This course aims to give students a thorough knowledge of the main features of the Spanish economy and its evolution in recent decades.

We will concentrate specifically on the following a: economic growth (features of growth, determining factors and imbalances); sector aspects (evolution of the productive structure); institutional aspects (the labour market and the public sector); foreign relations and income distribution.

The specific aims of the course are the following:

- To acquire the skills necessary to seek out relevant information regarding Spanish economic reality at all levels, and acquiring the capacity to analyse it.

- To learn to work in a cooperative manner, evaluating group performance, and diagnosing and solving possible conflicts.

- To be aware not only of individual learning but also that of group colleagues, to ensure the success of group work.

- To take individual responsibility for the learning process.

- To acquire the capacity for independent learning at all levels of the Spanish economy.

- To understand the necessary economic indicators in order to interpret Spanish economic reality at all levels.

- To acquire the skills to create and interpret indicators and graphs regarding the Spanish economy.

- To identify the main Internet websites containing Spanish economic information.

- To acquire Internet skills to search for relevant information on the Spanish economy.

- To acquire the capacity to express oneself in an ordered, coherent and intelligible manner, to defend arguments in public and to take an active part in debates.

- To understand the main features, determining factors, accompanying structural transformations and limiting imbalances of Spanish economic growth.

- To understand the development of the productive sectors in the Spanish economy, in terms of production, employment, foreign trade, productive and commercial specialisation, efficiency and competitivity.

- To understand the regional, functional and personal distribution of income in Spain, and its evolution over recent decades.

- To understand the theoretical grounds for State intervention in the economy and the tools used; understanding the organisation of the Spanish public sector and Spanish public intervention in recent years, through expenditures and revenues.

- To understand the main features of the Spanish labour market, based on the development of employment, activity and unemployment in recent years.

- To understand the economic significance and development of the main items in the Spanish balance of payments; understanding the current situation and recent evolution of Spanish foreign trade, the geographical structure of trade, inter-industrial and intra-industrial specialisation, and the factors influencing the evolution of commercial traffic; understanding the institutional transformation and commercial opening that took place in Spain, with special emphasis on the role of Spain’s entry into the EU in the mid-80’s; understanding both sides of foreign investment traffic: Spanish investment abroad and foreign investment in Spain, from sector and geographic standpoints.

To acquire the capacity to apply the knowledge acquired to analysing and describing Spain’s economy.

- To use rational criteria to analyse Spain’s economic situation at any given moment.

- To understand the main features of economic growth in Spain, compared to the rest of the EU.

- To understand the current situation and the development of productive sectors in the Spanish economy, compared to other EU countries.

- To understand regional, functional and personal income distribution in Spain, compared to other EU countries.

- To understand Spanish public intervention through expenditures and revenues, compared to other EU countries.

- To understand the situation and development of the Spanish labour market, compared to other EU countries.

- To understand the situation and recent development of Spanish foreign trade and FDI flows, compared to other EU countries.

- To apply the concepts and techniques acquired in order to write up national and regional economic conjuncture reports.

- To apply objective criteria to the drafting of reports on the Spanish economy.

- To understand the main sources of economic information at sector, regional, national and international level.

- To acquire the skills necessary to seek out economic information on Spain, in comparison with other EU countries.

- To identify and  understand relevant Spanish economic information.

No data