Class dates: Monday, March 27, April 10, 17, 24, May 1 (5 weeks)

Class time: 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Location: Assumption, Kennedy 119

This course will explore the different ways countries have organized their economies. We will review the main theoretical models used by capitalist and socialist countries, examine the actual experiences of some of the world’s most important economies, and end by investigating two enduring problems for the US economy, rising income inequality, and health care costs and coverage. Each class session will include time for questions and discussion of relevant current events.

Suggested Readings: Comparative Economic Systems: Capitalism and Socialism in the 21 ^st Century.   An ECI Teaching Module on Social and Economic Issues , Global Development Policy Center, Boston University. http://www.bu.edu/eci/education-materials/teaching-modules.

Instructor: Tom Gottschang is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the College of the Holy Cross, where he taught economics, including Comparative Economic Systems, for over 40 years. He earned his Ph.D. in economics and history at the University of Michigan.