Just right click on the link and choose “Save Target As”.

[Download EC4333_Lecture_1_handout.pdf]

http://socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/

This archive is an attempt to collect in one place a large number of significant texts in the history of economic thought. I have tried to cast my nets as wide as possible including representative texts of all of the major thinkers and schools of thought; and most of the sub-fields of economics. The archive is a work in progress that may never be completed. The field of economic thought is a very large one. The texts are posted primarily for the use of students who might not otherwise have access to these writings. They are to be used strictly for non-commercial educational purposes. There are mirror sites at the University of Bristol (maintained by Tony Brewer) and at the University of Melbourne (maintained by Robert Dixon). All complaints, suggestions, reports of errors should be sent to Rod Hay. There are as well, many other sites that might be of interest.

Software Carpentry (Version 1122):

Version 1122 (Fri Sep 15 09:37:42 2006)

Overview

Many scientists and engineers spend much of their lives programming, but only a handful have ever been taught how to do this well. As a result, they spend their time wrestling with software, instead of doing research, but have no idea how reliable or efficient their programs are.

This course is an intensive introduction to basic software development practices for scientists and engineers that can reduce the time they spend programming by 20-25%. All of the material is open source: it may be used freely by anyone for educational or commercial purposes, and research groups in academia and industry are actively encouraged to adapt it to their needs.

Hmm.

“‘Civilisation did not arise as the result of a benign environment which allowed humanity to indulge a preference for living in complex, urban civilised societies,’ he told the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

“‘On the contrary, what we tend to think of today as civilisation was an accidental by-product of unplanned adaptation to catastrophic climate change. Civilisation was a last resort,’ he added.’

TODO Re-read Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel for contrast.

[download paper]

Click this link  to download the pack.EC4333 Course Pack.pdf This file is pretty big-2.6mb, so make sure you’re inside the campus network or on a fast connection before downloading.To save this file and print it out, right click and choose `Save Target As’ and save the file to your desired location for printing or whatever.

1  Introduction

The years since 1945 have been the longest period since 113 B.C. in which no army has crossed the Rhine

with war-like intentions. The very idea of war between the European Union’s member States seems so

remote as to be nonsensical. The creation of the European Union (EU); a legal, political, economic,

cultural, and soon to be military entity, is one of the greatest economic experiments in the history of

Mankind. The shape and scope of the EU has the capacity to affect the lives of hundreds of millions of

people in different ways, some positive, some negative. Thus a careful study of this experiment is in

order.

This course is about using economics to understand the history of the EU, its significance in terms of the

post 1945 World Economy, its development up to today, and the prospects for change most likely in the

future. We have 24 contact hours. Each 2 hour block will be thematic, that is to say, this is

not a survey course in International Economics or naive Trade theory. Rather, this course

will focus on developing the appropriate models and conceptual frameworks to understand

a particular issue facing the EU today. The objective of the course is to inform potential

future policy makers of the issues at stake and equip them with the tools to analyze these

issues.

1.1

1.1  Grading

There will be a final exam worth 70% of your final grade, four bi-weekly problem sets worth 5% each

beginning in week 3, and an essay worth 10%.

Problem sets will be distributed in class, with each due the next class each week. The essay title

is

• Beach, D., The Dynamics of European Integration, pgs. 1–31, and pgs. 214–244, 337.142
• BEA.
• El-Agraa, A.M., The European Union: Economics and Policies, 6th ed., pgs 1-19 and
  
  72-79, 337.142 AGR.
• McDonald,  F.  and  Dearden,  S.  European Economic Integration,  3rd  ed.,  pgs  34-53,
• 337.142 MCD.

• Pelkmans, J. European Integration: Methods and Economic Analysis 1st ed., pgs. 83–104
  
  and 133–155. 337.142 PEL.
• El-Agraa, A.M., The European Union: Economics and Policies, 6th ed., pgs. 149–164,
• 337.142 AGR.
• Lane,  P.  (2006)  The  Real  Effects  of  EMU,  Journal  of  Economic  Perspectives,
  
  forthcoming. (*)

• Buiter, W.H. “The Economic Case for Monetary Union in the European Union”, in
  
  Deissenberg,  Owen  and  Ulph,  eds.  European  Economic  Integration,  published  as  a
  
  supplement to the Review of International Economics, Vols. 4-5., pgs. 10–35. 337.142
• DEI.
• Hansen, J.D., European Integration: An Economic Perspective, Oxford University Press,
  
  2001, 1st ed. pgs. 163-189, 337.142 DRU.
• Healey, N. ‘Economic and Monetary Union’, in McDonald, F. and Dearden, S. European
• Economic Integration, 3rd ed., pgs. 94–114, 337.142 MCD.
• Wyplosz, C. ‘European Monetary Union: The Dark Sides of a Major Success’, Economic
• Policy, 2006 (*)

• El-Agraa, A.M., The European Union: Economics and Policies, 6th ed., pgs. 232–261,
• 337.142 AGR.
• Pelkmans,  J.  European  Integration:  Methods  and  Economic  Analysis  1st  ed.,  pgs.
  
  164–182. 337.142 PEL.

• El-Agraa, A.M., The European Union: Economics and Policies, 6th ed., pgs. 388-399
  
  and 187-199, 337.142 AGR.
• Pelkmans,  J.  European  Integration:  Methods  and  Economic  Analysis  1st  ed.,  pgs.
  
  164–182. 337.142 PEL.

• Michie, J., ‘Unemployment in Europe’, in Amin and Tomaney, eds. Behind the Myth
• of European Union: Prospects for Cohesion, Routledge Press, 1995, pgs. 51–82. 337.14
• AMI.
• Jensen,  S.  E.  H.  “Wage  Rigidity,  Monetary  Integration  and  Fiscal  Stabilisation  in
  
  Europe”, in Deissenberg, Owen and Ulph, eds. European Economic Integration, published
  
  as a supplement to the Review of International Economics, Vols. 4-5., pgs. 36-54. 337.142
• DEI. (Note, this is a hard paper, but students who know calculus should attempt it.)
• Bertola,  G.  ‘Europe’s  Unemployment  Problems’,  in  Artis  and  Nixson,  eds.  The
• Economics of the Europen Union, 3rd ed., pgs. 353–381.

• Estrin, S. and Holmes, P. Competition and Economic Integration in Europe, pp. 1–22.
• 337.142 EST
• Smith,  E.  ‘EU  Competition  Policy  Without  Membership:  Lessons  for  the  European
  
  Economic Area’, in Estrin, S. and Holmes, P. Competition and Economic Integration in
• Europe, pgs. 48–60. 337.142 EST
• Willem H. Buiter and Anne C. Sibert, ‘Eurozone Entry of New EU Member States from
  
  Central Europe: Should They? Could They?’ (*)

• Puga, D., ‘European regional policy in light of recent location theories’, Journal of
• Economic Geography 2(4), October 2002: 372-406 (*)
• Puga, D. ’The rise and fall of regional inequalities’, European Economic Review 43(2),
  
  February 1999: 303-334.(*)

• Stiglitz, J.E., and Greenwald, B. Helping Infant Economies Grow: Foundations of Trade
  
  Policies for Developing Countries, American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings,
  
  May 2006. (*)
• Shaikh,  Anwar,  Globalization  and  the  Myth  of  Free  Trade.(2003)  Prepared  for  the
  
  Conference on Globalization and the Myths of Free Trade, New School, NYC.(*)

• Barrett, A., Bergin, A., and Duffy, D. ‘The Labour Market Characteristics and Labour
  
  Market Impacts of Immigrants in Ireland The Economic and Social Review, Vol. 37, No.
  
  1, Spring 2006.
• McAleese,  D.  ‘Policy  Objectives  and  Competitiveness  for  a  Regional  Economy’,  in
  
  O’Hagan  and  Newman,  eds.  The Economy of Ireland: National and Sectoral Policy
• Issues, 9th ed., pgs. 2–28. 330.94178024 OHA

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Against Intellectual Monopoly:

Economic and Game Theory

Against Intellectual Monopoly

by Michele Boldrin and David K. Levine

top | general | research | classes | links | David “Monopoly corrupts, absolute monopoly corrupts absolutely.”

[new version November 11, 2005]

It is common to argue that intellectual property in the form of copyright and patent is necessary for the innovation and creation of ideas and inventions such as machines, drugs, computer software, books, music, literature and movies. In fact intellectual property is not like ordinary property at all, but constitutes a government grant of a costly and dangerous private monopoly over ideas. We show through theory and example that intellectual monopoly is not neccesary for innovation and as a practical matter is damaging to growth, prosperity and liberty.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Creation Under Competition

Chapter 3: How Competition Works

Chapter 4: Innovation Without Patents

Chapter 5: The Intellectual Monopoly Apologists

Chapter