Professor
Akacem
Econ 4999-004
Fall 2006
POLITICAL ECOMY OF THE MIDDLE EAST
Class Time: 11:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Location: Claire 207
Office: Econ 10
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. and 9:55 a.m. to 10: 55 a.m. on Mondays
and Wednesdays and by appointment.
If you need to contact me via E-Mail, please do so via E-Mail to: akacem@colorado.edu
Webct mail be used for announcement only.
Prequesites for this course: Econ 3070 and Econ
3080. If you signed up for this course but have not taken these
courses, I will assume that you are able to follow the discussion and material
coverage on economic policy and theory covered in the pre-requesites. This
will also be necessary for your paper and final exam, since you need to
show your understanding of the major economic issues for the country or
region that you choose.
Objective of the Course:
This course will deal with the overall political economy of the
The course has several objectives:
First, the course will help you understand and discuss the relevant issues that are important to this region as well as its strategic importance to the West and the United States. The region is often associated with oil, Islam, the Palestinian-Israeli peace process-or conflict- and overall instability that occurs in different parts of the area. Through class discussion, readings and presentations, we will try to focus on the main issues as well as use current events to highlight and emphasize topics that are important to our class.
Second, the course will also help you identify the religious, historical, social, political, economic and security issues that affect the region as a whole. Again, students are encouraged to read the papers (print and via the Web) to discuss ongoing developments either for the whole region or developments that affect their particular country or countries. The emphasis will be on the economic development, policy and overall economic issues facing your country or region of interest.
Third, we will also make an attempt to compare the Economic and Political developments in the region with other regions of the world. Has democracy taken hold? Why or why not? Has the region achieved sustainable economic growth and development? Why or why not? Finally and the schedule allows for it, I will invite a number of outside speakers who will speak to the class on specific topics, such as the role of Islam, politics in the region, the economic models chosen by these countries and why, and other topics by people who have lived in the region.
Fourth: At least two thirds-or more- of your paper will have to deal with economic issues of the country, region, topic at hand. Remember, this is an Econ course.
Fifth: E-Reserves has a number of articles posted on it. These will be assigned in class as the material and the topic as well as the events are fluid and change so we need to be flexible. The list of articles will be expanded.
Main Sources:
1. Political Economy of the Middle East, Second Edition, by Alan Richards
and John Waterbury, Westview Press, 1998. Recommended chapters for your projects
and papers:
Chapers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. The book will left on Reserve
at the library.
International Monetary Fund: Regional Economic Outlook, September 2006 and
2005 found respectively at:
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2006/eng/01/mreo0506.pdf
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2005/eng/meca0905.pdf
Special issue of Finance and Development on the Middle East and North Africa
@:
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/index.htm
Other Sources and Reports:
2. Arab Human Development Report 2003, United Nations Development Program,
2003 found at:
http://www.miftah.org/Doc/Reports/Englishcomplete2003.pdf
Or:
http://hdr.undp.org/reports/
and the UNDP Information Portal Dedicated to Development and Governance in
the Arab Region at:
http://www.pogar.org/
3. Arab World Competitiveness
Report 2002-2003, The World Economic Forum,
4. For data on the region from the UNDP and the Human Development
Reports and Development indicators for the region:
http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/
5. An authorative source for international oil data from BP and other sources:
http://www.bp.com/productlanding.do?categoryId=91&contentId=7017990
The Joint Oil Data Initiative:
http://www.jodidata.org/FileZ/ODTmain.htm
Energy Information Agency:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/
International section of the EIA:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/contents.html
EIA's country's analysis briefs:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/contents.html
The Inernational Energy Agency (Paris) (do not confuse with the EIA, part
of the US Department of Energy)
http://www.iea.org/
The Oil and Gas Journal:
http://www.ogj.com/index.cfm
The Oil and Gas Journal International:
http://www.oilandgasinternational.com/
6. The Arab Social Science Research:
http://www.assr.org/
7 . The Gulf 2000 Site: Covers the following countries:
8. The IMF and the World Bank
The IMF:
http://www.imf.org
Page where the list of recent Article IV reports are found:
http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/aiv/index.htm
Country information page:
http://www.imf.org/external/country/index.htm
Finance and Development:
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2006/09/index.htm
Special page on the Middle East and North Africaf:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/0,,menuPK:247603~pagePK:158889~piPK:146815~theSitePK:256299,00.html
University of Texas, Austin
http://menic.utexas.edu/menic.html
Harvard University
10. Optional from the library and for your paper projects:
Peter Mansfield, A
History of the
H.W. Brands, Into the Labyrinth: The
Ian J. Bickerton and Carla L.
Klausner, A Concise History of the Arab-Israeli
Conflict (4th edition)
James F. Hoge, Jr. and Gideon
Rose (editors), How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War
Read the National Security Directive 54, ordering the
www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB21/06-01.htm
I have the whole document and I can try to have you access
it on the web from my site but you should read part or the whole CIA document on
the 1953 as published by the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/041600iran-cia-index.html.
The Politics of Oil: see F. Gregory
Gause, III, Oil Monarchies , chapter
3 on “Oil and Politics.” Available from McGill University-Universite de Montreal Interuniversity Consortium on Arab
Studies:
http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/programs/icas/gause/chapter3.html
Democracy in the Arab World, see Daniel Brumberg,
“Liberalization versus Democracy: Understanding
Arab Political Reform,”
http://www.ceip.org/files/pdf/wp37.pdf
11. Other Sources:
You have to subscribe to (or have access to) either The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times or The Economist and The Financial Times.
"The 9/11 Commission Report" for those who are interested to look at it, found on the web at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/
We will be viewing a number of case studies, the order of which will be determined after we clear the presentation schedule and the topics from the class.
Newspapers from the Region:
12. http://www.uae-pages.com/me-newspaper.htm,
some papers are in Arabic, just ignore those (some of you may be able to read
Arabic but most probably won't.)
COURSE OUTLINE:
Week One: Introduction, discussion of sources, and topic discussion
Week Two: Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Question: What are the economic and political
choices for Saudi Arabia?
Week Two: Continued: Begin Intro lecture on the key issues on economic policy
of the region
Waterbury, chapter 8
Week Three: Chapters 1 and 2 from the 2005 IMF regional report http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2005/eng/meca0905.pdf
and the 2006 reports (complete) at: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2006/eng/01/mreo0506.pdf
Week Four: Will continue with the IMF special reports on the region.
Week Five: IMF's Financial and Development. Unfulfilled promise @ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/abed.htm
and Living Better @ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/eken.htm
Week Six: Labor Markets @ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/gard.htm
and @ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/benn.htm
Week Seven: Banking and Financial Markets: @ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/crea.htm
Islamic Banking: Timur Kuran's article in E-Reserve (Islam and Mamon), Akacem's
article on IS banking on E-Reserve and from the newly publsihed book on Islam
and Globalization.
Week Eight: Foreign Exchange Markets and exchange rate regimes: @ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/jbil.htm
and @ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/cash.htm
and chapter 3 from the IMF's 2005 report @ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2005/eng/meca0905.pdf
Week Nine: Future Generations' Funds and the Management of Oil Wealth:
Akacem and Miller: OPEC: A Property Rights Perspective on E-Reserve
IMF, Finance and Development on Managing Oil Wealth @ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/eife.htm
and
@ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/barn.htm
and from the IMF's 2005 report @ http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2005/eng/meca0905.pdf,
table 2.2, page 22 and 25 no the Objectives of the future Oil funds
Week Ten and part of week 11th and the first class of week 12th: "Oil
in Troubled Waters" from the Economist On E-Reserve, Lecture material
on property rights theories and Case Studies if times permits.
Please not that given that we have the Library Visit and the talk by Dr. Anne
Bliss, the outline above is tentative. Finally, we will try to also view some
case studies in between and outside class time.
Week 11: Friday November 10th, 2006 Exam.
If I feel that you may need more time than one class session, we may start
it on Wed Nov 8th. Be ready by then just in case. I will also give you a review
sheet to help you prepare for the exam.
Week 12: Presenations and discussions of Jordan and Oman, Morocco and Tunisia
Week 13: Fall Break
Week 14: Presenations and discussions of Iran and Turkey, Libya and (country/topic
still unknown at this time) and Egypt and Algeria
Week 15: Presenations and discussions of UAE and Qatar, Lebanon and Syria,
and West-Bank/Gaza and Israel
Week 16: Presenations and discussions of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Iraq and
World Oil Markets
Grading:
Each student will have to complete the following:
1. A major paper on the country(ies) or region.The paper should be no more than 25 pages,
double spaced.. Each student will do one project. The paper needs to emphasize
the economic policy aspects-and political and religious when necessary but
the emphasis should be on the economic analysis- and be analytical and NOT
descriptive. What the major econmic problems facing your country? How did
it face them? What sorts of economic policy (ies) were followed to address
them? What would you recommend? You need to have a clear paper backed up by
data and very good sources. Relying on Web sources only will not do. You need
to have a solid list of resources such as scholarly articles, books, reports,
etc... If need be, your paper will address the different issues facing the
given country (economic, social, religious, political, military etc...) and
produces an outlook for the future (not necessarily a forecast). Given the
region under study, you may choose to do something on oil and its importance
to the region and the world economy. Dependence on oil by the region is also
a topic worthy of consideration. The paper
will count for 35% of your grade. Remember, you need to make sure
that your paper is well written, complete with references and footnotes and
a bibliography. Do not merely summarize what reports already written by others.
You need to have a clear theseis and a theme, argue your case and come with
policy recommendations. If you need help, consult me and the Writing Center
for help. All papers will be submitted to Turnitin.com. You should submit
a paper copy AND a disk or a CD with both your presentation AND your paper
on it by the Last Day of class, Friday December
15th, 2006 or before if you are done. Late paper will be graded
down by one letter grade.
2. By Wednesday September 6th, 2006, each student should
hand in a typed two or three page outline/proposal for their topic. This should
include a detailed outline, thesis, methodology and data sources. These should
NOT be all web sources.
A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations,
by Kate. L. Turabian,
Please consult. Failure to have a proper bibliography will reduce your grade.
Remember that plagiarism is a serious offense and it will be reported to the Honor's Code office as well as to the Dean's office. Check the policy on this issue at:
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/acadinteg.html
The overall grade distribution will be as follows:
Grade 100% scale
A 93.4-100
A- 90.0-93.3
B+ 86.7-89.9
B 83.4-86.6
B- 80.0-83.3
C+ 76.7-79.9
C 73.4-76.6
C- 70.0-73.3 =
D+ 66.7-69.9
D 63.4-66.6
D- 60.0-63.3
F less than 60
3 . Attendance and class participation both in class will
count toward the final grade. Attendance means being in class on time. Being
late will count as absent. Not having read the assignments for the day will
count as an F for that component of the course. We will be discussing different
current issues, news articles, current events etc... It will be our virual
classroom.
The class participation will count for 15% of your grade,
mostly on class discussion, material that has been assigned per the syllabus.
When called upon, you are expected to show that you have read the material
and will graded accordingly. Asking questions does not consitute class participation.
You have to be fully engaged and show that you are keeping up with the material
and have read it and comment/critique it. The same applies to the presentations
of other students. You are expected to have read in advance and be prepared
to ask/challenge/add/critique a presention.
Attendance will count for 15%. However,
not being in class will automatically be reflected in a class participation.
If you attend LESS than 90% of the time, your
attendance and participation will drop by one letter grade. Missing two classes
in a row, will also result in the same drop in grade, unless the absence is
documented.
4. Prior to finishing your final paper, you will have to make a presentation and get feedback from the class. Based on the comments from the class and myself, you will be able to put the finishing touches on your paper. The presentation has be comprehensive. By that, I mean you are expected to present your thesis, your findings, predictions, what you learned from the project etc... I highly suggest that you bring in a detailed outline to be presented to the class, as well as encourage you to use transparencies if need be. We will work out a schedule during the first week of classes. The presentation will count for 10%.
5. The exam
which will count for 25%. The exam will cover
all the material presented from week 1 until and the material to be
covered will be given to you in class early enough. In order to do really
well in the exam, you need to keep up with the lectures, reading material
and any assignments given in class.
As noted
earlier per the class' preference, the Exam will take place on: Friday
November 10th, 2006 Exam. The Exam will NOT be given if you come AFTER
a student has finished and left the room consistent with University Policy.
This would be equivalent to missing the test so please remember to be on time.
You are required to double check by looking at the schedule of of Final exams
for these dates and times in case there is a change. Check
the following site for this class' final as well as others:
http://registrar.colorado.edu/calendar/exam_sched_fall06.html
Religious holiday ADA policies will be followed and abided to. If you have
an ADA need, please let me have the letter from the DSO so that I can accommodate
you.