Introduction Linda Young POLS 400 International Political Economy Wilson Hall – Room 1122 Fall 2005.

Introduction

Linda YoungPOLS 400International Political EconomyWilson Hall – Room 1122

Fall 2005

Linda Young, POLS 400, International Political Economy

One World: Ready or Not

Reading from Greider (illustrative of the

themes in this class)

Linda Young, POLS 400, International Political Economy

Greider’s Themes

Uses a metaphor of a machine that creates and destroys…

No one is at the wheel of this machine…

Concludes that commerce and capital have overrun politics

Both material life and our social understandings have changed

Juxtaposition of wealth and poverty– Exploitation of the weak by the strong

– Nations less relevant as globalization produces new economic classes within a nation that reduce social cohesion

WealthPoverty

Exploitation

Linda Young, POLS 400, International Political Economy

Greider’s Themes continued

Pace is relentless and even the strong have problems

keeping up

Are we merging into one world?

Not a competition between nations, but between new

classes of economic interests

Contradictions within our society will produce revolution

One World

Linda Young, POLS 400, International Political Economy

The Economist provides a sharp contrast

Globalization is a force for good

That far from being the greatest cause of poverty, globalization is the only feasible cure

Trade is freely chosen due to economic benefits

It’s a liberal argument for free trade – the point of the liberal market economy is that it civilizes the quest for profit, turning it willy nilly into an engine of social progress

Linda Young, POLS 400, International Political Economy

Filters Are Important

Greider and The Economist are two

perspectives illustrative of the rich variety

of interpretations out there.

Linda Young, POLS 400, International Political Economy

First discuss the field of International Political Economy (IPE) and how it will assist us in understanding the questions and issues raised by Greider

Our approach relies on theory, understanding of historical events, the growth of institutions, and the intersection of politics and economics

We can also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of his analysis

Our Approach

Linda Young, POLS 400, International Political Economy

Goals

To understand changes in the international economy over the past twenty years

To analyze the role of globalization and economic interdependence in determining national policies and growth, volatility, and interdependence in our national economy

To evaluate arguments about the role of the state in shaping the domestic economy – in light of globalization, is it pivotal, or irrelevant?

To gain knowledge of different world views, including the liberal, realist and historical-structuralist perspectives, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses in explaining past and current developments in domestic and international policies and their interface.

Linda Young, POLS 400, International Political Economy

This course is a prerequisite for

POLS 400 – Globalization and Politics,

to be taught Spring Semester 2006.

Linda Young, POLS 400, International Political Economy

Readings

Readings include: 1) two textbooks and 2) readings that will be available on the class website’s “Lectures and Readings” page: www2.montana.edu/lmyoung/POLS400-IPE-F05-lectures.htm.

Some of these readings are copyright protected and have been scanned and made available to you in password-protected pdf files. You can open these documents by typing in the password given to you in class.

Linda Young, POLS 400, International Political Economy

Requirements Attend class regularly

Be prepared to ask and answer questions in class

Participate in class discussion

Reading assignments before class is essential!

Course Grading Participation in class discussions: 10%

Reading Checks: 10%

Midterm: 25%

Final: 25%

Three short papers: 30%