Aims

To understand those factors determining Britain's economic performance from its Industrial Revolution in the late eighteenth century to its relative economic decline in the postwar era.

Outline Of Syllabus

Two centuries of growth and structural change
The Industrial Revolution
Trade and factor flows during the first era of globalization
British manufacturing in international perspective
Did late-Victorian Britain fail?
The classical and interwar gold standards
The interwar era: new industries, protection, and the retreat to empire
Postwar Britain: a 'golden age' or the 'sick man of Europe'?
Britain's trade with its Empire/Commonwealth

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The module includes both lectures and seminars. During the lectures, the relevant scholarly arguments and main supporting evidence will be presented. During the seminars, students will evaluate and critique the arguments, drawing upon both the lectures and the module readings.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The exam format is ideal for this module, given that it can be used to assess the mixture of quantitative and qualitative evidence presented in the module (in lectures, seminars, and readings). Moreover, as this module emphasises the critique of scholarly arguments, an exam is conducive to such an exercise.