Shaping Societies: Political Economy and Institutions: Quantitative Models Training Course

Introduction

The interplay between political forces and economic outcomes is a fundamental aspect of human societies. Why do some nations prosper while others languish? How do political institutions shape economic incentives, and how do economic inequalities influence political power? Traditional approaches to political economy often rely on qualitative analysis, but the burgeoning availability of data and advancements in quantitative methods have revolutionized the field, enabling rigorous testing of theories and the identification of causal mechanisms.

This intensive training course is meticulously designed to equip participants with a comprehensive and practical understanding of quantitative models in political economy and institutions. From mastering the theoretical frameworks that link political structures to economic performance to applying advanced econometric techniques for analyzing institutional impacts and political behaviors, you will gain the expertise to rigorously study the complex dynamics at the intersection of politics and economics. This empowers you to conduct cutting-edge research, inform evidence-based policy formulation, and contribute to a deeper understanding of development, governance, and societal well-being.

Target Audience

  • Economists and political scientists interested in institutional analysis, development economics, and comparative politics.
  • Researchers and analysts in government agencies, international organizations (e.g., World Bank, IMF, UN), and NGOs.
  • Academics and graduate students (Master's and PhD) in political science, economics, public policy, or sociology.
  • Data scientists and quantitative analysts working with political and economic datasets.
  • Professionals involved in governance assessments, anti-corruption initiatives, and institutional reforms.
  • Consultants specializing in political risk analysis and development consulting.
  • Anyone seeking to apply rigorous quantitative methods to political and economic phenomena.
  • Policy practitioners interested in the empirical impact of institutional design.

Duration: 10 days

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this training course, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the core concepts of political economy and the role of institutions in shaping economic outcomes.
  • Grasp the theoretical models that link political systems, electoral rules, and governance to economic development.
  • Analyze quantitative methods for measuring and comparing institutions across countries and over time.
  • Comprehend econometric techniques for identifying the causal impact of institutions on economic variables.
  • Evaluate the applications of game theory and formal models to analyze political decision-making and institutional design.
  • Develop practical skills in analyzing cross-country and panel datasets related to political economy.
  • Navigate the challenges of endogeneity, omitted variable bias, and data quality in political economy research.
  • Formulate robust, evidence-based analyses of institutional impacts and political-economic interactions.

Course Content

  1. Introduction to Political Economy and Institutions
  • Defining political economy: the interaction of politics and economics
  • The concept of institutions: formal and informal rules, organizations, norms
  • Why institutions matter for economic performance: property rights, rule of law, contract enforcement
  • Overview of key theories in institutional economics and political economy
  • The empirical revolution in political economy: data and methods
  1. Measuring Institutions and Political Variables
  • Indices of institutional quality: governance indicators (e.g., World Governance Indicators), democracy indices (e.g., Polity IV, Freedom House)
  • Measuring electoral systems: proportionality, district magnitude, electoral formulas
  • Quantifying political regimes: autocracies, democracies, transitions
  • Data sources for political and institutional variables (e.g., V-Dem, Varieties of Democracy)
  • Challenges in measurement: subjectivity, comparability, endogeneity of measures
  1. Formal Models of Political Decision-Making: Game Theory
  • Introduction to game theory: players, strategies, payoffs, equilibrium concepts
  • Applications in political economy:
    • Median voter theorem and public good provision
    • Models of electoral competition and party platforms
    • Bargaining models of coalition formation
    • Principal-agent models of bureaucracy and corruption
  • Solving and interpreting results from simple game theory models
  1. Regimes and Economic Development
  • Autocracy vs. Democracy: which fosters growth?
  • The role of political institutions in resource curse phenomena
  • Impact of political stability and instability on investment and growth
  • Institutional Change Module: theories and empirical evidence of institutional evolution
  • Natural experiments and quasi-experimental designs in political economy
  1. Electoral Systems, Political Parties, and Economic Policy
  • Impact of electoral rules (e.g., proportional representation vs. majoritarian) on economic policy outcomes
  • Party systems: number of parties, polarization, ideology
  • How political parties shape fiscal policy, redistribution, and regulation
  • Political Budget Cycles Module: empirical evidence and theoretical explanations
  • Voting behavior and economic voting
  1. Conflict, Violence, and Political Economy
  • Economic causes and consequences of civil conflict and political violence
  • The role of institutions in preventing and resolving conflict
  • Resource rents and conflict dynamics
  • Post-conflict reconstruction and institutional building
  • Measuring conflict and violence data
  1. Corruption and Governance
  • Defining and measuring corruption: perceptions vs. objective indicators
  • Economic costs of corruption: impact on investment, growth, public services
  • Political economy of corruption: incentives, institutions, accountability
  • Anti-corruption strategies and their effectiveness
  • Quantitative analysis of corruption determinants and impacts
  1. Distribution, Inequality, and Redistribution
  • Economic inequality and its political consequences
  • Models of redistribution in democracies and autocracies
  • The role of political institutions in shaping income distribution
  • Public opinion on inequality and redistribution
  • Data on inequality and wealth distribution
  1. Causal Inference in Political Economy
  • Challenges of endogeneity and reverse causality in political economy research
  • Instrumental variables (IV) estimation for institutional effects
  • Regression Discontinuity Designs (RDD) for analyzing policy thresholds
  • Difference-in-Differences (DiD) for evaluating institutional reforms
  • Synthetic Control Method for comparative case studies
  • Machine learning for causal inference in high-dimensional political economy data
  1. Advanced Topics and Applications
  • Political Institutions and Public Goods Module: provision of education, health, infrastructure
  • Spatial political economy: geographical aspects of political behavior and institutions
  • Historical political economy: long-run effects of historical institutions
  • The political economy of specific policy areas: climate change, trade, financial regulation
  • Big data and text analysis in political economy research (e.g., legislative texts, political speeches)
  • Replication and open science in quantitative political economy.

CERTIFICATION

  • Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with Macskills Training and Development Institute Certificate

TRAINING VENUE

  • Training will be held at Macskills Training Centre. We also tailor make the training upon request at different locations across the world.

AIRPORT PICK UP AND ACCOMMODATION

  • Airport pick up and accommodation is arranged upon request

TERMS OF PAYMENT

Payment should be made to Macskills Development Institute bank account before the start of the training and receipts sent to info@macskillsdevelopment.com

For More Details call: +254-114-087-180

 

Shaping Societies: Political Economy And Institutions: Quantitative Models Training Course in Kenya
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