Required Readings                     Assignments and Grading

    In this course, students learn the fundamentals concerning the rise of international economic cooperation and conflict. Thus we have an overlapping historical and theoretical approach to this sub-field of International Relations, though with a strong overlap with Comparative Politics. We shall examine the rise of international economic institutions and norm as well as some current international economic concerns through three primary theoretical prisms: Liberal, Realist, and Marxist (and their associated schools of thought). At the end of the course, students should understand the rise of international trade and financial institutions, the current state of such institutions, their evolving nature, and the basics of the three paradigms which seek to explain these phenomena.

Two books are required:

Jeffry Frieden and David Lake, International Political Economy: Perspective on Global Power and Wealth,
        3rd edition (New York, St. Martin’s Press, 1995).

Thomas Lairson and David Skidmore, International Political Economy: The Struggle for Power and Wealth,
        2nd edition (New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997).

    Other readings may be posted on my door and in the reserve library, but such assignments will be announced in class. It is also strongly recommended that students begin to read such periodicals as The Financial Times, The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, or the New York Times. This will help you understand current events for IPE as well as generate ideas for the paper.

    During the course, there will be three major exams (including the final) as well as one paper. Each student is responsible for bringing a blue book on the day of the exam, including the final exam. Each exam counts for 100 points and the paper counts for 150 points as well. Attendance and participation will be used to decide the remaining 50 points for the course. Perfect attendance without any participation will merit a middle C (75%). Good participation and comments reflect that students have read and have an initial understanding of the materials. Should it become clear that students have not been reading the assigned readings prior to class, a regime of pop quizzes will be instituted and used to calculate the participation grade.

    The paper requires students to use one of the core ideas or approaches of international political economy to analyze how economic policy or institutions emerged. Students must show how one of the major theories or approaches presented in class is consistent with or can account for -- or are at odds with -- particular institutions, or some political, economic, or social development within a country of their choice. Is the paradigm consistent with outcomes in the country? Can a competing paradigm answer the question more effectively?

    The paper requires students to use a minimum of six academic sources. Although these are thought papers as much as research papers, they should use footnotes or endnotes as well as a bibliography to make citations. As such, students should use at least six articles from major political science journals or scholarly books (if you are in doubt about a specific title, ask me either in class or after or look to see if there is extensive use of footnotes and bibliographies). Articles from popular magazines, such as Time or Newsweek can be listed and used as background information, or for specific matters of fact; however, they will not count toward the six sources.

    Students must turn in proposed topics for appropriateness.

    If there are any questions about how to make proper citations, students should consult Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. These are available at the bookstore, as well as in the library. Earlier editions are fine. I will also accept the APSA format, but will not accept a combination of formats. We will not cover in class how to make proper citations, but students are responsible for making the citations according to this convention. Papers that use citations willy-nilly [not following a consistent format, or a poor one] will be marked down accordingly.

    Each paper must be between ten and fifteen pages long, [not counting title page, end notes, outline, or bibliography] be double spaced (or 1.5), have a proper outline attached, and have a bibliography with at least six references. [Students may use either end notes or footnotes. These need to be used when you do the following: quote someone else’s material directly; allude to someone else’s ideas or contributions; or cite hard to find or specific evidence (e.g., the per capita income for the US in 1994).] And it is due on November 23, 1999 by 5 P.M. It will be marked down half a grade for every business day that it is late.                                     TOP