Go to [International Futures][Syllabi]
Dr. Mark A. Boyer
Office: HRM 110 Phone: 486-3156
boyer@uconnvm.uconn.edu
http://www.lib.uconn.edu/~mboyer/
Economics and politics surround us. We all intuitively know this, but sometimes don't want to acknowledge how intertwined these two relams are with each other and how much they affect our everyday lives. Added to this is a growing sense that the world is getting smaller, that "globalization" of the world economy and even politics is taking place at an ever-accelerating rate. Events that were once considered distant phenomena are now having effects close to home. The recent financial crises in Russia and throughout much of Asia provide striking examples of how far away events impact our daily lives. They cause fluctuations in prices for commonly consumed goods and even volatility in the American stock market, an institution widely viewed as the bellweather for the economy as a whole.
This course is designed as an introduction to the subfield of international relations called international political economy. It will hopefully provide you with some of the analytical tools necessary for you to better understand the interplay between politics and economies in the contemporary world system. In this way, we are explicitly rejecting the disciplinary and college major boundaries that we have all come to know and assume as valid categories for the way the world works. Throughout the course we will focus on the seamless way politics and economics overlap and are woven together into the fabric of the contemporary world system.
Lastly, this is a course that requires active participation by students in all aspects of the course. You will be required to participate in class discussions, read assigned materials, work in groups to solve problems and use computers in a variety of ways in the course. Thus, students should be prepared for a non-traditional learning environment that is flexible and adaptable to a variety of approaches and learning styles. Students are encouraged to ask questions, to raise interesting topics and to explore the world of political economy in new and creative ways. Only by doing this will the next generation of citizens and policy-makers be able to meet the challenges facing the world system.
Jan. 31 - Mercantilism - Hamilton and Gilpin articles in Poli. Sci. Lounge
***NOTE: The readings for the next four sessions will be on "in-house" reserve in HRM 134 (Poli. Sci. Lounge). These articles are left for "honor system" use and should not leave HRM 134 for more than one hour for copying purposes. All these articles, except for the Denemark piece, are taken from George T. Crane and Abla Arawi, eds. (1997) The Theoretical Evolution of International Political Economy: A Reader, New York: Oxford University Press.***
Feb. 2 - Liberalism - Smith, Ricardo, Keohane and Nye articles
Feb. 4 - Marxism - Marx and Lenin articles
Feb. 7 - World Systems - Denemark article
Feb. 9 and 11 - Putting Them All Together - Interactive Web Work
***Feb. 9 -- 1st paper due***
Feb. 14, 16, 18 - The Global Monetary System: Its Challenges and Problems - S&H Chaps. 2, 6
Feb. 21, 23, 25 - The Global Trading System - S&H Chaps. 3, 7
Feb. 28, March 1, 3 - Global Investment and Financial Flows - S&H Chaps. 4, 8
***Feb. 28 -- 2nd paper due***
March 6, 8, 10 - The Economics of Transitional Political Systems - S&H Chaps. 9, 10
March 13, 15 - Interaction, Catch-up and Review
***March 13 -- 3rd paper due***
March 17 - Midterm Exam
March 18 to 26 - Spring Break
March 27, 29 - The Changing Nature of IPE
March 31, April 3, 5 - Thinking About Our Future - Hughes, Chaps. 1-3
***April 5 -- 4th paper due***
April 7, 10, 12 - Modelling Our Future - Hughes, Chaps. 4-8
April 14, 17, 19, 21 - In-Class Group Work Days
April 24, 26, 28, May 1 - Group Presentations in Class
May 3, 5, 8 - Tying it All Together: Globalization, Regionalization or Localization
Final Exam Period as Scheduled by the Registrar