ECN428 Norwegian Economic Policy in Historical Perspective (not offered)

• Topics

  This course deals with important topics in economic history; how economic policy has been carried out and affected the economic development over the last two hundred years.

  The focus is on Norwegian economic policy, but the international development will also be addressed. The course is based on reading and presentation of articles written by primarily Norwegian economic historians.d

• Learning outcome

  Knowledge - upon successful completion the student should

  • Know the main elements of the development of Norwegian economic policy during the last two hundred years, and how it has been affected by the international development.
  • Have a knowledge and understanding of the background for and the consequences of the economic policy that has been carried out.

  Skills - upon successful completion the student should

  • Be able to use economic theory and thought on economic policy issues.
  • Have the knowledge to analyze theories, methods and interpretations within this part of economic history.

  General competence - upon successful completion the student should

  • Be able to communicate on academic issues, analysis and conclusions in the field.

• Teaching

  The main method of teaching will be regular lectures.

• Recommended prerequisites

  None

• Compulsory Activity

  A written term-paper

• Assessment

  A written four hour school exam

• Grading Scale

  A-F

• Computer tools

  None

• Literature

  Compulsary reading:

  B.L. Basberg, «Creating a Patent System in the European Periphery. The Case of Norway, 1839-1860», Scandinavian Economic History Review, 2-1997.

  Ø. Bjørnson, «The Social Democrats and the Norwegian Welfare State: Some Perspectives», Scandinavian Journal of History, Vol. 26, No. 3, 2001, pp. 197-224.

  C. Brautaset, «Norwegian Economic Policy and Economic Thought in the 19th Century. A Survey», in M. Psalidopoulos og M.E. Mata (red.), Economic Thought and Economic Policy in Less Developed Europe. The 19th Century, Routledge, UK 2001.

  H. Espeli, «Perspectives on the distinctiveness of Norwegian price and competition policy in the XXth century», Journal of European Economic History, vol. 31, 2002.

  H.O. Frøland, «Choosing the Periphery: The Political Economy of Norway¿s European Integration Policy, 1948- 73¿, Journal of European Integration History, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2001.

  H.O. Frøland, «Norway's Liberation of Trade and Payments in the 1950s», Scandinavian Economic History Review, Vol. 52, No. 2-3, 2004, pp. 11-38.

  S. Knutsen and E. Lie, «Financial Fragility, Growth Strategies and Banking Failures: The Major Norwegian Banks and the Banking Crises, 1987-92», Business History, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2002.

  E. Lange, «The Concession Laws of 1906-09 and Norwegian Industrial Development», Scandinavian Journal of History, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1977, pp. 311-330.

  E. Lie, «The `protestant view`: The Norwegian and Scandinavian approach to national accounting in the postwar era», History of Political Economy, Vol. 39, No. 4, 2007, pp. 713-734.

  E. Lie, «The Norwegian State and the Oil Companies», in A. Beltran (ed.), Oil Producing Countries and Oil Companies, Peter Lang Publishing Group, 2911, pp. 267-286.

  F. Sejersted, «Capitalism and democracy. A comparison between Norway and Sweden», in H. Byrkjeflot et.al., The Democratic challenge to Capitalism, Bergen 2001, p. 87-116.

  C. Venneslan,«Norway's recovery from the Great Depression ¿ an act of balancing?», Scandinavian Economic History Review, vol. 58, nr. 2, 2010.

  L.F. Øksendal, «Re-examining Norwegian monetary policy in the 1930s», in S-O Olsson (ed.), Managing Crises and De-globalisation, London (Routledge), 2009.

  L.F. Øksendal, «Freedom for Manoeuvre: The Norwegian Gold Standard Experience, 1874-1914», in A. Ögren and L.F. Øksendal (eds.), The Gold Standard Peripheries: Monetary Policy, Adjustment and Flexibility in a Global Setting, London (Palgrave MacMillan), 2012.

  Recommended background reading:

  M. Hilson, The Nordic Model. Scandinavia since 1945, Reaktion Books, London 2008.

  G. Rusten et.al. (eds.), Norway: Nature, Industry and Society, Fagbokforlaget, Bergen 2013.

  (February 2017)