Fall 2023  |  POL 1916 Section 001: The Politics of Trade and Money (33520)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Discussion
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person
Class Attributes:
Freshman Seminar
Enrollment Requirements:
Freshman and FRFY
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/05/2023 - 12/13/2023
Mon, Wed 01:00PM - 02:15PM
UMTC, West Bank
Hubert H Humphrey Center 60
Enrollment Status:
Open (16 of 19 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
This seminar introduces students to the study of international political economy. After illuminating some important current issues about trade and monetary affairs, including recent efforts to restrict trade with China and China's effort to promote economic development through its Belt and Road Initiative, we study the post-World War II evolution of the global trading and monetary systems. This includes evaluating some contending theoretical perspectives about these systems. Then we analyze the politics of trade. Among the topics singled out for close study are the distributional consequences of trade, particularly, how trade produces skill and occupational cleavages within democratic countries and, in turn, these cleavages produce populism. Institutions for governing trade like the World Trade Organization also are studied. The effects of monetary flows - both of currency and capital - are examined next. Topics in this part of the class include the American Federal Reserve as a world lender of last resort, the reasons why countries adopt the U.S. dollar as their currency, the demand for and consequence of direct foreign investment, and the workings and activities of the World Bank. In the closing weeks of the class we take a closer look at trade and monetary developments in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The recent claim that developing countries are falling into to Chinese financed "debt trap" is studied in these weeks.
Class Description:
Student may contact the instructor or department for information.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Students interested in political science and economics as well as current, international events. No prerequisites.
Grading:
Combination of class participation, one or two mid term exams and a final exam, and a short paper (based on a short class presentation)
Exam Format:
Define and explain the relevance for class themes of a set of terms; one essay per mid term exam and one or two on final eam.
Class Format:
Seminar format--combination of lecture and class discussion and short class member presentations
Workload:
In addition to written work above (see grading) 40-60 pages of reading per week
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/33520/1239
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
3 April 2023

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