problem of international investment. London: Oxford University Press, 1937.

Schüller, Richard. Commercial policy between the two wars; personal observations of a participant. Social Research v. 10, no. 2 (May 1943), pp. 152-174.

Staley, Eugene. War and the private investor; a study in the relations of international politics and international private investment. Garden City, NJ: Doubleday, Doran & company, 1935.

Staley, Eugene. Une critique de la protection diplomatique des placements à l’étranger. Revue Générale de Droit International Public. v. 42 (September-October, 1935), pp. 541-558.

Staley, Eugene. Foreign investment and war. University of Chicago Public Policy Pamphlets, Nr. 18, 1935.

Staley, Eugene. Raw materials in peace and war. New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 1937.

Sulzbach, Walter. “Capitalistic warmongers”: a modern superstition. University of Chicago Public Policy Pamphlets, Nr.35, 1942.

Henry J. Tasca. The reciprocal trade policy of the U.S.; a study in trade philosophy. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1938.

Henry J. Tasca, World trading systems; a study of American and British commercial policies. Paris: International institute of intellectual co-operation, League of Nations, 1939.

U. S. Tariff Commission. [Stanley Kuhl Hornbeck; Jacob Viner; Clive Day; Walter B. Palmer]. Reciprocity and commercial treaties. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1919.

U. S. Tariff Commission. Colonial tariff policies. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1922.

Viner, Jacob. The most-favored-nations clause in American commercial treaties. Journal of Political Economy v. 32, no. 1 (February 1924), pp. 101-129. [Reprinted in Viner, 1951.]
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1822463

Viner, Jacob. The most-favored-nation clause. Index v. 61 (February 1931), pp. 2-17. [Reprinted in Viner, 1951.]

Viner, Jacob. Political aspects of international finance. Journal of Business of the University of Chicago v. 1, no. 2 and no. 3 (April and July 1928)

Viner, Jacob. International finance and balance of power diplomacy, 1880-1914. Southwestern Political and Social Science Quarterly. v. 9, No. 4 (March 1929).

Viner, Jacob. Tariffs. In vol. 14 of Edwin R. A. Seligman and Alvin Saunders Johnson (eds.) Encylopaedia of the social sciences. New York: Macmillan 1930

Viner, Jacob. Address before League of Nations Society in Canada, Interdependence, v. 13, nos. 3 and 4 (1936), pp. 218-229.

Viner, Jacob. National monopolies of raw materials. (Rubber Control), Foreign Affairs v.4, no. 4 (July 1926), pp. 585-600. (rubber control)

Viner, Jacob. Raw materials problem. In Arthur Porritt and Arthur Salter (eds.), The causes of war. New York: Macmillan, 1932.

Viner, Jacob. U.S. Policy with Respect to the ‘Colonial Problem’. Typescript. [Perhaps later published as “The American interest in the ‘colonial problem.’” New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 1944.]

Viner, Jacob. Objectives of post-war international economic reconstruction. New Wilmington lecture, May 1942.

Viner, Jacob. International Economics. Glencoe, IL: Free Press, 1951.

Viner, Jacob. Trade relations between free-market and controlled economies. Geneva: League of Nations, 1943.

Viner, Jacob. International relations between state-controlled national economies. American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings v. 34, no. 1, part 2 (March 1944, pp. 315-29
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1818704

Wallace, Benjamin B. (chairman). American practices analogous to foreign controls over raw materials, round table discussion. American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings vol. 17, no. 1 Supplement (March 1927), pp. 41-8. [W. E. Grimes, H. E. Erdman, J. D. Black, Vanderveer Custis, Amos E. Taylor]

Wallace, Benjamin Bruce and Edminster, Lynn Ramsay. International control of raw materials. Brookings Institution. Washington, D.C., 1930.

Winslow, E. M. Marxian, liberal, and sociological theories of imperialism. Journal of Political Economy, v. 39, no. 6 (December 1931), pp. 713-86]

 

Source: Don Patinkin Papers. Duke University Rare Book Library. Box 3 (Course Materials and Class Notes), Folder “Patinkin as Student: Notebooks (1944)”.

Image source: Jacob Viner on the left, Theodore W. Schultz on the right. Undated. University of Chicago Photographic Archive, apf1-07483, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

 

Categories
Bibliography Chicago Courses Syllabus

Chicago. International Trade and Finance. Viner, 1944

 

Don Patinkin took reasonably detailed notes in two of Jacob Viner’s three graduate courses in international economics in 1944 from which it is a fairly easy task to put together course outlines and the corresponding lists of assigned as well as suggested readings and references.

Just as in his core economic theory course Economics 301, Price and Distribution Theory, Viner appears to have given reading assignments generally in blocks at a time that one presumes he wrote or had written on a black board to be copied into student’s notes. During his lectures there was the occasional new reference to be given.

A Chicago quarter is a dozen weeks long. Viner packed into the first dozen weeks a historical survey of mercantilism followed by one on the bullionist controversy and found time to talk about both exchange rate determination and the pure theory of trade as well as the competing plans by Keynes and White put forward on the eve Bretton Woods conference. An educational tour-de-force.

Almost all of the readings have been properly identified and brought into proper bibliographic form. And if this is not enough, I include Patinkin’s list of 19 Ph.D. examination questions for the field.

More recently I have posted the bibliography and exam questions for this course as taught by Viner in the Winter Quarter of the 1932/33 year. That information was found in the Milton Friedman papers in the Hoover Institution archives.

__________________________

Econ. 370
International Trade and Finance
Jacob Viner

Winter Quarter, 1944

__________________________

[Course Description]

XI. INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS

  1. International Trade and Finance. The theory of international values, the mechanism of adjustment of international balances, foreign-exchange theory, the international aspects of monetary and banking theory, and tariff theory. Prereq: Econ 301 or equiv. Win: M, W, F 9, Viner.

Source: The University of Chicago, Announcements, The College and the Divisions. Sessions of 1943-1944.   Vol. XLIII, No. 10 (August 10, 1943), p. 317.

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[Course Outline and Reading Assignments]

Subject LECTURES
MERCANTILISM
BULLIONIST CONTROVERSY
INT’L MECHANISM: SIMPLE SPECIE
role of exchange rate fluctuations
role of price changes
role of specie flow
income elasticity for imports
terms of trade
unilateral payments
inductive studies
purchasing power parity theory
FRACTIONAL RESERVES
short term capital movements
inter-regional adjustments
flight capital
fixed and flexible exchanges
current int’l monetary agreement discussion
PURE THEORY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Ohlin on determinants of specialization
Alternative cost doctrine
The case for FREE TRADE
Graphical analysis—Edgeworth on gains from trade

 

Mercantilism

Viner, Studies, ch. 1 & 2.

Heckscher, Mercantilism, II, 175-261.

—— Ency. Soc. Sciences, v. 10, pp. 333b-339a.

—— Econ. Hist. Review, Nov. 1936.

Viner, Review of Heckscher, Econ. Hist. Review, v. 6.

—— “Balance of Trade”, Ency. Soc. Sciences, v. 2, pp. 399-406.

Seligman, Bullionists, Ency. Soc. Sciences, v. 3, pp. 60-64.

Mun, England’s Treasure, ch’s 2, 3,4,5,6,7,8,19,20.

Hume’s Essays: “Of Money”, “Of the Balance of Trade”

Malynes

Bullionist Controversy

Viner, Studies, ch. 3 & 4.

Silberling, “Financial & Monetary Policy” (Q.J.E.—skim; Feb. & May 1924).

Angell, James W. Theory of international prices. Ch III & Appendix A, pp. 427-503.

Viner—Review of Angell. J.P.E. (pp. 601-611 only).

Ricardo—High Prices of Bullion in McCulloch edition of Works or in Gonner ed. Ricardo’s Essays.

Mechanism of International Equilibrium

E. M. Bernstein, J.P.E. 1939

Imre de Vegh in Review of Econ. Statistics, 1941

Leontieff (Essays in Honor of Taussig)

Robertson—Viner. QJE Feb 1939.

Ricardo, Principles ch. 7.

J.S. Mill, Principles, Book III, chs. 17 & 18.

Ohlin—Interregional & International Trade. ch’s 1,2,4,14,20; Appendices I & II.

Viner—Studies ch. 6.

[for material of ch. 5 (Viner) see—

Elmer Wood—Eng. Theories of Central Banking Control

E.V. Morgen. Hist. of Central Banking Theories

Wadrey [?], Ph.D. thesis]

read Ellsworth—Int’l Economics—chs. 5 &6—well organized

Mosak — Dr.’s thesis on material of ch. 6

Bronfenbrenner — Studies in Math. Economics-Lange

Haberler — Theory of Int’l Trade

 

International Mechanism Under Gold Standard, Fractional Reserves

[Viner] Studies — ch. 7

Explorations in Economics [Taussig Festschrift]: Currie [Domestic Stability & the Mechanism of Trade Adjustment to Int’l. Capital Movements]—pp.46-56, also Angell pp. 15-19, Leontief [Notes on the Pure Theory of Capital Transfer]—pp.84-91.

E. M. Bernstein, J.P.E., June 1940.

J.C. Gilbert, R.E. Studies V (1937-8), 187ff.

Imre de Vegh, R.E. Stat, 1942. [sic]

Paish, Economica, Nov. 1936

Interest Rates & Capital Movements

O. M. W. Sprague [Economic Adviser to the Bank of England]—Memorandum [presented after the Bank for International Settlements in May 1932]: Statistical Data on Foreign Short-Term Loans—their Collection & Use

[Paish, F. W.] Banking Policy & Int’l Payment. Economica [Nov.] 1936.

Gilbert. Review of Econ. Studies V. 5, pp. 187 ff.

The “Gold Standard”

[criticism of…next three items]

Keynes — Treatise on Money.

Whittlesey

Graham & Whittlesey. Golden avalanche

Bretton Woods:

Get Keynes’ plan (British Ministry of Information) & White (Treasury) plan (revised of July)

see also FR bulletin

Princeton bibliography on this.

Williams’ July- 1943 and Jan 1944, Foreign Affairs.

Irving Trust Co. Symposium. Read: texts of agreement

Goldenweiser, E. A.

articles by Kemmerer, Viner, Williams

C. P. Kindleberger, Short-Term Capital Movement (1936)

Marco Fanno. Normal and Abnormal Cap. movements.

Paul Einzig. Foreign Balances (1936)

Viner—Two plans for int’l monetary standard. Yale Review.

Pure theory of Int’l Trade

Viner—Studies ch.’s 8-9.

Lerner-(two articles) Diagrammatical Represent. Economica 346-56, 1932-34 319-34.

Leontieff — Use of Indifference Curves—Q.J.E. 1933.

Samuelson — Welfare Econ A.E.R. 1938.

Kaldor — Tariff — Economica 1940.

De Scitovszky — Reconsideration of Tariff — Review of Econ Studies—summer 1942.

J.C. Gilbert—Rev. Econ. Studies V. 3 “Present State of Int’l Theory”

Q.J.E. May 1938 Robertson on [Viner’s] Studies pp. 539ff.

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Bibliography for Viner’s Economics 370 in 1944

Angell, James W. Theory of international prices: History, criticism and restatement. Harvard Economic Studies No. 28, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1926.

Angell, James W. Equilibrium in international payments: the United States, 1919-1925. In Explorations in economics, notes and essays contributed in honor of F. W. Taussig. (1936).

Bernstein, E. M. Exchange rates under the gold standard. Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Jun., 1940), pp. 345-356.

Bronfenbrenner, Martin. International transfers and the terms of trade: An Extension of Pigou’s Analyis. In Studies in mathematical economics and econometrics: in memory of Henry Schultz (1942).

Currie, Lauchlin. Domestic stability and the mechanism of trade adjustment to international capital movements. In Explorations in economics, notes and essays contributed in honor of F. W. Taussig. (1936)

De Scitovszky, T. A reconsideration of the theory of tariffs. The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Summer, 1942), pp. 89-110.

de Vegh, Imre. Imports and income in the United States and Canada. The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Aug., 1941), pp. 130-146

Einzig, Paul. Foreign balances. London: Macmillan, 1938.

Ellsworth, P. T. International economics. New York: Macmillan, 1938.

Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences. Edwin R. A. Seligman and Alvin Johnson (eds.). New York, Macmillan Co.

Vol. 2 (1930);  Vol. 10 (1933)

Explorations in economics, notes and essays contributed in honor of F. W. Taussig. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1936.

Fanno, Marco. Normal and abnormal international capital transfers. University of Minnesota Press, 1939.

Fisher, Irving. The purchasing power of money. Its determination and relation to credit, interest and crises. New York: Macmillan, 1911.

Gilbert, J. C. The present position of the theory of international trade. The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Oct., 1935), pp. 18-34.

Gilbert, J. C. The mechanism of interregional redistributions of money. The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jun., 1938), pp. 187-194.

Graham, Frank D. and Charles R. Whittlesey. Golden avalanche. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1939.

Haberler, Gottfried. The theory of international trade. Trans. by Alfred Stonier and Frederic Benham. London: William Hodge, 1936.

Heckscher, Eli F. Mercantilism (2 vols.) London: George Allen and Unwin, first edition, 193; revised, second edition, 1955. Original Swedish edition, 1931). (Review Essay by John J. McCusker in EH.net)

Heckscher, Eli F. Mercantilism. The Economic History Review, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Nov., 1936), pp. 44-54

Hume, David. Essays, moral, political, and literary. Eugene F. Miller (ed.). Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, Inc.

Kaldor, Nicholas. A note on tariffs and the terms of trade. Economica, New Series, Vol. 7, No. 28 (Nov., 1940), pp. 377-380.

Keynes, John Maynard. A treatise on money. (2 vols.) New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1930.

Kindleberger, Charles P. International short-term capital movements. New York: Columbia University Press, 1939.

Leontief, Wassily W. The use of indifference curves in the analysis of foreign trade. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 47, No. 3 (May, 1933), pp. 493-503.

Leontief, Wassily. Note on the pure theory of capital transfer. In . In Explorations in economics, notes and essays contributed in honor of F. W. Taussig. (1936).

Lerner, A. P. The diagrammatical representation of cost conditions in international trade. Economica, No. 37 (Aug., 1932), pp. 346-356.

Lerner, A. P. The diagrammatical representation of demand conditions in international trade. Economica, New Series, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Aug., 1934), pp. 319-334.

Malynes, Gerard. A treatise of the canker of England’s commonwealth, 1601. in Tawney and Power, Tudor economic documents, III, 1924, pp. 386-505.

Malynes, Gerard. The circle of commerce or the ballance of trade, in defence [sic] of free trade [sic], 1623.

Mill, John Stuart. Principles of political economy with some of their applications to social philosophy. (7th ed.). A. J. Ashley (ed.). London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1909.

Morgan, E.Victor The theory and practice of central banking, 1797-1913. Cambridge,: Cambridge University Press, 1943.

Mosak, Jacob L. General-Equilibrium theory in international trade (University of Chicago doctoral dissertation, 1941).Bloomington, IN: Principia Press, 1944.

Mun, Thomas. England’s Treasure by Forraign Trade (1664). New York, Macmillan and Co., 1895.

Ohlin, Bertil G. Interregional and international trade. Harvard Economic Studies No. 39. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1933.

Paish, F. W. Banking policy and the balance of international payments. Economica, New Series, Vol. 3, No. 12 (Nov., 1936), pp. 404-422.

The Works of David Ricardo (New edition). J. R. McCulloch (ed.). London: John Murray, 1888.

Economic Essays by David Ricardo. Edited with introductory essay and notes by E. C. K. Gonner. London, G. Bell and Sons, 1926.

Ricardo, David. Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, E. C.K. Gonner (ed.). London, George Bell and Sons, 1903.

Robertson, D. H. Changes in international demand and the terms of trade. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 52, No. 3 (May, 1938), pp. 539-540.

Robertson, D. H. Indemnity Payments and Gold Movements. Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 53, No. 2 (Feb., 1939), pp. 312-314.

Robertson, D. H. Indemnity Payments and Gold Movements: A Rejoinder. Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 53, No. 2 (Feb., 1939), pp. 317.

Samuelson, Paul A. Welfare economics and international trade. The American Economic Review, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Jun., 1938), pp. 261-266

Shields, Murry (ed.) International financial stabilization: a symposium. New York: Irving Trust Company, 1944.

Silberling, Norman J. Financial and Monetary Policy of Great Britain During the Napoleonic Wars, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Feb., 1924), pp. 214-233; No. 3 (May, 1924), pp. 397-439.

Sprague, O. M. W. “Statistical Data on Foreign Short-term Funds; their Collection and Use.” Paper read before an assembly of central bank governors following the General Meeting at the Bank for International Settlements in May 1932. [mentioned in Third Annual Report, Bank for International Settlements, Basle (May 8, 1933), p. 22.]

Studies in mathematical economics and econometrics: in memory of Henry Schultz. Oscar Lange, Francis McIntyre and Theodore O. Yntema (eds.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1942.

Viner, Jacob. Angell’s Theory of International Prices. Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 34, No. 5 (Oct., 1926), pp. 597-623.

Viner, Jacob. Review of Heckscher. The Economic History Review, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Oct., 1935), pp. 99-101

Viner, Jacob. Studies in the Theory of International Trade. New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1937.

Viner, Jacob. Indemnity Payments and Gold Movements: A Reply. Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 53, No. 2 (Feb., 1939), pp. 314-317.

Viner, Jacob. Two plans for international monetary stabilization. Yale Review, Vol. XXXIII (1943-44), p. 77ff.

Whittlesey, Charles Raymond. International monetary issues. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1937.

Williams, John H. Currency stabilization: The Keynes and White Plans. Foreign Affairs, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Jul., 1943), pp. 645-658.

Williams, John H. Currency stabilization: American and British attitudes. Foreign Affairs, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Jan., 1944), pp. 233-247

Wood, Elmer. English theories of central banking control, 1819-1858, with some account of contemporary procedure. Harvard Economic Studies 64. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1939.

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Ph. D. Exam questions in int’l trade

  1. Basic determinants of course of trade (direction, volume, constituent items) between regions in absence of legal barriers. How reconcile this with statement that course of trade determined by (1) comparative cost of prod. (2) relative scarcities of factors of production in regions.
  1. Explain differences & similarities in mechanism of capital transfer under (a) int’l metallic standard & (b) flexible exchanges.
  1. Is it possible to demonstrate superiority of fixed over flexible exchanges, or vice versa, from a national point of view, on purely a priori grounds? Why or why not?
  1. Role in int’l monetary equilibrium of (a) official gold price (b) stabilization fund (c) sterilization (d) tripartite agreement.
  1. Give an account of the evolution of terms of trade theorizing or explain the role in mercantilist thought of (a) bullionist doctrine (b) balance of labor doctrine c) quantity theory of value of money.
  1. Discuss the role in Eng. mercantilist thinking of (a) considerations of power as distinguished from consideration of plenty (b) provision motive (c) quantity theory of money.
  1. Discuss the role of “income elasticity” in the older & newer literature on the mechanism of adjustment of int’l balances.
  1. Discuss the role of short-term capital movements under flexible & fixed exchanges.
  1. Explain the possibilities & the limitations of national gain in the long-run thru governmental restriction on for. trade.
  1. int’l monetary system
  1. Explain the relationship to each other in int’l static equilibrium of (a) comparative costs (b) relative scarcity of factors (c) reciprocal demand.
  1. Discuss role in operations of pre-1914 gold standard of (a) central banking (b) London money market (c) exchange rate fluctuations.
  1. Explain role in mechanism of adjustment to disturbances of int’l balances of payments of (a) income elasticity (b) price elasticity (c) final purchase (or income) velocity.
  1. Note on following pre-Smithian doctrines (a) power vs. plenty as objectives of trade policy (b) the desirability or undesirability of hoards of the precious metals (c) a divinely ordained “universal economy.” (d) balance of labor.
  1. What are the possibilities in the long run, of national & of world economic gains from the imposition by national units of restrictions on foreign trade.
  1. Role of int’l short-term capital movements in int’l monetary & trade mechanism.
  1. Under free trade the nature of interregional specialization is determined by the relative scarcities of the factors of production in the diff. regions.
    1. What is meant by relative scarcity of factors of prod.
    2. Do the exponents of this theory mean “determined solely”
    3. Does free trade necessarily conduce to the lessening of the differences in the relative rates of remuneration of the diff. categories of “factors of production” as between diff. countries.
    4. If you were setting up a system of equalities to illustrate the nature of int’l equilibrium under free trade—what “standard of living” consideration would you take care of & how?
  1. Discuss interrelationships (if any) of balance of power, balance of trade, “balance of labor” considerations in English mercantilist doctrine.
  1. Explain basic theoretical issues between bullionists & the ant-bullionists of Restriction period & indicate to what extent Ricardo’s views were not generally accepted by the bullionists.

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Source: Don Patinkin Papers. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.. Box 3 (Course Materials and Class Notes), Folder “Patinkin as Student: Notebooks (1944)”.

Image Source: University of Chicago Photographic Archive, apf1-08488, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library. The photograph is dated 14 June 1944.

Categories
Bibliography Columbia Courses

Columbia. Fiscal policy. Depression deficits and war finance. Shoup, 1941

Carl S. Shoup (New York Times obituary) taught a course at Columbia in the business school with the title “The balancing of government budgets” that was listed with economics department course offerings as “Economics b114”. One finds this course listed in the annual Bulletin of the Faculty of Political Science beginning in the Spring session of 1938 and then every year through 1943 with the exception of 1940.

In this posting you will find his selected bibliographies on deficit financing in periods of depression and the special problem of financing defense and war.

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[Course Description]

Economics b114—The balancing of governmental budgets. 3 points Spring Session. Professor Shoup.

Tu. and Th. at 9. 415 Business.

An analysis of the factors governing the choice between normal recurring revenue, such as taxes, and extraordinary revenue such as loans, devaluation profits, etc. Particular attention is paid to the relations of public finance to money and banking in these problems.

Source: Division of History, Economics, Public Law, and Social Science. Courses offered by the Faculty of Political Science for the Winter and Spring Sessions 1940-41. Columbia University, Bulletin of Information, 40th Series, No. 29 (June 29, 1940), p. 38.

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In this posting I have assembled three selected bibliographies two of which are undated and all three are without attribution to Shoup or any university identification. Two of the bibliographies are identified as belonging to a course “Economics b114”. These bibliographies are found in two folders (“Student years” and “University of Wisconsin, Econ b114”) filed far apart (boxes 5 and 75, respectively) in the Milton Friedman papers at the Hoover Institution.

Milton Friedman taught at Columbia up through 1939-40 followed by a year at University of Wisconsin in 1940-41. None of the courses that Friedman taught at Wisconsin for which I found material in the his papers had a prefix “b” before the course number and it seems pretty unlikely (one would really need to consult the course catalogues for the University of Wisconsin to be sure…I have not) that the course numbering between the Columbia business school and the Wisconsin economics department would coincide.

I have concluded that the part of the Shoup reading list dealing with defense and war related finance was filed by a Hoover archivist with Friedman’s course materials at Wisconsin (incorrectly) because the date on that selected bibliography coincided with Friedman’s Wisconsin years (and perhaps it was actually found with materials from his business cycle class, Economics 176, at Wisconsin).

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Economics b114
Selected Bibliography on Deficit Financing in Periods of Depression

Chase, Stewart, Idle Money, Idle Men

Clark, J. M., Economics of Planning Public Works

Clark, J. M., “An Appraisal of the Workability of Compensatory Devices,” American Economic Review, March, 1939 Supplement (Proceedings), pp. 194-208

Clark, J. M., “Effects of Public Spending on Capital Formation”, in National Industrial Conference Board, Capital Formation and its Elements, 1939.

Colm, G. and Lehmann, F., Economic Consequences of Recent American Tax Policy, Supplement I to Social Research, 1938, 108 p.

Colm, G. and Lehmann, F., “Public Spending and Recovery in the United States,” Social Research, May, 1936, Vol. III, 129-66.

Dennison, H. S. and others, Toward Full Employment, 1938, 297 p.

Eccles, Marriner, Economic Balance and a Balanced Budget (Weissman, editor)

Galbraith, J. K., The Economic Effects of the Federal Public Works Expenditures, 1933-1938, 131 p. 1940.

Galbraith, J. K., “Fiscal Policy and the Employment-Investment Controversy”, Harvard Bus. Rev., Autumn, 1939.

Gayer, Arthur, “Fiscal Policies,” American Economic Review, March, 1938 Supplement (Proceedings), 90-112. (Reprints on reserve at Business Library).

Gayer, A. D. and Rostow, W. W., How Money Works, Public Affairs Pamphlets No. 45, 1940, 30 p.

Gill, C., Wasted Manpower: The Challenge of Unemployment, 1939, 312 p.

Graham, B. L., “Storage and Stability – A Plan for Monetizing the Commodity Surplus”, in Roberts, Geo., A Forum on Finance, 1940.

Haley, B. F., “The Federal Budget: Economic Consequences of Deficit Financing,” Am. Eco. Rev., Feb., 1941, 67-87.

Hansen, A. H., Full Recovery or Stagnation? 1938, pp. 267-329.

Hicks, U. K., “Balancing the Budget” (Ch. XVII) and “Taxation and the Trade Cycle” (Ch. XVIII), in The Finance of British Government, 1920-1936. (1938)

Jaszi, G., “The Budgetary Experience of Great Britain in the Great Depression,” in Public Policy: A Yearbook (Harvard), 1940.

Kahn, R. F., “The Relation of Home Investment to Unemployment,” Economic Journal June, 1931.

Keynes, J. M., The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money

Keynes, J. M., The Means to Prosperity

Keynes, J. M., NY. Times, Editorial page, June 10, 1934 (p. 1 of editorial section) and July 7, 1934.

Lerner, A. P., “Some Swedish Stepping Stones in Economic Theory,” Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science, Nov., 1940, espec. p. 574-80.

Lutz, H. L., The Business Man’s Stake in Government Finance, Stanford Univ. 1939, espec. pp. 16-20, 23-44, 45-66.

Lutz, H. L., “The Failure of the Spending Policy,” N. Y. Sun, Jan. 6, 1940

Meyers, A. L., “Government Borrowing and Creation of National Income,” Chap. IV, in Modern Economic Problems. 1939.

Myers, M. G., Monetary Proposals for Social Reform, 1940, 191 p.

Myrdal, Gunnar, “Fiscal Policies in the Business Cycle,” A.E.R., 1939 Proceedings, 183-93.

Pigou, A. C., “Inflation, Deflation and Reflation,” Ch. IV in Economics in Practice, 1936.

Round Table on “The Workability of Compensatory Devices,” A.E.R. 1939 Proceedings, 224-29.

Samuelson, P. A., “Theory of Pump-Priming Reexamined,” Am. Eco. Rev., Sept., 1940, 492-506.

Seltzer, L. H., “Direct versus Fiscal and Institutional Factors,” Am. Eco. Rev. Feb., 1941, 99-107.

Slichter, Sumner, “Is America Finished?” N.Y. Sun, Jan. 6, 1940

Slichter, Sumner, “Profits and Prosperity,” Atlantic Monthly, Nov., 1938.

Smith, D. T., Deficits and Depression

Smith, D. T., “Is Deficit Spending Practical?” Harvard Bus. Rev., Autumn, 1939.

Smith, D. T., “An Analysis of Changes in Federal Finance, July 1930-1938 Rev. Econ. Statistics, Nov., 1938.

Smith, D. T., Review of Haley’s Paper, ibid., 88-98.

T.N.E.C., Hearings, Part 9: Hansen, Currie, etc.

Twentieth Century Fund, Debts and Recovery, 1938, 366 p.

U. S. Treasury, Borrower,” Fortune, January, 1939.

University of Chicago, Round Tables. “The Economics of Pump-Priming.” May 1, 1938, “Purchasing Power and Prosperity,” July 31, 1938.

Vanguard Press, An Economic Program for American Democracy.

Williams, John H., “Deficit Spending”, Am. Eco. Rev. Feb. 1941, 52-66.

 

Source: Milton Friedman papers, Hoover Institution Archives. Box 5, Folder 12 “Student years”. [Note above my reasons to believe this folder also has material not from Friedman’s “student years”.]

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Economics b114
Bibliography of Recent Materials Dealing with the Financing of Defense and War
February 5, 1941

American Council of Public Affairs, Economic Mobilization

Bowen, I., and Worswick, G. D. N., “The Controls and War Finance,” Oxford Econ. Papers, Sept., 1940.

Brown, F. H., and others, War Finance in Canada, 1940.

Clarke, R. W. B., The Economic Effort of War, London, 1940.

Connely, E.F., “Financing our Preparedness Program,” Banker’s Mag., Aug., 1940.

*Durbin, E.F.M., How to Pay for the War, London, 1939.

Editorial Research Reports, Methods of Financing War, June 3, 1940.

George, E.B., “Prices and Profits in a Defense Economy,” Dun’s Review, Nov., 1940.

*Greer, Guy, “Arming and Paying for It,” Harpers, Nov., 1940.

Hardy, C.O., “War and Capital Formation,” in Capital Formation and Its Elements, National Industrial Conference Board, 1939, pp. 134-50.

*Hardy, C.O., “Wartime Control of Prices,” 1940.

*Hart, A.G., Economic Policy for Rearmament, U. of Chicago Public Policy Pamphlet No. 33.

Kazekevitch, V.D., “The War and American Finance,” Science and Society, Spring, 1940.

*Keynes, J.M., How to Pay for the War, New York, 1940.

Morgan, S., “Deficit Financing in Germany,” in Roberts (editor), Forum on Finance, New York, 1939, pp. 3-22.

*Moulton, Harold G., Fundamental Issues in National Defense, Brookings, Jan. 13, 1941.

National Industrial Conference Board, Consumption, Savings, and Defense Financing, and Fiscal Possibilities for National Defense, Supplements to Economic Record, 1940.

*New Republic symposium: How to Pay for Defense, July 29, 1940 (Groves, Keynes, Chase, Cooke, Soule).

Pigou, A. C., “War Finance and Inflation,” Economic Journal, Dec., 1940.

Radice, E.A., “Consumption, Savings, and War Finance,” Oxford Economic Papers, Sept., 1940.

Riches, E.J., “Deferred Pay: the Keynes Plan,” Inter. Labor Review, June, 1940.

Robbins, L., “How Britain Will Finance the War,” Foreign Affairs, April, 1940.

Staudinger, H., and Lehmann, F., “Germany’s Economic Mobilization for War,” National Industrial Conference Board Economic Record, July 24, 1940.

*U.S. Government, Budget for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1942.

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The next page immediately follows the previous but it lacks a date and the formatting of the bibliography deviates from the previous two. Being alphabetically ordered and going from “Annals” to “Williams” with perhaps a quarter of empty page below, it is clearly a separate list. None of the titles are the same with the previous two lists, so I have presumed this is a likely update from the middle of the second session 1941.

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Annals, American Academy of Political and Social Science: Billions for Defense, March, 1941, 1-215.

Bach, G.L., “Rearmament, Recovery and Monetary Policy”, American Economic Review, March, 1941, 27-41.

Eccles, M. S., “Economic Preparedness for Defense and Post Defense Problems, Federal Reserve Bulletin, Jan., 1941.

Gilbert, R. V., and others, “Exploring the Factors Involved in Reemployment of Labor and Capital”, Savings Bank Journal, Dec., 1940.

Hansen, A. H., “Defense Financing and Inflation Potentialities,” Review of Economic Statistics, Feb., 1941.

Hearings, Public Debt Act of 1941: Committee on Ways and Means, Jan. 29 and 30, 1941, 106pp: Subcommittee of Committee on Finance, Feb. 12, 1941 47p.

Musgrave, R. A., “Inflationary Dangers of the Public Debt and the Tax System”, Taxes, Feb., 1941

Paul, R. E., and others, “Exploring the Financing of National Defense and Its Economic Consequences,” Savings Bank Journal, Oct., 1940

Plumptre, A. F. W., “An Approach to War Finance,” Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science, Feb., 1941, 1-12.

Secretary of the Treasury, Report for Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1940.

Stewart, Maxwell, “How Shall We Pay for Defense?” Public Affairs Pamphlet, No. 52, 1941.

Williams, John H. “Economic and Monetary Aspects of the Defense Problem,” Federal Reserve Bulletin, Feb. 1941

 

Source: Milton Friedman papers, Hoover Institution Archives. Box 75, Folder 2 “University of Wisconsin, Econ b114”. [Note above my reasons to believe this folder contains a reading list from the Shoup course at Columbia University.]

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Research Tip: Shoup Collection at Yokohama National University Library

“The Shoup Collection consists of 3,000 volumes of books, 100 titles of periodicals and enormous amount of documents held by an American economist Dr. Carl Sumner Shoup (1902-2000) who is known to have issued the report of Japanese tax system called “Shoup Mission.” In particular, the documents of his lecture notes, working memoranda and letters including those from Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for Allied Forces, and from Shigeru Yoshida, former Prime Minister, are precious inheritances that can only be found at this library.”

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Image Source: The Columbia Spectator Archive. March 8, 1967.

 

 

 

Categories
Bibliography Columbia Courses Economists

Columbia. Economic History Course taught by Simkhovitch. Attended by Friedman, 1933.

Of six graduate courses taken for credit at Columbia University by Milton Friedman, one was taught by the Professor of Economic History, Vladimir Gregorievitch Simkhovitch — Economics 119. According to Friedman’s own listing of his coursework in economics found in his papers at the Hoover Institution Archives, he took Simkhovitch’s economic history course during the winter semester of the academic year 1933-34.

Simkhovitch was a multifaceted character and Universalgelehrter which can be loosely translated as an academic “utility infielder”. Because of his relative (or even absolute) obscurity now in the history of economics, here a bit of biographical information to chew on.

V. G. Simkhovitch was born in Russia in 1874, received his doctorate from Halle-Wittenberg (Germany) in 1898, and emigrated to the U.S. after completing graduate work where he began a fellowship at Cornell. He was hired by Columbia University in 1904 to teach economic history. Besides his economic history courses, Simkhovitch also regularly lectured on the subjects of socialist economics and Marxism until retiring from Columbia in 1942. Of considerably more note than himself was his wife Mary Melina Kingsbury, whom he met in Berlin during their student years. They married in New York City in 1899 with Mary Simkhovitch going on to become a prominent housing reform and neighborhood activist. Greenwich House, still in existence, was a model settlement house that she founded. Husband and wife were prominent enough, mostly thanks to her, to have their 50th wedding anniversary reported in the New York Times (January 6, 1949). Objects from Vladimir Simkhovitch’s art collections were reported in his obituary (New York Times, December 10, 1959) to have been displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Pierrpont Morgan Library in New York as well as museums in Boston, Cleveland and Philadelphia. It is not difficult to find objects once owned by him in art auction house listings today.

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Eli Ginzberg’s recollections of Simkhovitch

In his brief memoir essay “Economics at Columbia: Recollections of the early 1930s” [The American Economist, vol. 34, No. 2, (Fall, 1990), 14-19], Simkhovitch does not come off well, certainly not personally.

“The hard core of the old department in addition to Seligman, Seager and Moore included Vladimir G. Simkhovitch who offered courses on socialism and economic history. Russian by birth and German by education, Simkhovitch, even with the perspective of time is not easy to characterize and even harder to evaluate. A collector of Chinese art and a grower of delphiniums in Perry, Maine, he was recognized as an expert in both fields. Most students, the bright as well as the dull, considered his lectures somewhat tedious distraction from serious work on contemporary economics; they had little interest in his exhaustion of the soil explanation for the decline of Rome or his Edward Bernstein-modified critique of Karl Marx. But a few of us recognized V.G.’s insightfulness and over looked his failings, defects which included a proneness for character defamation and vindictiveness as well as immature behavior toward female students.” p. 14.

“If the relations between the Graduate Economics Department and the School of Business were close and for the most part friendly, this was not the case with respect to the Graduate Economic Department’s attitude to the economists who taught in the undergraduate department headed by Rexford G. Tugwell. Tugwell fancied himself to be an expert in agricultural economics which may have brought him into conflict with Simkhovitch who devoted much of his time and energy to creating and maintaining feuds. The tension may have been nothing more than snobbery run riot. Tugwell did not teach any course in the Graduate Department of Economics. But I can personally attest to the fact that Tugwell was sensitive about collegial relations.” p. 17

Ahem…“immature behavior toward female students”!  Certainly not the first, nor regrettably the last…but definitely one of them.  It was good for Eli Ginzberg to have put that in the historical record. 

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[Course Description]

Economics 119—Economic history. 3 points Winter Session. Professor V. G. SIMKHOVITCH.
Tu., 2:10-3 in 401 Fayerweather and 4:10-5 in 302 Fayerweather.

A general survey of the chief phases of the economic development of classical antiquity, of the Middle Ages, and of modern times, as well as of historical approaches.

Source: History, Economics, Public Law, and Social Science: Courses Offered by the Faculty of Political Science for Winter and Spring Sessions, 1933-34. Columbia University, Bulletin of Information, 33rd Series, No. 26 (March 25, 1933)

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ECONOMIC HISTORY

V. Simkhovitch “Approaches to History”

I Political Science Quarterly, December 1929 S
II         [ditto]                             December, 1930 S
III       [ditto]                              September, 1932 R

Towards an Understanding of Jesus R
Rome’s Fall Reconsidered S
Hay and History S
Marxism v. Socialism Chapter on the Economic Interpretation of History

 

R         Roth Clausing The Roman Colonate 5-62

R         F. de Coulanges The Origin of Property in Land 1-73; 149-52

S          Buecher         Industrial Evolution 83-151

R         Edward Meyer Entwicklungsgeschichte des Altertums in Kleine Schriften Vol. 81-160

R         H. Bradley      Enclosures in England 11-45; 72; 85; 105-7

S         Seligman The Economic Interpretation of History 1-24; 146-186

R         Schoenberg “Zunftswesen im Mittelalter” Jahrbucher fur Nationaloekonomie und Statistik 1867

R         Renard           Guilds in the Middle Ages 1-26; 32-67; 73 -115

R         Brentano       History and Development of the Guilds

R         Cunningham Growth of English Industry and Commerce, Paragraphs 61, 72-7, 84, 103, 122, 128, 149-9

S          Ashley Introduction to English Economic Theory and History, Volume I pp. 1-113

R         Toynbee Industrial Revolution Chapters 7 and 8

R         Toutain          The Economic Life of the Ancient World Chapters 5-6

R  Read                      S   Study carefully

 

Source: Milton Friedman Papers. Hoover Institution Archives. Box 5, Folder 12, “Student years”.

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Image Source: Standing Royal Figure. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Helena Simkhovitch in memory of her father, Vladimir G. Simkhovitch.

 

 

 

 

Categories
Bibliography Courses Economists Exam Questions Harvard Suggested Reading Syllabus Uncategorized

Harvard. Econ 113b. Schumpeter’s Grad Course on the History of Economics. 1940.

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Joseph Schumpeter offered this one semester, second term graduate course “History and Literature of Economics since 1776” nine times during the period 1940-1949. The core readings were basically unchanged. Below you will find the course enrollment figures and the reading list for 1940 (into which I have inserted the two additions from the reading list for 1941). Exam questions from 1940 and 1941 are included as well as an important research tip at the bottom of the posting. Nobel Laureates James Tobin and Robert Solow took this course in 1940 and 1947, respectively. I have gone to the trouble of providing links to almost the entire reading list as a public service to the history of economics community of scholars.

The (much reduced) reading list for the last time Schumpeter taught the course, Spring 1949 is transcribed in a later post.

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If you find this posting interesting, here is the complete list of “artifacts” from the history of economics I have assembled. You can subscribe to Economics in the Rear-View Mirror below. There is also an opportunity for comment following each posting….

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[Course Description: History and Literature of Economics since 1776]

Course work will mainly consist in critical study of the leading English, French, German and Italian contributions to economic thought in the nineteenth century. An introductory and a concluding series of lectures and discussions will provide the links with earlier and modern developments. Undergraduates who have passed Ec A are admitted without individual permission

Source: Joseph Schumpeter Papers, Harvard University Archives, HUG (FP) 4.62. Box 10 “Lecture Notes”, Folder “Ec 113, 1941”.

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Course Enrollment Statistics:

Grad. Students Seniors Juniors Radcliffe Other Total
1939-40 9 3 1 0 3 16
1940-41 11 2 0 3 1 17
1941-42 5 1 0 4 1 12
1942-43 10 3 0 6 3 22
1943-44 2 1 0 3 3 9
1944-45 Not offered
1945-46 18 2 5 25
1946-47 21 1 0 6 7 35
1947-48 17 4 0 2 7 30
1948-49 2 1 0 0 1 4

Note: The course number was Economics 113b until the academic year 1947-48, under the new course numbering system in 1948-49, it became Economics 213b. Joseph Schumpeter died in January 1950.

Source: Harvard/Radcliffe Online Historical Reference Shelf. Harvard President’s Reports.

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Economics 113b
[History and Literature of Economics since 1776]
1939-40
[second term]

 

I. For general reference you should currently consult:

Erich Roll, A History of Economic Thought (1939, [link to 1945 edition]), or
L. H. Haney, History of Economic Thought (1927).[1923 revised edition]

Suggestions:

John M. Keynes, Essays in Biography (Essays on Malthus, Marshall and Edgeworth).

 

II. Works dealing with the history of individual doctrines or problems. No assignment.

Suggestions:

E. Boehm-Bawerk, Capital and Interest, Vol. I.
E. Cannan, Theories of Production and Distribution (1924). [2nd ed., 1903]
F. W. Taussig, Wages and Capital (1896).
J. Viner, Studies in the Theory of International Trade (1937), Chs. I and II.
K. Marx, Theorien über den Mehrwehrt (1921). [1910 edition by Karl Kautsky: vol I, vol. II(1), vol. II(2), vol. III.]

 

III. This course covers many authors whose teaching is also dealt with in other courses and whose works are more or less familiar to every student. The most important of them are:

Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, also read the introduction to Cannan’s edition.
David Ricardo, Principles of Political Economy.
John Stuart Mill, Principles of Political Economy; also read introduction to Ashley’s edition.
Alfred Marshall, Principles of Economics, particularly Book V.
John B. Clark, Distribution of Wealth (1899).

Suggestions:

Augustin Cournot, Principles of the Theory of Wealth (Fisher’s edition, 1927).
Léon Walras, Element d’économie pure (edition definitive, 1926).
Knut Wicksell, Lectures on Political Economy (Robbins’ edition, 1934). [volume I, volume II]

 

IV. In addition, the following books should be read, at least cursorily:

Richard Cantillon, Essai sur la nature du commerce en général (1755); English translation by Higgs (1931).
David Hume, Political Discourses (edition by Green and Grose, 1875), Vol. I. [Miller edition]
Sir James Steuart, Principles of Political Economy (1767). [Vol I (1767); Vol II ]
A. R. J. Turgot, Réflexions sur la Formation et la Distribution des Richesses (1766), (Oeuvres, ed. Daire, 1844). Vol I; Vol II.
Thomas R. Malthus, Essay on the Principle of Population (1798). [1803 edition, enlarged]
Jean B. Say, Traité d’économie politique (1803). [2nd ed. 1814] [1855 English translation from 4th and 5th editions]
William N. Senior, Outline of the Science of Political Economy (1836).
William St. Jevons, Theory of Political Economy (1871).
J. E. Cairnes, Leading Principles.
Karl Marx, first volume of Das Kapital (English translation).

Suggestions:

J. H. v. Thünen, Der isolierte Staat (ed. Waentig, 1930).
R. Auspitz und R. Lieben, Untersuchungen über die Theorie des Preises (1888), (also translation into French). [Vol. I (French); Vol. II (French)]
Carl Menger, Grundsätze der Volkswirtschaftslehre (London School reprints, 1934). [English translation with introduction by F. A. Hayek]
F. Y. Edgeworth, Mathematical Psychics (London School reprints, 1932).
M. Longfield, Lectures on Political Economy (London School reprints, 1931).
H. C. Carey, The Past, the Present and the Future (1848).
H. George, Progress and Poverty (1879).
S. Newcomb, Principles of Political Economy (1885).
Ph. Wicksteed, The Commonsense of Political Economy (1908).

 

V. Monographs on individual authors. No assignments.

Suggestions:

[Addition to list in 1940-41: Henry Higgs, The Physiocrats (1897)]
W. R. Scott, Adam Smith as Student and Professor (1937).
J. Rae, Life of Adam Smith (1895).
J. Bonar, Malthus and his Work (1924). [1885 ed.]
M. Bowley, Nassau Senior and Classical Economics (1937).
F. Mehring, Karl Marx (1936).
J. R. Hicks, Leon Walras (Econometrica, 1934).
[Addition to list in 1940-41: H. W. Jevons and H. S. Jevons, “William S. Jevons,” Econometrica]

Source: Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1895-2003. Harvard University Archives, HUC 8522.2.1. Box 2, Folder “1939-40, 2 of (2)” and Folder “1940-41”.

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1939-1940
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
ECONOMICS 113b2

Answer any FOUR out of the following five questions:

  1. Discuss the wage-fund theory and its practical implications. In what sense was it resuscitated by Boehm-Bawerk and Taussig?
  2. Exponents of the Labor-Quantity theory of value and exponents of the Marginal Utility theory of value have for decades tried to refute each other. What is the true relation between the two theories?
  3. State and criticize the Marxian theory of Surplus Value or of Exploitation.
  4. What do you think of the so-called Ricardian theory of rent?
  5. What are the main objections that were raised against the “Austrian school” during the early stages of its development?

Final. 1940

 

Source: Joseph Schumpeter Papers, Harvard University Archives, HUG (FP) 4.62. Box 10 “Lecture Notes”, Folder “Ec 113, 1941”.

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1940-1941
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
ECONOMICS 113b2

One question may be omitted. Arrange your answers in the order of the questions.

  1. If a layman, trying to make intellectual conversation, asked you what Adam Smith’s performance consisted in, what would you say?
  2. What was the importance, for the economic theory of its time, of Malthus’ Essay on Population?
  3. Explain the meaning and use of the theorem usually referred to as Say’s Law.
  4. What are the conditions that would have to be fulfilled in order to make the labor-quantity theory of value true?
  5. State and discuss Ricardo’s version of the so-called law of the falling rate of profit.
  6. Jevons, Walras and Menger no doubt felt that they had revolutionized economic theory. What did this revolution consist in and how important do you think it was?
  7. Under modern conditions, most producers have no use for any significant part of their products. Hence their subjective valuation of these products depends on what these products will exchange for, that is to say, on their prices. How, then, can we derive these prices from utility schedules of buyers and sellers without reasoning in a circle?

Final. 1941.

Source: Joseph Schumpeter Papers, Harvard University Archives, HUG (FP) 4.62. Box 10 “Lecture Notes”, Folder “Ec 113, 1941”.

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Research Tip: 75 pages of student notes taken by future Nobel Laureate James Tobin for Economics 113b2 of the 1939-40 academic year are available in the James Tobin Papers at the Yale University Library Manuscripts Collection, Group No. 1746, Box. No. 6 in one of the hard-bound volumes of Tobin’s notes from his Harvard courses.

Image Source: Harvard Album, 1943.

Categories
Bibliography Courses Harvard Socialism Syllabus

Harvard. Economics of Socialism, Anarchism and the Single Tax. Carver, 1920

For almost the entire first quarter of the twentieth century, Thomas Nixon Carver taught the material of this course. According to the Harvard Annual President’s Report for 1919-20 (p. 90), the course, which covered utopias, varieties of socialism and anarchism, and Henry George’s Single Land Tax, was attended by 10 graduate students; 13 seniors, 29 juniors, 11 Sophomores, 1 Freshman; 14 students from other departments/divisions.

Course final examination questions are available here.

A short-annotated bibliography for the economics of socialism was prepared by Carver and published in 1910 in A guide to reading in social ethics and allied subjects; lists of books and articles selected and described for the use of general readers.

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Course Description

In the Official Register of Harvard University (Vol. XVI, October 30, 1919, No. 45) Division of History, Government, and Economics, 1919-20 (Second Edition, p. 64): The course title for Economics 7 given in the second term of 1919-20 was “The Single Tax, Socialism, Anarchism” and met Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays at 10 a.m.

“A critical study of the theories which underlie some of the more radical programmes of social reform. An examination also of the social utility of private property in its various forms; also some attention to the concept of justice in economic relations; the concept of progress; the significance of conservatism and radicalism.”

 

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ECONOMICS 7b
SOCIALISM

Starred references are required

GENERAL WORKS, HISTORICAL

1. *R. T. Ely. French and German Socialism.

2.   Bertrand Russell. German Social Democracy.

3.   John Rae. Contemporary Socialism.

4.   Thomas Kirkup. A History of Socialism.

5.   William Graham. Socialism, New and Old.

6.   Jessica B. Peixotto. The French Revolution and Modern French Socialism.

7.   Wm. B. Guthrie. Socialism Before the French Revolution.

8.   M. Hillquit. History of Socialism in the United States.

9.   Jessie W. Hughan. American Socialism of the Present Day.

 

GENERAL WORKS, EXPOSITORY AND CRITICAL

1.   *O. D. Skelton. Socialism, A Critical Analysis.

2.   J. E. Le Rossignol. Orthodox Socialism.

3.   Albert Schaeffle. The Quintessence of Socialism.

4.   Albert Schaeffle. The Impossibility of Social Democracy.

5.   R. T. Ely. Socialism: an Examination of its Nature, Strength and Weakness.

6.   James Mackaye. The Economy of Happiness.

7.   Henry M. Hyndman. The Economics of Socialism.

8.   Gustave Simonson. A Plain Examination of Socialism.

9.   Werner Sombart. Socialism and the Social Movement in the Nineteenth Century.

10. Émile Vandervelde. Collectivism.

11. R. Flint. Socialism.

12. W. D. P. Bliss. A Handbook of Socialism.

13. Jessie W. Hughan. The Facts of Socialism.

14. E. de Laveleye. The Socialism of Today.

15. E. Böhm-Bawerk. Karl Marx—The End of his System.

16. W. E. Walling. The Larger Aspects of Socialism.

17. S. P. Orth. Socialism and Democracy in Europe.

18. John Spargo. Socialism.

 

TYPES OF SOCIALISTIC PROPAGANDA

I. IDEALISTIC. The appeal is made to all classes on the ground of piety, a sense of justice, or of sympathy for the laboring classes.

A. Religious. The religious motive is invoked in behalf of human brotherhood.

1. Lamennais. Les Paroles d’un Croyant.

2. Washington Gladden. Tools and the Man.

3. Josiah Strong. Our Country.

4. Josiah Strong. The New Era.

B. Fulminations. A thundering discontent with things as they are, with no very definite program for improvement.

1. William Morris, Poet, Artist, Socialist. Edited by Francis Watts Lee. A collection of the socialistic writings of Morris.

2. John Ruskin, the Communism of John Ruskin. Edited by W. D. P. Bliss. Selected chapters from Unto this Last, The Crown of Wild Olive, and Fors Clavigera.

3. Thomas Carlyle, The Socialism and Unsocialism of Thomas Carlyle. Edited by W. 4. D. P. Bliss. Selected chapters from Carlyle’s Various Works.

Socialism and everything resembling it were even more abhorrent to Carlyle than the present system.

C. Utopian. Pictures of ideal Commonwealths.

1. Plato’s Republic.

2. Sir Thomas More. Utopia.

3. Francis Bacon. New Atlantis.

4. Tommaso Campanella. The City of the Sun. (Numbers 2, 3, and 4 may be found in convenient form in Morley’s Ideal Commonwealth.)

5. Etienne Cabot. Voyage en Icarie.

6. William Morris. News from Nowhere.

7. Edward Bellamy. Looking Backward.

8. Laurence Gronlund. The Cooperative Commonwealth.

9. H. G. Wells. A Modern Utopia.

D. Experimental.

There were men and women who had so much confidence in socialism as to believe that it was only necessary to start it to insure its success. They believed that if the world could be given an example of socialism in operation, it would be led to adopt it.

1. Charles Nordhoff. The Communistic Societies of the United States.

2. Karl Kautsky. Communism in Central Europe in the Time of the Reformation.

3. *W. A. Hinds. American Communities.

4. J. H. Noyes. History of American Socialisms.

5. J. T. Codman. Brook Farm Memoirs.

6. Albert Shaw. Icaria.

7. G. B. Landis. The Separatists of Zoar.

8. E. O. Randall. History of the Zoar Society.

E. Opportunist.

1. *Bernard Shaw and others. The Fabian Essays in Socialism.

2. The Fabian Tracts.

3.   Edward Bernstein. Ferdinand Lassalle.

4.   Sidney and Beatrice Web. Problems of Modern Industry.

5.   E. C. K. Gonner. The Socialist Philosophy of Rodbertus.

6.   E. C. K. Gonner. The Socialist State.

7.   Vladimir G. Simkhovitch. Marxism versus Socialism.

8.   J. Ramsay Macdonald. Socialism.

9.   Sidney A. Reeve. The Cost of Competition.

10. Edward Bernstein. Evolutionary Socialism.

11. H. G. Wells. New Worlds for Old.

II. MARXIAN. Believing that every man will work for his own material interests, and that in any capitalistic society, the laboring classes must sooner or later outnumber all others, the appeal is made, not to idealistic sentiments, but to the conscious self interest of the laboring classes. In their own interest they are to overthrow the present economic system and so up a socialistic system.

A. Theoretical

1. Karl Marx. Capital.

2. Frederic Engels. Socialism, Utopian and Scientific.

3. A. Labriola. Essays on the Materialistic Conception of History.

B. Propagandist

(a) Political. Reliance is placed upon the voting power of the masses.

1. Karl Marx and Frederic Engels. The Manifest of the Communist Party.

2. Karl Kautsky. The Social Revolution.

(b) Militant. Reliance is placed upon the physical power of the masses. Ignore the state! The ballot is too slow!

(1) Bolshevist.

1. Austin Lewis. The Militant Proletariat.

2. Beatty, B. Red heart of Russia. Century, 1918.

3. Bryant, L. Six red monthsin Russia. Doran, 1918.

4. Petrunkevich, A. I. et al. Russian Revolution. Harvard University Press, 1918,

5. Radzwill, C. Rasputin and the Russian revolution. Lane, 1918.

6. Russell, C. E. Unchained Russia. Appleton, 1918.

7. Sack, A. J. Birth of the Russian Democracy. Russian Information Bureau, 233 Broadway, N. Y.

8. Trotzky, Leon (Bronshtein, L. D.). The Bolsheviki and World Peace, N. Y., 1918.

9. Trotzky, Leon (Bronshtein, L. D.). Our Revolution; Essays on Working Class and International Revolution, N.Y., 1918.

(2) Syndicalist.

1.   Challange, Felicien. Syndicalisme revolutionaire et Syndicalisme reformiste. Paris. F. Alcan. 1909. 156 pp.

2.   Delivet, Emile. Les employées et leurs corporations. Paris. River. 1909.

3.   Dufor, ——-—-. Le syndicalisme et la prochaine revolution. Paris. M. Rivier. 1913.

4.   Estey, J. Revolutionary syndicalism; an exposition and a criticism. London. P. S. King. 1913.

5.   Garriguet, L. L’Évolution actuelle de socialisme en France. Paris. 1912.

6.   Harley, John H. Syndicalism. London & N. Y. Dodge Pub. 1912. 94pp.

7.   Kirkaldy, Adam W. Economics and syndicalism. University Press. Cambridge. 1914. 140 pp.

8.   MacDonald, James R. Syndicalism, a critical examination. 1913. Chicago. Open Court Pub. 74 pp.

9.   Pataud, Emile. Syndicalism and the cooperating commonwealth. Preface by Kropotkin. Oxford. 1913. 240 pp.

10. Snowden, Philip. Socialism and Syndicalism. London. 1913. 262 pp.

11. Spargo, John. Syndicalism, industrial unionism and socialism. N. Y. Huebsch. 1913. 243 pp.

12. Ware, Fabian. The worker and his country. London. 1912. 288 pp.

(3) The I. W. W.

1.   Brissenden, Paul F. The launching of the Industrial Workers of the World. University of California Press. 1913. 82 pp. contains bibliography.

2. *Brooks, John G. American syndicalism. N. Y. Macmillan. 1913. 264 pp.

3.   De Leon, Daniel. Preamble of the I. W. W. address at Union Temple, Minneapolis. July 10, 1905. N. Y. Labor News Co. 48 pp.

4.   Trautman, William E. Direct. action and sabotage. Pittsburg Socialist News Co. 1912. 43 pp.

 

ANARCHISM

I. PHILOSOPHICAL. A more or less reasoned belief that the abolition of government, especially of government by force, would remove most of the ills of society. Clear in its perception that all government rests upon force; unclear in its reasoning to the conclusion that the use of force is wrong; divided in opinion as to the results of abolishing government.

A. Anarchist Communism. Seeing that property rights are the creation of government, it is concluded that the abolition of government would automatically abolish property and restore communism, and that the masses would pounce upon and destroy anyone who thereafter dared to call anything his own.

1. P. J. Proudhon. What is Property?

2. William Godwin. Political Justice.

3. Peter Kropotkin. Memoirs of a. Revolutionist.

4.   Peter Kropotkin. The Scientific Basis of Anarchy. Nineteenth Century, 21: 218.

5. Elisée Reclus. Evolution et revolution.

6. William M. Salter. Anarchy or goveminent? An inquiry in fundamental government.

7. W. H. Van Ornum. Why Government at all?

8. Ernst V. Zenker. Anarchism; a criticism and history of the anarchist theory.

9. Paul Boilley – Les Trois Socialismes; Anarchisme, Collectivism. Reformisme.

10. Peter Kropotkin. La Science moderne et L’Anarchie.

11. Peter Kropotkin. The Anarchy. Nineteenth Century, 22: 149.

12. *Leo Tolstoi. The Slavery of Our Times.

13. Elissee Reclus. Anarchy. Contemporary Review. 14: 627.

14. Josiah Warren. Equitable Commerce.

15. Josiah Warren. True Civilization as Immediate Necessity.

B. Exaggerated Individualism. There should be no restraint either moral or legal, upon the strong whose “right” to govern and exploit the weak is the only natural or divine right there is. Nature abhors weakness and it is the mission of the strong to exterminate the weak, to the end that weakness may cease to exist and that strength alone may survive. Moral and legal codes are the inventions of the weak to protect themselves from the strong in order that weakness may fill the world with its own spawn.

1. *Max Stirner (pseudonym for Kaskar Schmidt). Der Einzige und sein Eigenthum.

2.   Friederich Nietzsche. Also sprach Zarathustra.

3.   Friederich Nietzsche. Jenseits von Gut and Böse.

4.   James G. Huneker. Egoists: A Book of Supermen.

II. EMOTIONAL. A mere explosive protest against all forms of authority, particularly against the police power and other visible manifestations of authority.

1. Mikhail Bakunin. Dieu et l’Etat.

2. Emma Goldman. Anarchism and other Essays.

3. Paul Eltzbacher. Anarchism.

4. R. Hunter and R. Wiles. Violence and the Labor Movement.

5. H. Krouse. The Anarchist Constitution.

6. John H. Mackay. The Anarchists; a picture of civilization at the close of the 19th century.

7. A. R. Parsons. Anarchism; its philosophy and scientific basis as defined by some of its apostles.

8. B. R. Tucker. Anarchism; the attitude of anarchism toward industrial combinations.

9. United States Department of Justice. Transmission through the Mails of Anarchistic publications. Message from the President. Washington. 1908.

 

THE SINGLE TAX

All public revenues shall be raised from a single tax on land values.

1. *Henry George. Progress and Poverty.

2.   Henry George. Our Land and Land Policy.

3.   Alfred Russell Wallace. Land Nationalization.

4.   Thomas G. Shearman. Natural Taxation.

5.   Louis F. Post. The Single Tax.

6.   C. B. Fillebrown. A Single Tax Catechism.

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Source: Harvard University Archives. HUC 8522.2.1. Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1895-2003. Box 1. Folder: 1919-1920.

Image Source: Harvard Album 1915.

Categories
Bibliography Courses Exam Questions Harvard Syllabus

Harvard. Economic Theory II, Econ 202. Leontief, 1948-49

In a previous posting I provided the reading lists for the two term graduate course “Economic Theory I” , Economics 201, taught by Edward Chamberlin in 1947-48. “Economic Theory II”, Economics 202a and 202b, was taught by Wassily Leontief. Presuming a student who took both courses would have done this in consecutive years, I provide the course outlines, reading lists and the exam questions (only for Economics 202a) for the year 1948-49.

Leontief apparently did not get around to covering Part IV of Economics 202a in the Fall Term, since the entire section can be seen repeated for the first topic of the Spring term.

Besides Chamberlin’s course Economics 201 just mentioned. It is interesting to compare Leontief’s course with  that of Lloyd Metzler  and that of Milton Friedman at Chicago also in the same year.

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Economics 202a
Fall Term 1948-49

Economics 202a will cover the Theory of a Firm, the Theory of Individual Demand, Theory of Market Relationships, and introduce the basic concepts of the General Equilibrium Theory. 202b, as given in the Spring Term, will cover the Theory of Distribution (wages, capital and interest), profits), the Theory of General Equilibrium (Keynes), and introduce the basic concept of Welfare Economics and Economic Dynamics.

I.     Theory of a Firm

Costs; total, average, marginal.
Theory of the multiple plant firm.
Revenue; total, average, marginal.
Long and short run analysis
Supply under competitive and monopolistic conditions.
Production function, marginal productivity, increasing and decreasing returns.
Joint products.
Demand for factors of production.
Discontinuous relationships and non-marginal analysis.
Internal and external economies.
New invention and technological change.

Reading assignments:

Oscar Lange, “The Scope and Method of Economics,” Review of Economic Studies, Vol. XIII, (i), 1945-46, pp. 19-32.

E. A. G. Robinson, Structure of Competitive Industry, Chs. II, VII, VIII, pp. 14-35, 107-133.

Boulding, Economic Analysis, Part II, Chs. 18-26, pp. 375-595 (New edition: Chs. 20-26, pp. 419-552; Chs. 31, 32, pp. 669-733).

I. Fisher, “A Three-Dimensional Representation of the Factors of Production and Their Remuneration Marginally and Residually,” Econometrica, October, 1939.

George Stigler, “Production and Distribution in the Short Run,” Journal of Political Economy, 1939, pp. 305-327. Reprinted in Readings in the Theory of Income Distribution, pp. 119-142.

Joe S. Bain, The Economics of the Pacific Coast Petroleum Industry, Part I, Ch. V, pp. 84-114.

Lerner, Economics of Control, Chs. 15, 16, 17, pp. 174-211.

Chamberlin, “Proportionality, Divisibility, and Economies of Scale,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, February, 1948, pp. 229-262.

National Bureau of Economic Research, Cost Behavior and Price Policy, Ch. VII, pp. 142-169; Appendix C, pp. 321-329.

 

II.    Theory of the Household:

Theory of utility and indifference lines analysis.
Individual demand, prices and income.
Dependent and independent, competing and complementary, superior and inferior goods.
Measurability of utility.
“Marginal utility of money.”
Consumer surplus.
Interpersonal interdependence in consumers’ behavior.
Economic theory of index numbers.

Reading assignments:

Hicks, Value and Capital, Part I, Chs. I-III, pp. 1-54.

Boulding, Economic Analysis, Chs. 29, 30; pp. 636-685. (New edition, Chs. 33, 34; pp. 734-759).

 

III. Theory of Market Relationships:

Pure competition; individual and market supply and demand curves.
Stability of market equilibrium, statics and dynamics.
Monopoly and price discrimination.
Monopolistic competition.
Duopoly, oligopoly, bilateral monopoly, etc.
“Theory of games.”

Reading assignments:

Marshall, Principles of Political Economy [sic], Book V, Chs. III, V.

Chamberlin, The Theory of Monopolistic Competition, Chs. II, III, IV, and V.

Joan Robinson, The Economics of Imperfect Competition, Chs. 15 and 16.

Robert Triffin, Monopolistic Competition and the General Equilibrium Theory, Chs. I and II.

W. H. Nicholls, Imperfect Competition within Agricultural Industries, Ch. 18.

One of the following three articles:

Leonid Hurwicz, “The Theory of Economic Behavior,” American Economic Review, December, 1945, pp. 909-925.

Carl Kaysen, “A Revolution in Economic Theory?” The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. XIV (I), 1946-47, p. 1-15.

Jakob Marschak, “Theory of Games,” Journal of Political Economy, April, 1946, pp. 97-115.

 

IV.  Basic concepts of a general equilibrium theory:

Data and variables.
Price system and general interdependence.
Linear model of a general equilibrium system.

Reading assignments:

Lange, The Economic Theory of Socialism, pp. 65-72.

Cassel, The Theory of Social Economy, Vol. I, Ch. IV, pp. 134-155.

E. H. Phelps Brown, Framework of the Pricing System, in particular chapters dealing with general equilibrium theory.

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DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
Reading Period Assignments
January 3—January 19, 1949

[…]

Economics 202: Howard S. Ellis, Editor, A Survey of Contemporary Economics, 1948, Ch. 1, Value and Distribution, by Bernard F. Haley; and Frank H. Knight, Risk, Uncertainty and Profit, Ch. III to X, incl.

[…]

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1948-49

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
ECONOMICS 202a
[Final Exam, first term]

Please write legibly

Answer four questions:

  1. Taking into account considerations suggested by Stigler in his article on “Production and Distribution in the Short Run,” describe the determination of the optimum investment in fixed equipment for a plant faced with a regular seasonal variation in output.
    Give an illustrative example.
  2. Given information about (a) changing factor prices, and (b) changing factor combinations used by an individual enterprise (operating under competitive conditions) over a certain period of time—
    explain under what conditions this information might definitely indicate the presence of genuine technological change as contrasted with passive adjustment to variable market conditions.
  3. Under what conditions could one measure the utility of alternative combinations of commodities consumed by an individual household?
    Describe in detail the process of measurement in the case where these conditions are satisfied.
  4. “A market characterized by duopolistic indeterminism can be stabilized through establishment of an official price ceiling enforced by some outside authority.” Comment.
  5. State what significant difference do you see between the theory of an individual firm as presented in Knight’s “Risk, Uncertainty and Profits” and the treatment of the same subject in the most recent literature as presented in Haley’s article on value and distribution in the “Survey of Contemporary Economics.”

Final. January, 1949.

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Economics 202b
Spring Term, 1949

Part I: General Equilibrium Theory and the Economics of Welfare

a.   Basic Concepts of a General Equilibrium Theory:

Data and variables. Price System and general interdependence. Linear model of a general equilibrium system.

Reading:

Lange, The Economic Theory of Socialism, pp. 65-72.

Cassel, The Theory of Social Economy, Vol. I, Ch. IV, pp. 134-155.

E. H. Phelps Brown, Framework of the Pricing System, in particular chapters dealing with general equilibrium theory.

Schultz, T. W.: Agriculture in an Unstable Economy, Ch. I, pp. 24-43, Ch. IV, pp. 134-153.

 

b. Economics of Welfare

Individual maximum and social welfare. Efficiency and distributive justice. Efficiency of the purely competitive system. Monopoly and economic welfare. External economies. Pricing and allocation for public enterprise.

Reading:

Hicks, J. R. : “The Foundation of Welfare Economics,” Economic Journal, December 1939, pp. 696-712.

Meade and Hitch: An Introduction to Economic Analysis and Policy, Part II, Chs. VI-VII, pp. 159-220.

Meade, J. E., and Fleming, J. M.: Price and Output Policy of State Enterprise,” Economic Journal, Vol. LIV, December 1944, pp. 321-339.

Coase, R. H.: “Note on Price and Output Policy,” Economic Journal, Vol. LV, April 1945, pp. 112-113.

 

Part II: The Theory of Distribution

 

[a. The Theory of Wages. Omitted this year.]

Demands for labor and methods of remuneration. Short run supply of labor, money and real wages. Theory of noncompetitive labor markets. Technological unemployment. Long run supply of labor and the theory of optimum population.

Reading:

Douglas, P. M.: The Theory of Wages, Ch. I, pp. 3-17; Ch. III, pp. 68-96.

Robinson, G. B. H.: Economic Fragments, “Wage Grumbles,” pp. 42-57, also reprinted in Readings in the Theory of Income Distribution.

Marx, Karl: Capital, Vol. I, Part IV, Ch. XV, pp. 405-422, 466-488.

Robbins, L.: “On the Elasticity of Demand for Income in Terms of Effort,” Economica, Vol. X, 1930, pp. 123-129.

 

b. Theory of Interest

Productivity of Capital. Expectations, risk, and uncertainty. Inventory speculation. Interest as cost and the demand for capital. Saving and the supply of capital. Monetary theory of interest. Theory of assets.

Reading:

Irving Fisher: The Theory of Interest, Chs. VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XVI, XVII, and XVIII. 1930.

Readings in the Theory of Income Distribution (Blakiston, 1946)

F. Knight: “Capital and Interest,” pp. 384-417.

Keynes: “The Theory of the Rate of Interest,” pp. 418-424.

D. H. Robertson: “Mr. Keynes and the Rate of Interest,” pp. 425-460.

 

[c. Theory of Profits and of Rent. Omitted this year.]

Theory of residual income. Entrepreneurial function. “Normal Profits.”

Reading:

Beddy, James: Profits, Ch. X, “An Explanation of Profits,” pp. 216-266.

Crum, W. L: “Corporate Earnings on Invested Capital,” Harvard Business Review, XVI, 1938, pp. 336-350.

Kaldor, N.: “The Equilibrium of the Firm,” The Economic Journal, March 1934, pp. 60-76.

Robinson, Joan: Economics of Imperfect Competition, Ch. 8.

 

Part III: Capital and Economic Development

a. Capital and Income

National wealth: Stock and flow concepts. Dollar measures and physical measures. Capital and income. Capital in production. Depreciation and obsolescence. Period of production and the speed of turnover. The time shape of production and consumption process.

Reading:

Kuznets: “On Measurement of National Wealth,” Studies in Income and Wealth, Vol. 2, National Bureau of Economic Research, 1936, pp. 3-61.

Rae, John: New Principles of Political Economy, 1834, Chs. I-V.

Irving Fisher: Nature of Capital and Income, Chs. I, IV, V, XIV, XVII, Macmillan, 1906.

Kaldor: “Annual Survey of Economic Theory: The Recent Controversy on The Theory of Capital,” Econometrica, July 1937, pp. 201-233.

 

b. Economic Development and Accumulation of Capital

Statics and Dynamics. The general problem of economic growth. Saving, Investment and the growth of income. Acceleration principle. Technical change. Accumulation and employment.

Reading:

Bresciani-Turoni: “The Theory of Saving,” Economica; Part I, February 1936, pp. 1-23; Part II, May 1936, pp. 162-181.

Domar: Expansion and Employment,” American Economic Review, March 1947, pp. 34-55.

Schelling: “Capital Growth and Equilibrium,” American Economic Review, December 1947, pp. 864-876.

Harrod: “An Essay in Dynamic Theory,” Economic Journal, March 1939, pp. 14-33.

Pigou: Economic Progress in a Stable Economy,” Economica, August 1947, pp. 180-188.

Stern: “Capital Requirements in Progressive Economies,” Economica, August 1945, pp. 163-171.

A. Sweezy: “Secular Stagnation?” in Harris, Postwar Economic Problems, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1943, pp. 67-82.

Hansen: “Economic Progress and Declining Population Growth,” American Economic Review, March 1939, pp. 1-15.

 

Part IV: Keynesian Theory and Problems

a. Over-all outlines of the General Theory. Wage and price “stickiness.” Demand for money. Saving and “oversaving.” Multiplier principle.

Reading:

Lerner, A. P.: The Economics of Control, Chs. 21, 22, and 25.

Keynes, J. M.: General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, Chs. 1, 2, 8, and 18.

Haberler, G.: Prosperity and Depression, Ch. 8.

 

Reading Period:

Schumpeter: Theory of Economic Development, Harvard University Press, 1936.

OR

Harrod, R. F.: Towards a Dynamic Economics, Macmillan, 1948.

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Sources:

Harvard University Archives. HUC 8522.2.1 Box 4, Folder: “Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1948-1949 (2 of 2)

Wassily Leontief Papers, Harvard University Archives. HUG 4517.45, Box 2, Folder “Fall to Winter—202a ‘48-‘49”.

Image Source:  Harvard Album, 1949.

Categories
Bibliography Courses M.I.T.

MIT. Graduate Macroeconomics 14.451. Blanchard. Spring 1997.

Because the Washington Post story, dated Oct 2 2015, by Steven Pearlstein about Olivier Blanchard (“The smartest economist you’ve never heard of” [sic]) has picked up considerable social media attention, I decided to post (way out of sample for me–Blanchard hardly deserves to be transported into the defunct class of academic scribblers) a transcription of a copy of his course outline and readings for the first half-semester course of macroeconomics in the MIT graduate program during the academic year 1996-97. The copy can be found in Robert Solow’s papers in the Economists’ Papers Project at Duke. Solow taught the same course in 1998 and undoubtedly wanted to see what material Blanchard had covered.

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14.451 Macroeconomics I                            Spring 1997

Olivier Blanchard, […]
TA: Brian Sack, […]

The purpose of this first course is to introduce the workhorses of the field, and use them to analyze current issues.

I shall assume familiarity with macroeconomics at the level of undergraduate macro-textbooks (you will get much more out of the course if you are very familiar with macroeconomics at the intermediate undergraduate level.) Two such textbooks, taken completely at random, are:

Dornbusch, R. and S. Fischer, Macroeconomics, McGraw Hill, 6th edition

Blanchard, O. Macroeconomics, Prentice-Hall, 1996

You should before you graduate, and preferably sooner, read some of the classics in the field. Three essential readings are:

Keynes, J. M. The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, Harcourt Brace, New York, 1964 (first edition, 1936)

Hicks, J. R., Value and Capital, Oxford University Press, 1968 (first edition, 1939)

Modigliani, F., “Liquidity Preference and the Theory of Interest and Money”, Econometrica 12, January 1944, 45-88 (reprinted in Collected papers, Volume 1, MIT Press, 1982)

The textbook for the course is:

Blanchard, O. and Fischer, S. Lectures on Macroeconomics, MIT Press, Cambridge, 1989 (BF in what follows)

A text, which covers roughly the same set of issues at a slightly lower level, is:

David Romer, Advanced macroeconomics, McGraw Hill 1996.

 

A star denotes required reading.

 

1. Basic macroeconomic facts.

* BF, Chapter 1

Gordon, R., “Postwar Macroeconomics: The Evolution of Events and Ideas”, in The American Economy in Transition, Martin Feldstein ed., NBER and the University of Chicago, 1980, 101-182

Stock, J. and Watson, M., “Variable Trends in Economic Time Series”, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Summer 1988, 147-174

Blanchard, O. and Quah, D., “The Dynamic Effects of Aggregate Demand and Supply Disturbances”, AER, September 1989, 655-673

Abraham, K. and J. Haltiwanger, “Real Wages and the Business Cycle”, JEL, September 1995, volume 33-3, 1215-1264

Christiano, L., Eichenbaum M., and C. Evans, “The Effects of Monetary Policy Shocks: Evidence from the Flow of Funds”, Working paper, 1994.

 

2. The Ramsey Model and RBC’s.

*BF, Chapter 2 (Romer, Chapters 2, Part A, and 4)

Prescott, E., “Theory Ahead of Business Cycle Measurement”, Quarterly Review, Fed of Minneapolis, Fall 1986, 9-22

*Cooley, T. and E. Prescott, “Economic Growth and Business Cycles”, in Frontiers of Business Cycle Research, T. Cooley (ed), Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1995, 1-38

Evans, C. and F. Santos, “Monetary Policy Shocks and Productivity Measures in the G-7 countries”, WP 93-12, November 1993, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

 

3. The Diamond Model, and Capital Accumulation.

*BF, Chapter 3 (or Romer, Chapter 2, Part B)

*Kotlikoff, L., “Privatization of Social Security: How it Works and Why it Matters”, mimeo, Boston University, October 1995

Barro, R., “World Real Interest Rates”, NBER Macroeconomics, 1990, 15-60

Orr, A., Edey M. and M. Kennedy, “The Determinants of Real Long-Term Interest Rates: 17 Country Pooled-Time-Series Evidence”, OECD Working Paper 155, 1995

 

4. The Cagan Model, and Hyperinflations.

*BF, chapters 4-7, and 10-2 (Romer Chapter 9-7)

Dornbusch, R., Sturzenegger, F. and H. Wolf, “Extreme Inflation: Dynamics and Stabilization”, BPEA, 1990-2, 1-84

 

5. The AS-AD Model; Money, Prices and Output

*BF, chapter 8 (Romer, Chapters 5 and 6)

*Friedman, M., “The Role of Monetary Policy”, AER, March 1968, 1-17

*Lucas, R., “Some International Evidence on Output-Inflation Trade-offs”, AER, June 1973, 326-334

*Taylor, J., “Staggered Wage Setting in a Macro Model”, AER, May 1979, 69-2, 108-113

Tobin, J., “Keynesian Models of Recession and Depression”, AER, May 1975, 195-202

Chari, V.V., Kehoe Patrick, and Ellen McGrattan, “Sticky Price Models of the Business Cycle: Can the Contract Multiplier Solve the Persistence Problem?”, Staff Report 217, Minneapolis Fed, September 1966

Blanchard, O. and L. Summers, “Hysteresis in Unemployment,” European Economic review, 31, 1987, 288-295

Ball, L., “Disinflation and the Nairu,” NBER Working Paper 5520, March 1996

OECD, The OECD Jobs Study, Part I. Labour Market Trends and Underlying Forces of Change, 1994.

 

6. The IS-LM Model; Goods and Financial Markets Revisited.

*Blanchard, O., “Output, the Stock Market, and Interest Rates”, AER, 1981, 71-1, 132-143.

*Dornbusch, R., “Expectations and Exchange Rate Dynamics”, JPE, 84-6, December 1976, 1161-1176

Kashyap, A. and J. Stein, “Monetary Policy and Bank Lending”, in Monetary Policy, G. Mankiw (ed), NBER and the University of Chicago Press, 1994, 221-262

*Giavazzi, F. and M. Pagano, “Can Severe Fiscal Contractions Be Expansionary; Tales of Two Small European Countries”, NBER Macroeconomics Annual, 1990, 75-122

Alesina, A. and R. Perotti, “Fiscal Expansions and Adjustments in OECD Countries”, Economic Policy, 1995 (mimeo, Harvard, June 1995)

Obstfeld, M., “International Currency Experience: New Lessons and Lessons Relearned,” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 1995-1, 119-220

King, R. and A. Wolman, “Inflation targeting in a St Louis model of the 21st Century”, NBER WP 5507, March 1996

 

7. The Bigger Machines.

Bryant, R. et al, Empirical Macroeconomics for Interdependent Economies, Brookings Institution, Washington, 1988, chapters 1 to 3.

Taylor, J., Macroeconomic Policy in a World Economy, Norton, New York, 1993, chapters 3 to 5

 

Source: Robert M. Solow papers, Duke University Rubenstein Library, Box 69, Folder “Teaching Materials (2 of 2)”.