LAGO Working Group Fall 2010
Theme: The social, economic, and political implications of the global economic crisis in the Americas.
Sept 9th: Economics - Nora Lustig
How did the region fare during the financial crisis and what are its current prospects? Which countries were hit the most and why? Were some policy responses better than others? What have been the main lessons? What are the prospects for the region under a pessimistic scenario for the US?
Readings:
IMF. 2010. Regional Economic Outlook: The Western Hemisphere. World Economic and Financial Surveys. <
Izquierdo, Alejandro and Ernesto Talvi. 2010. The Aftermath of the Crisis: Policy Lessons and Challenges Ahead for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Inter-American Development Bank. <
World Bank. 2010. From Global Collapse to Recovery: Economic Adjustment and Growth Prospects in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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Note on the readings: People should read the introductions or the overview chapters. It is not necessary to read the whole report/s. However, for example, Prof. Lustig would like us to focus on whether there are differences in the analysis of the three institutions.
Oct 4th: Political Science – Ludovico Feoli
The political implications of the crisis: on democracy in L.A.; on poverty and inequality and the approach to them; and on the role of the state in the economy.
Readings:

Bremmer, Ian. "State Capitalism Comes of Age." Foreign Affairs 88, no. 3 (2009): 40-55.

Comiskey, Michael, and Pawan Madhogarhia. "Unraveling the Financial Crisis of 2008." PS: Political Science and Politics 42, no. 2 (2009): 271-275.

Córdova, Abby, and Mitchell A. Seligson. "Economic Crisis and Democracy in Latin America." PS: Political Science and Politics 42, no. 4 (2009): 673-678.

Díaz-Cayeros, Alberto, and Beatriz Magaloni. "Aiding Latin America's Poor." Journal of Democracy 20, no. 4 (2009): 36-49.

Huber, Evelyne. "Politics and Inequality in Latin America." PS: Political Science and Politics 42, no. 4 (2009): 651-655.

Jacobs, Lawrence, and Desmond King. "America's Political Crisis: The Unsustainable State in a Time of Unraveling." PS: Political Science and Politics 42, no. 2 (2009): 277-285.

Martinez, Juliana, Maxine Molyneux, and Diego Sanchez-Ancochea. "Latin American Capitalism: Economic and Social Policy in Transition." Economy & Society 38, no. 1 (2009): 1-16.

Pribble, Jennifer, Evelyne Huber, and John D. Stephens. "Politics, Policies, and Poverty in Latin America." Comparative Politics 41, no. 4 (2009): 387-407.

Nov 4th: Economics – Nora Lustig
This session will be devoted to analyzing the impact of the crisis on inequality and poverty, and what measures did governments implement to cushion the cost of the crisis on the poor.
Readings:
CEPAL. 2009. “Poverty and Inequality in the Context of the Economic Crisis” in The Social Panorama of Latin America.

CEPAL. 2010. Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ferreira, Francisco and Norbert Schady. “Social Consequences of the Global Financial Crisis in Latin America: Some Preliminary, and Surprisingly Optimistic, Conjectures.” 24 November 2009.

IDB. 2009. Social and Labor Market Policies for Tumultuous Times: Confronting the Global Crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Dec 3rd: Political Science – Ludovico Feoli
The geopolitical implications of the crisis: on US power and influence; on the role of emerging powers, particularly in L.A.; and on the international economic regime and financial structure.
Readings:

Altman, Roger C. "The Great Crash, 2008: A Geopolitical Setback for the West." Foreign Affairs 88, no. 1 (2009): 2-14.

Bergsten, C. Fred. "The Dollar and the Deficits." 88, 20-38: Foreign Affairs, 2009.

Eichengreen, Barry. "Fortifying the Financial Architecture: Unanswered Questions." Current History 109, no. 723 (2010): 017-23.

James, Harold. "The Making of a Mess: Who Broke Global Finance, and Who Should Pay for It?" Foreign Affairs 88, no. 1 (2009): 162-168.

Mattoo, Aaditya, and Arvind Subramanian. "From Doha to the Next Bretton Woods: A New Multilateral Trade Agenda." Foreign Affairs 88, no. 1 (2009): 15-26.

Reinhart, Carmen M., and Keneth S. Rogoff. "This Time Is Different: A Panoramic View of Eight Centuries of Financial Crises." (2008).