Course # 35556 Section Number 1 Day(s) M- W Time(s) 10:30am-11:50am Term Spring 2026 Specialization International Policy Course Instructor Raul Sanchez de la Sierra Syllabus Syllabus 4/10/25 This course offers a perspective on the role of power in the evolution of societies. First, we will study narratives of political economy of development, dominant until recently, which draw on explanations for what made Europe, and parts of North America, exceptional, such as their innovation, trade, culture, or institutions. Second, we will explore research by historians, anthropologists, and sociologists that challenged these narratives on the grounds that they silenced the role played by European military domination over the rest of the world in the rise of Europe; the rise of the “West” coincides with the exceptional use of power at a global scale to expropriate, enslave, and even replace other societies whose welfare is not even part of current GDP calculations. Third, we will explore institutions, historical processes, worldviews, socio-political traditions, and ideas in societies outside the so-called West, and how those have contributed to the history of human societies but also to the set of possible ideas and models for “development.” One ambitious aim of the course is to make sense of how we got into the world of today while navigating this epistemic imbalance, beyond “us” vs. “them,” and through research and policies that do not carry the presumption of pitying, saving, or fixing as the main starting point. This course was previously called Political Economics of Developing Countries. Recent News More news Student Profile: Maria Villamizar Londono Wed., July 16, 2025 Q&A: Assistant Professor Erin Kelley on Her Work in Program Evaluation, International Development, and With the World Bank Wed., July 09, 2025 University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth Launch New Pathbreaking Master’s Program in Climate and Energy Policy Tue., July 08, 2025 Upcoming Events More events Bridging Capital and Communities: Integrating Impact Investing, Real Estate Development, and Public Policy Thu., July 17, 2025 | 7:00 PM Harris Summer Mixer in Beijing Fri., July 18, 2025 | 6:00 PM Maison Flo 18 Xiaoyun Rd Chaoyang Qu Beijing Shi, 100027 China Harris Summer Mixer in Jakarta Sat., July 19, 2025 | 4:30 PM Rusty Rabbit | Plaza Festival, Jl. H. R. Rasuna Said No.22 Kav. C, Karet Kuningan, Setiabudi Jakarta Selatan, DKI Jakarta 12940 Indonesia
March 24, 2025 Q&A: Senior Lecturer Rebecca Wolfe Discusses the Trump Administration’s Actions on Foreign Aid and Humanitarian Programs
February 23, 2025 Muaz Chaudhry Named Gates Cambridge Scholar, Set to Pursue Doctoral Studies in Economics of Gender