Introduction to Global Political Economy

3 credits · Undergraduate

This course examines the interaction between various institutions and actors that make up the field we call international political economy, and which in turn affect distributions of wealth and power on various levels. It is designed for students who are particularly interested in the interactions between states, markets, firms, NGOs, and not-for-profit organizations at the local, national, regional, and supranational levels. Most of our focus will be on how the world is structured and how power is distributed and exercised with special reference to trade, production, finance, and knowledge. We will begin with a critical analysis of the major theoretical approaches to international trade and investment. In this analysis we will include the classical approaches such as mercantilism, liberalism, historical structuralism as well as recent debates emerging from postmodernism, feminism, and environmentalism. Building on this foundation we will examine the nature and effects of international "structures" of trade, production, finance, and knowledge, also paying critical attention to their appearances, power circulations, and what /who is occasionally absent from them. In the third section, we will focus on contemporary struggles among (and within) advanced industrial states over markets and protectionism. Among the issues of importance are conflicts over regional integration and competitiveness in Europe North America and East Asia including the challenges posed by rising powers from the "South." Finally, we will explore North-South relations, by critically examining concepts and issues such as development and global governance. Throughout the course our goal will be to appraise explanatory frameworks that can be applied to a diverse set of political issues. Students will be expected to critically assess theories of international trade; write intelligently about struggles between actors over power and resources; and connect current events to material discussed in the course. By the end of the course you will have gained a comprehensive overview of the major concepts, methods, and trends in international political economy. KU course number: INTL 313