Politics of the World Economy
INR-3702
Spring 2008
Professor Ronald W. Cox
Department of Political Science
Office: DM488B
Hours: T,R: 1-2 or by appt.
E-Mail: coxr@fiu.edu
Phone: 305-348-6429
Introduction
This course examines the relationship among three of the most important aspects of the global political economy: the state, the market, and the multinational corporation. Concentrating on the period that spans 1945 to the present, we will examine how competing theoretical perspectives interpret this relationship, and how this relationship has changed in recent decades. In particular, we will focus our attention on the process that many have labeled “globalization,” or the rapid and deepening movement of goods, services and money across the borders of states. Along the way, the course will be organized around a series of thematic questions that will guide the presentation of material, including the following: What role have states played in facilitating globalization? What role have multinational corporations played? What has been the role of the market, especially the high-tech revolution, in facilitating globalization? What are the primary global institutions that have been established to facilitate this process? Who are the winners and losers in this process? Is globalization currently in crisis? Why or why not?
Course Requirements
Exams
Students will be expected to attend class lectures and to participate in class discussion. The course will be focused around lectures and readings, with lectures interspersed with discussion. Students will be graded based on the quality of work on an identification quiz, a midterm exam, a paper assignment and a final exam. The identification quiz will require students to identify and explain the significance of 8 terms used in the course. The midterm exam will require students to answer one long essay question. The question will be chosen by the instructor from a group of three essay questions that will be provided to students prior to the exam. However, students will not know which one of the three questions will be chosen for the midterm. The final exam will consist of two long essay questions. The instructor will choose the two essay questions randomly from a group of four questions that will be presented to students prior to the final. As with the midterm, students will not know which of the two questions will be chosen for the final.
Paper Assignment
The paper is required to be 9-10 pages in length and is required to include citations of at least 5 scholarly sources, which may include journal articles and/or books, and is due April 8. Students must use either footnotes or endnotes to cite every source that is used in the paper, and must include a bibliography that lists all sources used in the paper. Failure to do so will result in an automatic F for the course, and could result in disciplinary action if there is evidence of plagiarism.
For the paper assignment, students will be expected to examine some aspect of global political economy, with the dual goals of EXAMINING THEORETICAL DEBATES pertaining to your topic and of EXPLAINING the CAUSES of a particular phenomenon, The following are examples of good paper topics:
1) Explain why two or more countries signed a particular trade agreement. What are the major theoretical debates about the causes and consequences of this trade agreement?
2) Explain the causes and/or consequences of an agreement between a particular country and the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. What are the major theoretical debates surrounding this issue?
3) Explain the power relationship between a particular multinational corporation and a specific country by examining an investment agreement between a corporation and a state that allows the corporation to establish investments inside that state’s borders. What are the major theoretical debates surrounding this issue?
4) Trace how a particular product gets produced and marketed in the global economy by focusing on the POLITICS of the production process. In other words, how do governments subsidize the product and why? Explore the relationship between owners of the product and workers who produce the product.
These are suggestive ideas, and you are not necessarily limited to these options. However, you must choose a topic that is not too broad. In other words, your topic should be focused around a limited timeframe (no greater than 5-10 years) and a limited number of actors (a specific country, a specific global institution, a specific trade agreement, etc.). If you have any questions about a possible topic, feel free to e-mail me for approval and guidance.
Course Grade
The course grade will be broken down as follows:
Identification Quiz: 40 points
Midterm Exam: 100 points
Paper: 100 points
Final Exam: 100
points
Total: 340 points
The grade distribution will be as follows: A=90% or higher of total points; B=80%-89%; C=70%-79%; D=60%-69%; F=59% or below.
Course
The following books are required for this course, and should be available at the University Bookstore.
Cohn, Theodore. Global Political Economy. Pearson Longman, 2008.
Klein, Naomi. The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Metropolitan Books, 2007.
Rosen, Ellen. Making Sweatshops.
Stiglitz, Joseph. Making Globalization Work. W.W. Norton, 2006.
Course Schedule
Date Topic
Jan. 8 Introduction None
Jan. 10 The Institutional Framework Cohn, chpts. 1-2
Jan. 15 The Realist Perspective Cohn, chapter 3
Jan. 17 The Liberal Perspective Cohn, chapter 4
Jan. 22 The Historical-Structural Perspective Cohn, chapter 5
Jan. 24 Assessing the Theories: Classroom Debate
Jan. 29, 31 International Monetary Relations Cohn, chapter 6
Feb. 5, 7 Foreign Debt Cohn, chapter 7
Stiglitz, chapter 8
Feb. 12 The IMF and Shock Therapy Klein, pp. 3-168
Feb. 14 Life
and Debt: The Case of
Feb. 19 ID Quiz None
Feb. 21 New Rulers of the World: Shock Review Klein
Therapy
in
Feb. 26 Review of Videos, Klein None
Feb. 28 Midterm Exam
March 4, 6, 11, 13 The Multinational Corporation Cohn, chapter 10
Stiglitz, pp. 104-210
March 17-22 Spring Break
March 25, 27 The Politics of Trade Rosen, pp. 1-128
Cohn, chpts. 8, 9.
Stiglitz, chpt. 3
April 1, 3 Shock Therapy in Iraq Klein, pp.284-382
April 8 Paper Due
April 8, 10 International Development Cohn, chapter 11
April 15, 17 Future Trends? Cohn, chapter 12;
Stiglitz, pp. 245-306
Klein, pp. 443-466