EC 436X - Economic Development in Indian Country

Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 0
Credit Hours: 3

What is Indian Country? What is tribal sovereignty? How has colonization affected Indigenous people? What are the current challenges to and opportunities for economic development in Indian Country? The course will seek to answer these questions and provide an overview of the current standing of Indigenous communities in the United States. We will discuss the economic history of American Indian tribes and reservations and analyze how the historical developments over the past two centuries have impacted life and economic development in Indigenous communities. We will discuss jurisdictional, legal and political aspects of tribal economic development. I will teach this course from an institutional economics point of view and will emphasize formal institutions, such as legal/judicial systems and governance structure, as well as informal norms such as indigenous culture and cultural fit Note: Civilizations and Cultures Course Prerequisite(s): EC 201 and EC 202