ECON G120: Economic History of The United States
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Committee Approval Date | 05/21/2024 |
| Top Code | 220500 - History |
| Units | 3 Total Units |
| Hours | 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 0 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S),
|
| Local General Education (GE) |
|
| California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) |
|
| Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) |
|
| California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth) |
|
Course Description
This course is identical to HIST G110. This course explores the economic history of the United States from the colonial period to the present. Emphasis is placed on the factors and forces contributing to U.S. economic development, evaluating the various agents of growth, and attempted solutions to economic problems. This course utilizes primary and secondary sources to examine the changing nature of American capitalism and U.S. involvement in the global economy. Enrollment Limitation: HIST G110; students who complete ECON G120 may not enroll in or receive credit for HIST G110. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Course Outcomes
- Analyze primary and secondary sources in economic U.S. history.
- Evaluate the relevance of economic U.S. history from the colonial period to the present.
- Assess written research using historical evidence in economic U.S. history.
Course Objectives
- 1. Describe the structure, pace, and causal agents of changing economic life in the United States.
- 2. Appraise the culture, socio-political context, and globalization of capitalist economic organization in the context of the history of economic thought and recent scholarship in economic history.
- 3. Display interpretive skills to identify, organize, analyze, and synthesize reasoned conclusions from quantitative data as well as qualitative evidence.
- 4. Evaluate the economic consequences of historical decisions and reflect on the relevance of debatable issues in the modern day.
Lecture Content
Economic life and the origins and meaning of capitalism The Age of Commerce: 1660-1860 Mercantilism Adam Smith and free market capitalism Economic issues and the American Revolution Agrarian and household economies Land law and ownership Labor issues - wage labor and slave labor Regional specialization Republican political economy Capitalism and Democracy Jeffersonianism vs. Hamiltonianism Early industrialization and entrepreneurship Infrastructure development Money and banking pre-1860 Westward expansion The Cotton Economy The economics of slavery The Age of Capitalism: 1860-1932 The Civil War and reconstruction of capital Industrialization Railroads and expanding markets New technology innovations Urbanization The Gilded Age Monopolies and oligopolies Class wars and home life Late 19th-century immigration Populism, Progressivism, and Labor Fordism United States expansion as a global power U.S. Imperialism Global markets and finance capital The "Roaring Twenties" Greenwood and the Tulsa Massacre The Great Depression Keynesian Economics The Age of Control: 1932-1980 New Deal Capitalism Redlining World War II and U.S. economic hegemony The Cold War and the military-industrial complex Economic nationalism The Intern ational Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) The rise of the public sector Consumerism The "Golden Age" of the 1950s The new middle class Johnsons "Great Society" reforms Crisis of industrial capital Neo-imperialism 1970s Stagflation The Age of Chaos: 1980-present Monetarist era: 1980s to 2008 Deindustrialization The rise of mixed economic systems Globalization and neoliberalism Reaganomics Technological advances and innovations The Great Moderation The Great Recession Free Trade and its effects Contemporary economic developments, issues, and solutions
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
- DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
- DE Online Lecture (02X)
Reading Assignments
Weekly readings of assigned course textbooks. Can be paired with primary source readings and secondary source economic and/or historical articles.
Writing Assignments
Assignments demonstrating students application of course content, including knowledge of the historical context, analysis of economic historical evidence, and completion of historical research.
Out-of-class Assignments
Discussion posts on course concepts or controversial issues in the past. Short written assignments, analytical essays, and research assignments on course content, sources, or historical articles.
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
Students will participate in discussions and write research essays that challenge students to distinguish the consequences of economic historical developments or to take a stance on a controversial issue in the past. Analytical assignments that encourage students to read primary source evidence and examine connections with course content. Objective assignments that promote student comprehension, critical analysis, and evaluation of the historical context.
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Use of historical primary and secondary sources so students learn how to apply the course content and develop critical thinking and writing skills.
Eligible Disciplines
Economics: Masters degree in economics OR bachelors degree in economics AND masters degree in business, business administration, business management, business education, finance, or political science OR the equivalent. Masters degree required. History: Masters degree in history OR bachelors degree in history AND masters degree in political science, humanities, geography, area studies, womens studies, social science, or ethnic studies OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.
Textbooks Resources
1. Required Srinivasan, B. Americana: A 400-Year History of American Capitalism, ed. Penguin Books (Latest), 2018 Rationale: Latest 2. Required Levy, J. Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States, ed. Random House Publishing Group , 2021 3. Required Bogart, E. L. An Economic History of the United States, ed. Creative Media Partners, 2023
Other Resources
1. The Economist (magazine extracts)