Political Economy

Abstract

This seminar focuses on the interplay of political and economic factors in shaping policy outcomes at local to global levels. It concentrates on the application of economic logic to political questions and the influence of political processes and institutions on economic activity.

Objective

This seminar focuses on the interplay of political and economic factors in shaping policy outcomes at local to global levels. It concentrates on the application of economic logic to political questions and the influence of political processes and institutions on economic activity.

Content

This course focuses on the interplay of political and economic factors in shaping policy outcomes at local, national, and global levels. To this end, it focuses on the application of economic concepts, arguments and models to political questions, and the influence of political processes and institutions on economic activity. The course draws on a wide range of theoretical perspectives from comparative and international politics, positive political theory, public choice, and economics. These different theoretical perspectives and models from political science and economics will be used to investigate a number of specific areas of interest: e.g., the effects of interest groups, civil society, and mass public opinion on government regulation of economic activity, the determinants of government spending, the determinants of economic growth and sustainable development, the politics of international trade and investment, monetary and fiscal policy, the welfare state, and globalization. Ultimately, this course not only seeks to make students familiar with the theoretical and methodological approaches used in these areas of study, but also with important research topics in comparative and international political economy.

Resources