Portuguese Economics

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Objectives

The course treats the history of economics in Portugal from a long-range perspective, namely in terms of issues related to economic growth in contemporary Portugal. The course presents the history of Portugal from the Age of Discoveries to the present through the economic analysis of various thinker who reflected upon the causes of decadence in Portugal and the remedies necessary to save the country, thinkers who detected, from a long-term perspective, a dialectic between a policy of fixation and a policy of mobility, as well as an oscillation between a policy of European integration and a policy of Atlantic dimensions. After reviewing the History of Portugal, the course expands the students’ knowledge about the society and the economic situation of the country from the post World War II period to the present.

Program

The syllabus is divided into four main parts, according to the political phases of Portuguese history: the Monarchy, the Republic, the Military Dictatorship and the Estado Novo and, finally, the Democratic State. The first part covers the age of the discoveries to the end of the monarchy (1415 a 1910). The second part treats the Portuguese Republic and its policies of proximity to developed countries, namely through participation in World War I. The third part looks at the reasons behind the Military Dictatorship and the birth of the Estado Novo, between 1926 and 1974 to develop the country. Finally, the fourth part studies democracy in the Portugal (after April 25, 1974), especially the search for an economic strategy, the 1976 Constitution (and its successive amendments), the stages of European integration, the evolution of the business sector and the economic crisis that began in 2008. The course encourages debate about the urgent need for a new model of development in Portugal.

Teaching Methodologies

The syllabus follows two ideas: “Portugal as a problem” and the innovative solutions that have been found over time to overcome the economic and financial difficulties of the country. Students are required to read the work of António José Telo on the dysfunctional trajectory of Portuguese history and the writing of Jaime Reis on the reasons explaining the slow development of the country. Various macro-economic indicators are used to illustrate the status of the various topics that make up the syllabus.

Bibliography

LOPES, José Silva, A economia portuguesa no século XX. Lisboa, ICS, 2004.

MATEUS, Abel, Economia Portuguesa desde 1910. Lisboa, Verbo, 2001.

Bibliografia complementar

LAINS, Pedro, Os progressos do atraso: Uma Nova História Económica de Portugal. Lisboa, ICS, 2003.

LAINS, Pedro e SILVA, Álvaro, História Económica de Portugal, 1700-2000. Lisboa, ICS, 2005, 3 volumes.

MATA, Eugénia e Nuno Valério, História Económica de Portugal. Uma perspectiva Global. Lisboa, Presença, 1994.

NEVES, João César, As 10 questões da crise, D. Quixote, 2ª edição, 2011.

NEVES, João César, As 10 questões da recuperação, D. Quixote, 1ª edição, 2013.

PEREIRA, Miriam, Diversidade e Assimetrias: Portugal nos séculos XIX e XX. Lisboa, ICS, 2001.

ROSAS, Fernando, Portugal e o Estado Novo (1930-1960). Lisboa, Presença, 1990.

REIS, Jaime, O atraso económico português, 1850-1930. Lisboa, ICS, 1993.

TELO, António José, História Contemporânea de Portugal, do 25 de Abril à actualidade. Lisboa, Presença, 2007.

Code

0103155

ECTS Credits

6

Classes

  • Teóricas - 30 hours
  • Teórico-Práticas - 30 hours

Evaluation Methodology

  • 1st Test: 35%
  • 2nd Test: 35%
  • Oral presentation: 30%