INTRODUCTION TO
GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY
Economics 102: PAGS
I
J. Diskin
Spring
2003
Bolling
Center 331
email: jond
Office Hours: M
2:30-3:30, T 10-12, W & F 2:30-3:30, and by appt. Phone: 1427
This course will
provide you with an introduction to the issues, history, perspectives, and
analytical methods in the field of Global Political Economy [GPE]. Put less abstractly, we will try to create
a conceptual landscape of the global political economy, to grasp some big trends
and processes and movements related to it.
This is a “big picture” course that serves as an introduction to the
fields of economics and Peace and Global Studies [PAGS].
Global Political
Economy encompasses political, economic, and cultural issues. I think its
important for us all, including Economics and PAGS students, to be familiar
with both mainstream and radical approaches to economics and we will do so
throughout the course.. The course will proceed in several stages because there
are several different kinds of languages or discourses we need to become
familiar with. In the first part of the
course we will gain some historical background on the development and elements
in the global economy and the theoretical perspectives used to makes sense of things.
Here we will learn to think of capitalism as a class system and to examine the
assumptions of different theories of political economy. In the second part we will encounter more
traditional economic concepts, models, and empirical evidence. Here we will learn to use terms such as the balance
of payments and comparative advantage and study the discourse of
traditional economic analysis. The
third part of the course builds on the first two as we turn to a critical
assessment of the spread of global capitalist relationships. In other words,
the course will move from more abstract and broad themes to consideration of
more concrete issues.
What this course requires of you:
As with any course, you need to attend
class regularly and do the reading before coming to class. This makes for
better discussion and comprehension. In
addition, you need to plan ahead for any conflicts you may have with exams and
paper dates. If you have a conflict, bring it to my attention right away. Unless an emergency arises, I will not allow
extensions or changes in exam/paper dates later without penalty.
I also want to make
clear that you should be an active learner. For some this comes easily, for
others it doesn’t. But I simply cannot
know how everyone is doing all the time so you should let me know if you are
not following readings or in class presentations. I will always be glad to meet with you outside of class.
If you have a
documented learning disability I will be glad to make all reasonable
accommodations. You must let me know, however, early in the semester and have
the customary documentation from Student Support Services.
Main Texts:
Introduction to International Political Economy, 2nd Ed., D.V. Balaam, M. Veseth, Prentice
Hall, 2001. [IPE]
Globalization and its Discontents, G. Stiglitz, Norton, 2002. [GID]
There are additional readings that are either available as weblinks or as reserve readings in Lilly Library and in the Social Science office. Reserves are designated as: **
Grading and Assignments:
The assignments for this course consist of three exams
during the semester, occasional short writing assignments and homework
exercises and a final exam. The
assignments will count toward your final grade as follows:
Three exams: 55% [two best = 20% each, the other = 15%]
Short
assignments: 10%
Final: 30% NOTE:
Final Exam is Thursday May 8 at 8am.
Participation: 5%
Two Notes:
1) You may write a final paper on a topic of your
choosing by special arrangement.
2) You may skip the final if you wish. If you do, the
three exams will be valued at 80% of your grade (30% for two best, 20% for the
other) and the short assignments for 15% plus 5% participation.
COURSE
SYLLABUS
Friday, January 17th
B. Bearak, “Lives Held Cheap
in Bangladesh Sweatshops”, April 2001, New York Times.
|
One Page Response/Analysis of Sweatshop articles due
on Tues, January 21 in class. |
Mercantilism January 21
** E.K. Hunt, Chap. 2 “The Transition to Early Capitalism".
From Property and Prophets, pp. 11-24.
IPE, Chapters 1 and 2 .
Classical Liberalism:
January 24 and 27.
** E.K. Hunt, Chapters 3 and 4. pp. 27-49.
IPE, Chapter 3
** A. Smith, The Wealth of Nations, pp. 3-6,
and 10-17. http://www.socsci.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/smith/wealth/wealbk01
This website links you to Smith’s text.
Read from the beginning through Chapter 2.
** M. Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom, pp.
1-22.
Radical and Critical Perspectives: January 31 Feb 4.
IPE, Chapter 4
** Marx and Engels, “The Communist Manifesto, pp.473-483.
http://csf.colorado.edu/psn/marx/Archive/1848-CM/cm1.txt This website links you to the Communist
Manifesto. Read the entire section
“Bourgeoisie and Proletarian”
** Wolff and Resnick, Economics: Marxian vs.
Neoclassical. pp. 141-163.
IPE, Chapter 5.
B) Basic Economic Concepts and Institutions. Feb
7 and 11.
Lecture on Post World War II Capitalism
** Economics of Social Issues. pp. 2-23.
** Krugman,
“The Babysitting Coop”, http://www.slate.com/Dismal/98‑08‑13/Dismal.asp
** “The ABCs of the Global Economy”, Real World
Globalization.
** “The ABCs of Free-Trade Agreements”, Real World
Globalization.
IPE. Chapter 7, pp. 147-150.
NOTE: I will be out of town from Feb 18 through the 24th. This will entail missing one class.
|
First Exam in Class on Friday Feb 14th. |
PART II: ECONOMIC
INSTITUTIONS AND LINKAGES:
Mid-Term Break Feb
21.
A)
International Trade: The Flow of Goods and Services. Feb 25 – March 7.
1) Comparative
Advantage:
** Economics of Social Issues, Chapter 6 “The
Economics of International Trade”, pp. 239-247; and pp. 261-268.
IPE,
Chapter 6.
2) The
Geography of Trade:
**
Dicken, Global Shift, Chapter 2, pp. 24-42.
3)
A Critique and Defense of Free Trade:
** H. Daly, “The Perils of Free Trade”, Scientific
American, 1993. http://www.law.ufl.edu/cgr/envirotrade_seminar/Herman.htm
Jagdish Bhagwati Interviewed in Challenge, 44:1 [Click PDF format and retrieve document to open] http://gessler.ingentaselect.com/vl=36167153/cl=39/nw=1/rpsv/cgi-bin/cgi?ini=ebsco&body=linker&reqidx=0577-5132(20010101)44:1L.6;1-&lkey=198744049&rkey=836212981
** “The Relative Impact of Trade Liberalization on
Developing Countries”, M. Weisbrot, D. Baker
June 11, 2002
4) Trade
in the News:
**Kristoff, “Farm Subsidies that Kill”, July, 2002,
New York Times. http://www.earlham.edu/~jond/farm.htm
** J. Kahn, “Bush Moves Against Steel Imports”, June
2001, New York Times.
** “Sugar Rules Defy Free-Trade Logic”, New York Times
** A DePalma, “Judge Issues Split Decision in NAFTA
Case”, June 2001, New York Times.
|
Homework on Trade Due: March 7 |
B. Debt and Investment: The Flow of Money. March
11, 14
IPE, Chapters 7 and 8.
** Dicken, Chapter 2, pp. 42-68.
SPRING BREAK WEEK OF MARCH 17.
|
Second Exam on Trade, Debt and Investment Friday March 28. |
C. Women and Labor in the Global Economy. April
1 and 4.
** C. Enloe, "Women in Banana Republics",
pp. 133-150, and
pp. 160-169, “Making Women's Labor Cheap.”
** A. Hoschild, “The Global Nanny Chain”, The
American Prospect, January 3, 2000
http://www.prospect.org/print-friendly/print/V11/4/hochschild-a.html Link to A. Hoschild’s article.
P. Krugman, “In Praise of Cheap Labor” http://web.mit.edu/krugman/www/smokey.html
** S. Dillon, “Profits Raise
Pressures on U.S.‑Owned Factories in Mexican Border Zone
The New York Times, Sunday, February 15, 2001
** G. Thompson, “Chasing
Mexico's Dream Into Squalor”, New York Times, February 11, 2001
Corn Imports and Workers in
Mexico.
PART III. Globalization and Its Discontents: April
7 and 14.
** “A Short
History of neo-liberalism: twenty years
of elite economics and emerging opportunities for structural change”, S. George
IPE, Chapter 15
Globalization and its Discontents, J. Stiglitz. , Chapters 1-3, pp. 3-88.
“Capital and Revenge: the
IMF and Ethiopia” Robert Hunter Wade,
Challenge, 44:5
http://gessler.ingentaselect.com/vl=147563/cl=22/nw=1/rpsv/cgi-bin/cgi?ini=ebsco&body=linker&reqidx=0577-5132(20010901)44:5L.67;1-&lkey=858864385&rkey=352999370
Click on PDF format to view document.
GID, Chapter 4, “The East Asian Crisis” April
18
GID, Chapter 5, “Who Lost Russia?” April
22
GID, Chapters 6-9, pp. 166-252. April
25
K. Rogoff, “The IMF Strikes Back”, Foreign Policy,
Jan/Feb 2003. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/issue_janfeb_2003/rogoff.html
“World Bank Group Fact Sheets: Assessing
Globalization”, parts 1-4. April
29, May 2
http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/pb/globalization/paper1.htm
A. Sen, “Globalization” reader, American Prospect.
http://www.prospect.org/print-friendly/print/V13/1/sen-a.html
M. Weisbrot, “Globalization” reader, American
Prospect. http://www.prospect.org/print-friendly/print/V13/1/weisbrot-m.html
** “Why Reform of the WTO is NOT the Agenda”, By Walden Bello
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Third Exam or Paper on Stiglitz due on Friday April 25. |