Course Syllabus

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Economics 452: Religion, Ethics, and Economics -- Spring 2019

Professor: Mahmoud A. El-Gamal

Classes: TR 1:00--2:15, BKH 233

Office Hours: TR 2:30--3:30 or by appt. BKH 240

TA: Dario Biolcati Rinaldi

Course Description:

This course is a research seminar on the interactions between religion, ethics, and economics. These include classical theories such as the secularization and Weberian hypotheses, as well as more recent models of the economics of religion and the economic effects of religiosity.

Students will work in groups on empirical projects to replicate and/or extend empirical results in articles that we will read throughout the semester. Student will also write individual term papers on topics of their choice subject to approval of the professor. 

While all readings are recommended (i.e. not necessarily required), some selected readings will naturally be required for your team projects and individual term papers.

An excellent source for data and ideas:

Recommended Readings:

  • Papers under Files tab

Recommended supplementary readings:

  • Various entries at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  • Witham, Larry. Marketplace of the Gods: How Economics Explains Religion, Oxford University Press, 2010
  • Bowles, Samuel. The Moral Economy: Why Good Incentives Are No Substitute for Good Citizens, Yale University Press, 2016

Tentative syllabus:

  • Week 1 -- January 8, 10: Economics of religion, and economic consequences of religion
    • Religion, Economics & Survey Data: Iannaccone (Journal of Economic Literature, 1998), McCleary and Barro (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2006)
    • Introducing my project (Religion, Ethics, and Income Inequality): Alesina and Giuliano (Handbook of Social Economics, 2011), T.M. Scanlon Why Does Inequality Matter (Oxford UP, 2018), World Inequality Report 2018
  • Week 2 -- Jan 15, 17: Ethics, religion, and economics
    • Ethics, Economics & Experiments: Bowles (SFI, 2000), Bowles (Science, 2008), Henrich et al. (American Economic Review, 2001), Henrich et al. (Science, 2010), Fehr et al. (American Economic Review, 2006)
    •  Market Ethics, Diversity, and Trust: Bruni and Sugden (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2013), Putnam (Review of Political Economy, 2003), Glaeser et al. (The Economic Journal, 2002)
  • Week 3 -- Jan 22, 24: Getting, keeping, and switching religion
    • Utility and human capital: Azzi and Ehrenberg (Journal of Political Economy, 1975), Iannaccone (Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion,1990)
    • Pascal's Wager: Durkin and Greely (Rationality and Society, 1991), Montgomery (American Economic Review, 1996)
  • Week 4 -- Jan 29, 31: Presentations I
    • First team projects presentations (assignment will be posted and discussed early in Week 2)
    • My project, literature survey and some preliminary data analysis
  • Week 5 -- Feb 5: Church, sect, and secular society
    • Iannaccone (American Journal of Sociology, 1988), Iannaccone (Journal of Political Economy, 1992)
  • Spring Recess -- February 7
  • Week 6 -- Feb 12, 14: Consequences of religious regulation 
    • Religious subsidies and taxes: Berman (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2000), Ekelund, Hebert and Tollison (Journal of Political Economy, 2002)
    • Government regulation of religion: Barro and McCleary (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2005), Iannaccone, Finke, and Stark (Economic Inquiry, 1997), Voas et al. (American Sociological Review, 2002)
  • Week 7 -- Feb 19, 21: Presentations II
    • Second team projects presentations (assignment will be posted and discussed early in Week 5)
    • My project, more extensive data analysis results
  • Week 8 -- Feb 26, 28: Fragmentation and trust
    • Dynamics of religious affiliation: Montgomery (Rationality and Society, 1996), Montgomery (American Sociological Review, 2003), McBride (American Journal of Sociology, 2008), Gruber and Hungerman (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2008)
    • Religious and secular competition: Putnam (Scandinavian Political Studies, 2007), Algan and Cahuc (Working Paper, 2013)
  • Week 9 -- Mar 5, 7: Religion, attitudes, and consequences
    • Reexamining the Weberian hypothesis: Becker and Woessman (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2009), Guiso et al (Journal of Monetary Economics, 2003)
    • Religious shaping of preferences: Gruber (Advances in Economic Analysis and Policy, 2005), van Hoorn and Maseland (Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 2013), Scheve and Stasavage (Quarterly Journal of Political Science, 2006), Guiso et al. (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2006)
  • Spring Break -- March 12, 14
  • Week 10 -- Mar 19, 21:  Religion, attitudes, happiness, and risk taking
    • Religion, trust, and cooperation: Berggren and Bjornskov (Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 2011), Gorodnichenko and Roland (American Economic Review, 2011), Anderson and Mellor (Economics Letters, 2009)
    • Religion & macro, corporate, and market behavior: Kumar, Page, and Spalt (Journal of Financial Economics, 2011), Hilary and Hui (Journal of Financial Economics, 2009)
  • Week 11 -- Mar 26, 28: Presentations III
    • Third team projects presentations (assignment will be posted and discussed early in Week 8)
    • My project, an almost finished paper
  • Week 12 -- Apr 2, 4: Religion, fundamentalism, politics, and economics
    • Religion, political participation, and economic attitudes: Gill (Annual Review of Political Science, 2001), Gaskins, Golder and Siegel (American Journal of Political Science, 2013), Chen and Li (American Economic Review, 2009)
    • Religion, gender, and trust: Emmenegger and Manow (Politics and Society, 2014), Tan (Economics Letters, 2006), Tan and Vogel (Journal of Economic Psychology, 2008)
  • Week 13 -- Apr 9, 11: Student presentations (term paper synopses)
  • Week 14 -- Apr 16, 18: Student presentations (term paper synopses)

Grading:

  • Class participation: 30%
  • Team project presentations: 20%
  • Individual term paper presentation: 20%
  • Term paper: 30%

Course Summary:

Date Details Due