POLS 383: Changing World Political
Economy
Fall 2005
Instructor:
Susan M. McMillan, Ph.D.
Office: Zulauf
406
Office
Hours: Tue 10:30 am-12:30 noon, Thu 12:30-1:30 pm, and by appointment
Office
Phone: 753-7048
email (best
bet for quick response): s.m.mcmillan@att.net
Home phone:
630-904-5334 (Please call before 9:30pm)
Course Description and Objectives
This course
is designed to introduce you to the study of international political economy
(IPE) as a sub-field of international relations. We will be examining the complex relationship
between politics and economics in the global system. We will study such topics as the key theories
about IPE and the changing politics of international trade and monetary
management. In addition, we will study globalization
– of production as well as trade and money – and its effects on development, democracy
and human rights provision, and on security. Upon completing the course you
should be able to identify the key issues and debates in the study of global
political economy, and be able to apply analytic perspectives in efforts to
understand those issues.
Course Requirements
The
requirements for this class are for you to read the assigned materials prior to
coming to class, to actually attend class, and to complete all
assignments/exams. The lectures will assume that you have done the readings,
but will not necessarily review those readings.
The text, Theodore Cohn’s Global Political Economy: Theory and
Practice (3rd ed), is available for purchase. Other readings will be on reserve in the
library and/or available online. You are
responsible for obtaining all required readings.
I will not
always take attendance, but it is to your advantage to come to class. First, the schedule and required readings
listed below are subject to change and students are responsible for all
announcements made in class. Second, I
will give unannounced (“pop”) quizzes.
The quizzes may be administered in the traditional sense, or they may
take the form of in-class assignments, and/or points may be given for
attendance. Third, to the extent
possible given the size of the group, we will be having in-class discussions
that should help you understand the subject matter. There is really no substitute for the synergy
that exists in the classroom.
Your grade
for this course will be based on two components; quizzes (a proxy for
attendance and participation), and exams.
The exams will be administered in class or during the final exam period,
and will consist of short-answer and essay questions. There will be two exams
during the semester, and one final exam.
All exams will be cumulative, but will be weighted toward material not
covered in a previous exam. Make-up
exams will be scheduled only for documented university-approved absences. The breakdown for how each component will
contribute to your grade is as follows:
Quizzes/attendance 20%
Exam I
(Thu, 9/29) 25%
Exam II (Thu,
11/10) 25%
Final Exam
(Tue, 12/6) 30%
Additional Items:
First,
I want to stress that I am happy to include the following paragraph from the
“Enhancing Success” project:
“NIU
abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which mandates
reasonable accommodations be provided for qualified students with
disabilities. If you have a disability
and may require some type of instructional and/or examination accommodation,
please contact me early in the semester so that I can provide or facilitate in
providing accommodations you may need.
If you have not already done so, you will need to register with the
Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR), the designated office on campus to
provide services and administer exams with accommodations for students with
disabilities. The CAAR office is located
on the 4th floor of the University Health Services building
(815-753-1303). I look forward to
talking with you soon to learn how I may be helpful in enhancing your academic
success in this course.”
Second,
there is some concern in the political science department that classroom decorum
is slipping. In order for this course to
be a pleasant and intellectually stimulating experience for all participants,
we must treat one another with respect at all times. At a minimum, this means that the discussion
should remain orderly (differences of opinion are encouraged, but must be
expressed in a respectful manner), cell phone interruptions will not be
tolerated, and people should refrain from walking in/out of the room except for
emergencies.
Third, a note about plagiarism: I expect all work you turn in to be your own,
with no copying of any one else’s work. You must identify and acknowledge all
sources of ideas and information that you use in doing your assignments. I will deal with any cheating or plagiarism
as harshly as University policies allow.
Finally, I will use the online databases
(through the library) for readings and the online Blackboard service fairly
extensively throughout the semester. You
will need to learn how to use these services if you have not already done
so. I will post the lecture notes (in
PowerPoint format), and will post announcements and links to online readings. You may access Blackboard at: http://webcourses.niu.edu.
The Department
of Political Science will recognize, on an annual basis, outstanding
undergraduate papers written in conjunction with 300-400 level political
science courses or directed studies. Authors do not have to be political
science majors or have a particular class standing. Winners are expected to
attend the Department’s spring graduation ceremony where they will receive a
certificate and $50.00. Papers, which can be submitted by students or faculty,
must be supplied in triplicate to a department secretary by February 28. All
copies should have two cover pages – one with the student’s name and one
without the student’s name. Only papers written in the previous calendar year can be considered for the
award. However, papers completed in the current spring semester are eligible
for the following year’s competition even if the student has graduated.
Undergraduates
are strongly encouraged to consult the Department of Political Science web site
on a regular basis. This up-to-date, central source of information will assist
students in contacting faculty and staff, reviewing course requirements and
syllabi, exploring graduate study, researching career options, tracking
department events, and accessing important details related to undergraduate
programs and activities. To reach the site, go to http://polisci.niu.edu
POLS 383 Fall 2005 Course Schedule
|
Date |
Day |
Topic |
Required
|
|
8/23/2005 |
Tu |
Introduction |
|
|
8/25/2005 |
Th |
What is
IPE? Terminology and key institutions |
Text,
chapts 1 and 2 |
|
|
THEORETICAL
PERSPECTIVES: |
|
|
|
8/30/2005 |
Tu |
Realism |
Text,
chapt 3 |
|
9/1/2005 |
Th |
Liberalism |
Text,
chapt 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9/6/2005 |
Tu |
Historical
structuralism |
Text,
chapt 5 |
|
|
THE
CHANGING TRADE SYSTEM: |
|
|
|
9/8/2005 |
Th |
Trade
theory |
Text, pp.
222-227 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9/13/2005 |
Tu |
Theory,
cont.; start history |
Text,
remainder of chapt 8 |
|
9/15/2005 |
Th |
Historical
evolution |
Text,
chapt 8 (cont) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9/20/2005 |
Tu |
Current
Issues: Regionalism |
Text,
chapt 9 |
|
9/22/2005 |
Th |
Current
Issues: Legitimacy of WTO |
Oatley,
Thomas, ed. (2004) The Global Economy: Contemporary Debates ( |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9/27/2005 |
Tu |
Current
Issues: WTO Dispute Resolution |
Alter,
Karen (2003) "Resolving or Exacerbating Disputes?..." International
Affairs, vol. 79, no. 4, pp. 783-800. |
|
9/29/2005 |
Th |
EXAM I |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE
CHANGING MONETARY SYSTEM: |
|
|
|
10/4/2005 |
Tu |
Theory;
money and exchange rates |
Text pp.
143-152 |
|
10/6/2005 |
Th |
Theory and
history |
Sachs,
Jeffrey and Felipe Larrain (Fall, 1999) "Why Dollarization is More
Straitjacket…", Foreign Policy, no. 116, pp. 80-92. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10/11/2005 |
Tu |
Historical
Evolution (cont) |
Text,
remainder of chapt 6 |
|
10/13/2005 |
Th |
International
Finance and Debt Crises |
Text,
chapt 7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10/18/2005 |
Tu |
Current
Issues: Capital controls |
Doraisami,
Anita, "The Political Economy of Capital Flows and Capital Controls in |
|
10/20/2005 |
Th |
Current
Issues: Strong or weak dollar |
Lindsey,
Lawrence (March/Apr 2001) "In the Dollar We Trust", International
Economy, vol. 15, issue 2, pp. 6+; Bergsten, Fred (Jul/Aug 2001)
"Strong Dollar, Weak Policy" International Economy, vol. 15,
issue 4, pp. 8+ |
POLS 383 Fall 2005 Course Schedule (cont.)
|
Date |
Day |
Topic |
Required
|
|
|
CHALLENGES
OF DEVELOPMENT: |
|
|
|
10/25/2005 |
Tu |
Theory and
history |
Text chapt
11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10/27/2005 |
Th |
Current
Issues: Debt and development |
Easterly,
William (2002) The Elusive Quest for Growth ( |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11/1/2005 |
Tu |
Current
Issues: Trade and Development |
Dollar and
Kraay, (Jan/Feb 2002) "Spreading the Wealth" Foreign Affairs,
pp. 120-133; Rodrik, Dani (Mar/Apr 2001) "Trading in Illusions" Foreign
Policy, issue 123, pp. 54-62. |
|
11/3/2005 |
Th |
Current
Issues: Foreign Aid |
David
Dollar, (Spring 2003) "Eyes Wide Open" Harvard International
Review, vol. 25, issue 1, pp. 48-52; Easterly, William (July/Aug 2002)
"The Cartel of Good Intentions" Foreign Policy, issue 131,
pp. 40-44. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GLOBALIZATION
AND ITS CONSEQUENCES: |
||
|
11/8/2005 |
Tu |
Globalization
and potential for reversal? |
Text,
chapt 12; "Measuring Globalization: The Top 20", Foreign Policy,
May/June 2005, issue 148, pp. 52-59; Ferguson, Niall (Mar/Apr 2005)
"Sinking Globalization" Foreign Affairs, vol. 84, no.2, pp.
64+. |
|
11/10/2005 |
Th |
EXAM II |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11/15/2005 |
Tu |
Global
production |
Text chapt
10 |
|
11/17/2005 |
Th |
MNCs and
human rights |
Drezner,
Daniel, "Bottom Feeders", Foreign Policy, issue 121 (Nov/Dec
2000), pp. 64-70; Finnegan, William, "Letter from |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11/22/2005 |
Tu |
Globalization
and democracy |
Kamat,
Sangeeta (Spring 2003) "NGOs and the New Democracy" Havard
International Review, vol. 25, issue 1, pp. 65-69; Barber, Benjamin,
"Globalizing Democracy"
(http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/cultural/0207bb.htm) |
|
11/24/2005 |
Th |
Thanksgiving
holiday |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11/29/2005 |
Tu |
Globalization
and Governance |
Wright,
Robert (Jan 2000) "Continental Drift", The New Republic,
vol. 222, issue 3, pp. 18-23; Wolf, Martin (Jan/Feb 2001) "Will the
Nation-State Survive Globalization?" Foreign Affairs, vol. 80,
no. 1, pp. 178-190. |
|
12/1/2005 |
Th |
Globalization
and Security |
Naim,
Moises, (Jan/Feb 2003) "The Five Wars of Globalization" Foreign
Policy, issue 134, pp. 29-37. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
12/6/2005 |
Tu |
FINAL
EXAM; 2-3:50 pm |
The final
exam is cumulative |