PhD Trade (Boston College, Fall 2024)
Syllabus
List of Class Sections and Readings (tentative)
I. Basics of Gravity
1. Gravity Equation of Trade (Anderson and van Wincoop, 2003)
2. Numerical Simulation of Gravity
3. Exact Hat Algebra and the Gains from Trade
II. Ricardian Models
4. Ricardian Theory – Two countries (Dornbusch-Fischer-Samuelson, 1977)
5. Bringing Probability Theory (Preliminaries to Eaton and Kortum)
6. Ricardian Theory with data – Many countries (Eaton and Kortum, 2002)
III. Monopolistic Competition and Firm Heterogeneity
7. Monopolistic Competition and Increasing Returns (Krugman, 1979 and 1980)
8. Firm Heterogeneity (Melitz, 2003)
9. Melitz-Pareto (with Nested CES)
IV. Common Grounds: Theory and Empirics
10. Sufficient Statistics: Estimation and Welfare Analysis
V. Selected Extensions
11. Comparative Advantage of Workers
VI. Trade, Natural Resources and the Environment
13. Impact of Climate Change in Agricultural Markets: Role of Comparative Advantage
14. Impact of Trade in Agricultural Markets: Role of Technology Adoption
VII. Trade Policy in General Equilibrium
15. Optimal Trade Policy in GE with an Application to Trade Wars
16. Optimal Trade and Climate Policy
VIII. Spatial Economics
17. Spatial Economics: Basic Framework
18. Spatial Economics: Dynamics