SE-111 International Political Economy (Autumn 2023)

On successful completion of the course the student should be able to:

• be able to describe and explain key features of global politics and the global economy
• be able to account for the historical emergence of our current global economic system
• be familiar with the most central IPE theories and be able to apply them to key phenomena in global politics and the global economy
• have an in-depth understanding of the politics of financial markets, trade and global production
• be able to account for how global environmental change challenges global economic activity and global politics
• understand how global economic trends shapes domestic politics

This course looks at the interplay between politics and markets. It assesses how economic patterns may help explain and account for political phenomena and looks at central political arrangements that govern and shape the world economy. It introduces students to key theories of the International Political Economy (IPE) discipline and exposes them to the origins and evolution of our current global political and economic system.

Topics covered in the course include:

• Theories of global political economy
• Evolution of the world economy in the context of key political developments
• International trade: political disputes, frameworks and agreements
• Transnational production
• Global division of labour
• The global financial system and associated political challenges
• Governance in the global political economy
• Global environmental change: political and business implications
• Global markets and domestic politics implications: inequality, technology and populism

Lectures and class discussions. Students also complete one obligatory, individual and short written assignment.

Estimated workload is about 200 hours.