International Political Economy

Overview

This course analyzes the politics of international economic relations, investigating the roots and evolution of the global political economy we live with today, and focusing in particular on the implications of globalization and global economic governance. We will aim to answer questions such as “Why do governments adopt particular international economic policies?”, “Why do states often have trouble cooperating economically?”, “When are governments likely to promote or oppose globalization?”, and “What do we expect the international political economy to look like 10 years from today?”

The course will deal with the interplay between politics and economics in a range of different issue areas, including the international financial system and its management (IMF, World Bank, etc.), the international trading system and its evolution (GATT, WTO, etc.), the international movement of people, attempts at regional economic integration (the European Union, NAFTA), changes in the patterns of world production, and trends in the international distribution of power and wealth in the post-Cold War world.

Analytically, the course will focus on the relationships between states, markets, and ideas; power, wealth, and capabilities; forms of conflict and cooperation; and the role of historical and institutional legacies. Over the course of the semester, we will follow a two-track approach. The first track supplies the theoretical building blocks scholars apply to understanding the politics of international economic relations; the second provides the historical events and experiences that have inspired (and served as a testing ground for) those theories. Together, the two help us better understand current developments and anticipate future challenges in international political economy.

Syllabus

I most recently offered this course in the Spring of 2025. Syllabus here.