Updated on November 06, 2007
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Politics of the Global Economy GL 363 |
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The purpose of this course is to introduce you the key theoretical approaches and substantive issues of the politics of the global economy. After examining the core theories and concepts of the international political economy (IPE), we will review recent major trends, with a particular emphasis on globalization, as well as the key issues for the future. The subject matter inherently draws attention to the intersection of politics (states) and economics (markets). The overarching focus is thus on how political choices made by state actors alter economic outcomes and, alternately, how the operation of international markets shapes the options available to political leaders.
| Professor TERRENCE CASEY | OFFICE: Moench A 205 |
| PHONE: 877-8281 | RHIT Mailbox: #93 |
| E-Mail: casey1@rose-hulman.edu | HOURS: MTRF, 4th Hour or drop-in. |
Professor Casey's Homepage (including links for current events and research)
Links to the PowerPoint slides for the lectures and assignments will be added as the course progresses.
Most of the assigned readings are from Balaam and Veseth, Introduction to International Political Economy, 4th Edition or Baumol. Litan, and Schramm, Good Capitalism, Bad Capitalism. Other readings listed can be downloaded in PDF from the Logan Library's Academic Search Premier Database. This is available on the drop-down menu of databases on the library's main page. Please note that it is usually easiest to find the article if you search by both author and title.
| TOPICS | READINGS | |
| (Weeks 1-4) | PART I: THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND CONCEPTS | |
| The Commanding Heights, Part I: “The Battle of Ideas” (Video -- Link to Website) | Commanding Heights Worksheet | |
| A. Introduction: What is International Political Economy (IPE)? | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 1 Thomas Friedman, “India v. Indiana: Who is Exploiting Whom?” from The World Is Flat, pp. 203-208. [Handout]
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| B. Theoretical Approaches | ||
| 1. Liberalism | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 3 and pp. 82-89 (on rational choice) | |
| 2. Mercantilism | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 2 | |
| 3. Structuralism | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 4 | |
| C. Concepts | ||
| 1. Trade and the Balance of Payments | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 6 | |
| 2. International Monetary Issues and Exchange Rates | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 7 | |
| 3. Foreign Debt and Financial Crises | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 8 | |
| 4. Transnational Corporations and International Investment | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 17 | |
| 5. Knowledge and Technology | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 10 FIRST EXAM -- Friday, September 21st |
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| (Week 5) | PART II: THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION – GLOBALIZATION | |
| A. What is Globalization? | "The Globalization Index" Foreign Policy (November/December) 2006 [Handout] | |
| B. Is Globalization a Good Thing? | TBA | |
| E. The Future of Globalization
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Niall Ferguson, "Sinking Globalization," Foreign Affairs (March/April) 2005. [Library] Rawi Abdelal and Adam Segal, "Has Globalization Passed Its Peak?" Foreign Affairs (January/February) 2007 [Handout] |
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| (Weeks 6-7) | PART III: COMPETING MODELS OF CAPITALISM | |
| A. The Study of Comparative Capitalism | COMPARATIVE CAPITALISM PAPER ASSIGNMENT | |
| B. The Domestic Sources of Comparative Growth | Baumol, Litan, and Schramm, Chapters 1-3 | |
| C. Understanding Different Capitalisms | Baumol, Litan, and Schramm, Chapter 4 | |
| D. When Good Capitalism Goes Bad | Baumol, Litan, and Schramm, Chapters 5-7 | |
| E. Keeping Capitalism Healthy | Baumol, Litan, and Schramm,
Chapters 8 SECOND EXAM -- Friday, October 26th |
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| (Weeks 8-9) | PART IV: STATES AND REGIONS IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY | |
| A. Europe and the Political Economy of Regionalism | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 11 Clive Crook, "Think Again -- Europe," Foreign Policy (July/August) 2007 [Handout] |
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| B. Japan at the Crossroads | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 12
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| C. China -- The New Economic Superpower? | Survey of China from The Economist [Handout] | |
| D. India -- High-Tech Hub of the "Hindu Rate of Growth"? | Survey of India from The Economist [Handout] | |
| E. Third World Development and the Growing North-South Gap | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 15 | |
| END OF TERM!!!! | THIRD EXAM -- Friday, November 9 | |
| F. The Transition from Communism
to Capitalism
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Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 14 The Commanding Heights, Part II: “The Agony of Reform” (Video -- IF time allows) |
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| G. Economic and Political Development in the Middle East | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 14 | |
| (Week 9-10) | PART V: KEY ISSUES FOR THE FUTURE | |
| A. Markets and the Environment | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 20 Carl Pope and Bjørn Lomborg, "The State of Nature," Foreign Policy (July/August ) 2005. [Handout] |
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| B. Markets and Security | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 9 | |
| D. America and the Global Economic Future | Balaam and Veseth, Chapter 21 Adam Segal, "Is American Losing Its Edge?" Foreign Affairs (November/ December) 2004. [Library] David H. Levey and Stuart S. Brown, "The Overstretch Myth," Foreign Affairs (March/April) 2005. [Library] THIRD EXAM -- Friday, November 9 |
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REMEMBER KIDS.....Canadian baby boomers are to blame for everything that is wrong with the world.... |