ECON 238(S) The Regions of America (Same as Environmental Studies 238)
Economic theory helps explain the economic characteristics and problems of regions in the U.S. and Canada. We shall study both large multistate regions-like New England, the Southwest, the Great Plains, and the Pacific Northwest, for example-and smaller distinctive regions, such as Appalachia, Silicon Valley, the Central Valley of California, the U.S.-Mexico border strip, Quebec, and Hawaii. We shall deal with important questions such as: How are regional specialization and prosperity and interregional trade shaped by natural resources, transportation and communications infrastructure and technology, the decisions of large firms, and public policies? Why are some regions dynamic seedbeds of new technology and others lagging victims of global forces? Why do people move from one region to another, while others stay on doggedly in depressed regions? Is immigration good or bad for destination regions? Why are there large urban agglomerations (like Chicago, L.A., Miami, Seattle-Vancouver) and how do they affect their larger regions? Why, even in North America, does agriculture continue to shape some large and small regions? We'll use maps and slides, a computer mapping program, and insights from the disciplines of geography and history, to supplement economic theory and economic data. Each student will do independent work on a region of his/her choice. Requirements: midterm, two papers, and problem sets. Prerequisite: Economics 101. Enrollment limited to 40.