This course will focus on the dual processes of political and economic development. It will address intellectual issues which at least go back to the time of Adam Smith: What policies favor and which retard economic development? Are different political regimes a consequence of or a cause of economic development? The course will examine development from three perspectives: local, national, and international. From a political perspective the course will consider questions of democracy and possible transitions to democracy, including issues of stability in authoritarian and totalitarian regimes.