Historical Development of the World Economy Many of the controversies and tensions modern economies have to contend with today, such as growth, inequality, and instability, emerged during the last few centuries. In this seminar we will use economic and historical tools to develop a better understanding of the profound transformations in technology, finance, and international trade over time. We will analyze the challenges the world faced as capital, labor, and commodity markets became rapidly integrated, including financial crises, rising income and wealth inequality, and modernizing policies.

Introductory Macroeconomics  An introduction to macroeconomics: a consideration of macroeconomic problems such as unemployment and inflation. Theories and policy proposals of Keynesian and classical economists are contrasted. Topics considered include: banking, financial institutions, monetary policy, taxation, government spending, fiscal policy, tradeoffs between inflation and unemployment in both the short run and the long run, and wage-price spirals.

Political Economy of the Middle East In this course we will study the complex relationship between economics and politics in the Middle East. We will use the theoretical and empirical toolboxes of economics and political science to better understand the joint evolution of political and economic structures/institutions and its implications for development and political make-up. We will address the following questions: What are the political underpinnings of divergent economic development and underdevelopment in the region? What is the role of the state and industrial policy in promoting economic modernization? What are the consequences of greater state involvement in pursuing industrial policy? Is there a political or economic resource curse? Main themes of the course include close relations between state and private business, crony capitalism, the military-industrial complex, international trade, human development, and inequality in the context of the Middle East.

Theory and Measurement in Economic History Economic historians study past events, employing diverse methodologies to understand technology adoption, market integration, and the effect of institutions on performance. In this course we will focus on strategies economists use to learn about the past itself and to use past events to understand how all economies function. We will ponder especially conflicts and complementarities between theoretical and empirical reasoning. Each student will complete a research proposal that justifies applying a set of tools to address an economic history question.

Cihan Artunc

Reviews and ratings for Cihan Artunc at Middlebury College.Cihan Artunc teaches Hist Dev of World Economy, Intro Macroeconomics, Pol Econ of the Middle East and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Cihan Artunc good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

This course was fast paced and challenging. Many people in my class enjoyed it, but it didn't click for me. The entire class would go to office hours each week, and it felt like if you didn't go you were missing something very important. 

Difficult, fast-paced course, but very valuable and interesting. Sometimes new material would be taught or reviewed in office hours outside of class time, so going to office hours is very important. Answers to problem sets often discussed openly in office hours. One long group research paper at the end of the semester, not graded super harshly if effort is put in.

This class is essentially a mini-thesis. It is based around doing tons of reading to be prepared for relatively low-stake quizzes each class, and leads into your own research project. He provides checkpoints to help you out and give you feedback, but it is definitely quite difficult. However, very good for growth.