The European Economy

(1.5-3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Course website: https://sites.google.com/site/wycherlm/ec3030 . This part of the module deals with EU trade policy and the euro. The first part of the course outlines the monetary history of Europe, why there have been so many different regimes, and then the justifications for and impact of European Monetary Union. The second part analyses the effects of preferential trade liberalization before going on to describe EU trade policy. Dublin, Ireland (IR): The course covers the integration of European countries through the lens of economic theory and policy. We use microeconomic and macroeconomic tools to examine the motivation for and development of core EU policies. First we examine the origins of economic and later European integration., through to the Single Market. We cover core policies such as trade, agriculture, and competition with microeconomic tools, examining economic efficiency. Then we discuss fiscal and monetary policies of the EU, including the common currency. Two crises that highlight the triumphs and pitfalls of European integration are studied in-depth: Brexit and the Financial Crisis. Using the economic policy analysis tools developed in class, students pursue research, independently and with classmates, on other EU policies such as the environment and social protection.