The Politics of International Economic Relations (POLITICAL SCIENCE 3630)

The Politics of International Economic Relations (POLITICAL SCIENCE 3630)

Fall 2024 | Columbia University
This upper-level undergraduate course examines the intersection of international politics and international economics. It covers an analysis of the historical background to and contemporary reality of the political economy of international trade, finance, and investment; problems of economic development; and globalization. This class does not have a specific economics or political science prerequisite, but it does assume a general understanding of historical and contemporary political and economic events. As a 3000-level course, this class would not be an appropriate choice for students who have not already taken introductory courses in political science, such as in international relations or comparative politics. This course would be appropriate for economics-political science joint majors

General



Readings

All readings on this list are required. Almost all are contained in the following books, which are available for purchase at the Columbia University Bookstore:
Jeffry Frieden, David Lake, and Lawrence Broz, Editors, International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, Sixth Edition (New York: W. W. Norton, 2017).
Thomas Oatley, International Political Economy, Seventh Edition (New York: Routledge, 2023).
The following book may be useful:
John Black, Nigar Hashimzade, and Gareth Myles, Oxford Dictionary of Economics, Fifth Edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017)

September 4: Introduction: Markets and Politics

Oatley, Thomas, International Political Economy, Ch. 1
Frieden, Lake, and Broz, International Political Economy, “Introduction: International Politics and International Economics,” pp. 1–17
Jeffry Frieden, “The Political Economy of Economic Policy,” Finance and Development, Summer 2020

September 9 and 11: The Rise of the Modern World Economy, 1500–1914

Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 77-112:
Frieden, Lake, and Broz, “Historical Perspectives,” pp. 77–80
Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey, “Free Trade: The Repeal of the Corn Laws,” pp. 81–91
Jeffry Frieden, “The Modern Capitalist World Economy: A Historical Overview,” in Oxford Handbook of Capitalism, ed. Dennis Mueller (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012)

September 16, 18, and 23: Perspectives on the International Political Economy

Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 18-76 and 449-458:
Frieden, Lake, and Broz, “Contending Perspectives,” pp. 18–19

September 25: Origins and Overview of the Contemporary International Economic Order

Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 113-139:
Michael Bailey, Judith Goldstein, and Barry Weingast, “The Institutional Roots of American Trade Policy,” pp. 119–139
Jeffry Frieden, “The Political Economy of the Bretton Woods Agreements,” in The Bretton Woods Agreements, ed. Naomi Lamoreaux and Ian Shapiro (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2019)

September 30, October 2 and 7: International Trade and its Effects

Oatley, Thomas International Political Economy, Chs. 2–5
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 282-296 and 315-356:
Paola Conconi, Giovanni Facchini, and Maurizio Zanardi, “Policymakers’ Horizon and Trade Reforms: The Protectionist Effect of Elections,” pp. 328–338

October 9: International Trade and the Developing Countries

Oatley, Thomas International Political Economy, Chs. 6 and 7
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 297-314

October 14 and 16: International Financial and Monetary Relations

Oatley, Thomas International Political Economy, Chs. 10–13
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 206-220, and 232-281:
Frieden, Lake, and Broz, “Money and Finance,” in “International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth” pp. 206–210
Menzie Chinn and Jeffry Frieden, “Borrowing, Boom, and Bust: The Capital Flow Cycle,” in “Lost decades : the making of America's debt crisis and the long recovery” pp. 232–251
Mark Copelovitch, Jeffry Frieden, and Stefanie Walter, “The Political Economy of the Euro Crisis,” pp. 252–266
Anshu Siripurapu and Noah Berman, “Cryptocurrencies, Digital Dollars, and the Future of Money,” Council on Foreign Relations Backgrounder, February 2023

October 21 and 23: International Finance and Development

Oatley, Thomas International Political Economy, Chs. 14 and 15
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 221-231:
Jeffry A. Frieden, “Globalization and Exchange Rate Policy,” pp. 221–231

October 30, November 6 and 11: Multinational Corporations and the Internationalization of Production

Oatley, Thomas International Political Economy, Chs. 8 and 9
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 140-205:
Frieden, Lake, and Broz, “Foreign Direct Investment,” in “International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth” pp. 140–143
 

November 13: Immigration

Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 357-412:
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. “Migration,” in “International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth” pp. 357–358
Gary Freeman and Alan Kessler, “Political Economy and Migration Policy,” pp. 358–377
Giovanni Facchini, Anna Maria Mayda, and Prachi Mishra, “Do Interest Groups Affect U.S. Immigration Policy?” pp. 394–412

November 18 and 20: Current Issues in Development

Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 413-467:
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. “Economies in Development,” in International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 413–415

November 25: The International Political Economy of Climate Policy

Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 461-488, 506-517
Jeffrey Frankel, “Globalization and the Environment,” pp. 461–488
Robert O. Keohane and David G. Victor, “Cooperation and Discord in Global Climate Policy,” pp. 506–517
 
William Nordhaus, “The Climate Club: How to Fix a Failing Global Effort,” Foreign Affairs 99 (2020)

December 2, 4, and 9: Current Problems in the International Political Economy

Oatley, Thomas International Political Economy, Ch. 16
 
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth, pp. 459-460, 489-505, 518-566:
Jeffry Frieden, David Lake, and J. Lawrence Broz. “Current Problems in International Political Economy,” in “International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth” pp. 459–460
Edward Mansfield and Diana Mutz, “US versus Them: Mass Attitudes toward Offshore Outsourcing,” pp. 535–563
 
Dani Rodrik, “Populism and the Economics of Globalization,” Journal of International Business Policy, vol. 1 (2018)
Stefanie Walter, “The Backlash against Globalization,” Annual Review of Political Science 24 (2021)