International Political Economy

This course provides an introduction to the politics of international economic relations. The primary purpose is to give an overview of the field by exploring the theories that political scientists have traditionally used to analyze the origins of particular international economic arrangements. Much of the class is therefore devoted to lectures and readings that delve into these issues. The course has a second, equally important intellectual project, however. there is a significant difference between most economists and political scientists on the one hand and many sociologists on the other about what each filed believes drives human behavior. Based on those different assumptions, the social science tend to diverge on questions concerning how we can study the social world. We will also spend considerable time discussing the various assumptions that underpin theory. Finally, we will debate which of the approaches presented in the readings and lectures are the most convincing in their assesment of problems.