Economics for ordinary radicals

Subject classification: this is an economics resource.

Type classification: this resource is a course.

Completion status: this resource is just getting off the ground. Please feel welcome to help!

Educational level: this is a tertiary (university) resource.

Attribution: User Hugetim created this resource and is actively using it. Please coordinate future development with this user if possible.

Hugetim respectfully asks that people use the discussion page, their talk page or email them, rather than contribute to this page at this time. This page might be under construction, controversial, used currently as part of a brick and mortar class by a teacher, or document an ongoing research project. Please RESPECT their wishes by not editing this page.

Reason for protection: The idea of the course is still under construction. Once I am able to clarify that, I would really love help building the course.

• Instructor: Dr. Hugetim

A survey course on:

• mainstream economics research on concrete historical examples of alternative economic models and increasingly popular practices like fair trade certification and buying local, sympathetic to alternative practical approaches but with constructive criticism (e.g. Fair Trade Coffee - economics paper and The Secret Document that Transformed China - NPR podcast)
• the work of economists who straddle the academic economics world and the world of radical politics (e.g. Samuel Bowles and Jean Dreze)
• using Bowles' forthcoming textbook (how it's different)

No economics prerequisites, aimed simply at ordinary radicals interested in economics.

Historical Overview

• Pre-modern societies (e.g. economics paper)
• Agriculture and centralization
• Industrial Revolution - the Great Divergence (e.g. Acemoglu & Robinson)
  • "The birth of impersonal exchange"
• Robots, etc. (e.g. The Magic Washing Machine)

Visions Tried

• Kibbutzim (human capital)
• Fair Trade Coffee (supply and demand)
• China's transition (incentives for innovation)
• Mondragon (finance for capital)

Potential Projects

• Harlem Children's Zone
• Romer's new city project

Progression of topics

• supply and demand
• production
• finance for capital