International Political Economy

International Political Economy Fall 2023
*Schedule last updated 12/05/23*
Skip to October
Date	Topic	Assignments/ Readings Due
August 8/22	Course syllabus	*Remember to regularly refresh this page*
8/24	Introduction to IPE	No assignments If you're interested: Political Risk Report 2023, Political Risk at Sea 2022
8/29	The Concepts	Reading: Chapter 2 (yes, we are starting with 2) Discussion questions for the 1st half of the semester
Part I: Theory
8/31	Introduction to IPE Theories	No assignments
September 9/5 T	IPE perspectives: Mercantilism	Readings: Alexander Hamilton The Federalist Papers #11 and #12 Robert Gilpin "The Politics of Transnational Economic Relations" (excerpt), International Organization 25(3):398-419.
9/7 TH	IPE perspectives: (Neo)liberalism Regimes	Readings: Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations Of Restraints Upon the Importation from Foreign Countries of Such Goods as Can Be Produced at Home Keohane & Nye "Interdependence in World Politics" (pages 122-132) A modern example of Smith's ideas at work, if you're interested.
9/12 T	IPE Perspectives: Marxism Historical Dialectical	Readings: Karl Marx from *Wage Labor & Capital* The Relation of Wage-Labour to Capital Karl Marx: from *The German Ideology* The Rise in Manufacturing Read this section and through the end of The Most Extension Division of Labour, Large Scale Industry You can stop at the end of the first section and don't have to read The Relation of State and Law to Property V.I. Lenin Imperialism as a Special Stage of Capitalism, from Imperialism: The Highest State of Capitalism
9/14 TH	Applying the Theories Discuss articles-- on Canvas Discussion Board- see announcement	Readings: AUKUS I AUKUS II India's view China' View if you can't access full article, here's the pdf Arabs' view Nuclear Info Sharing Sub money
9/19 T	Theory Application Paper	In-class Theory Application Paper 1
Part II: International Law & Norms
9/21 TH	International Law & Norms in IPE Discuss articles	Readings: Mica Mining Conservation If you're interested: more on Mica mining in Madagascar and Mining in the DRC FDI in Ivory Coast
9/26 T	International Law & Norms in IPE	Reading: Chapter 6, Tomatoes
9/28 TH	International Law & Norms in IPE Discuss articles	Readings: Costly Cash Walmart on remittances and app in Mexico Emerging Economies (go to link for bottom graphics; if doesn't work, pdf here) Transfers If you're interested: more on mobile money for remittances, remittances to Mexico versus Sri Lanka (where the gov't eschews informal transfer), and the Philippines; WB 2021 data
October 10/3 T	International Law & Norms in IPE Discuss Chapter 7	Reading: Chapter 7, Tuna If you're interested: Most sustainable canned tuna
Part III: IMS
10/5 TH	International Monetary System Exchange rates (you might want to print this chart for class) Glossary reference
10/10 T	International Monetary System	Readings: Comparative Cost of an iPhone From Base to Gold Can the Remnimbi go International? Meet The Countries If you're interested, a short, yet informative video about the EU, and one take on how Brexit came about and brief explanation of it and some consequences. Here's a great example of a country having difficulty holding a peg. A different sort of measure using The Pampers Index. Here's a video differentiating the IMF & WB, an IMF video on SDRs if you want way more details. If you want to read what is now what might seem like ancient history, but with ongoing economic implications, these provide good summaries of how the Eurocrisis happened and how Greece got into dire straits: Eurozone crisis explained Greek debt explained
10/12 TH	International Monetary System Class not meeting-prepare readings for next week's discussion	Readings: Bitcoin mining and here Cryptocurrency in El Salvador Mobile cash Digital citizenship If you're interested, EU and crypto, China and crypto Cryptocurrency to avoid sanctions Countries creating cryptocurrencies - CBDC J-Pop Girl Band wants your cryptocurrency Cryptocurrency and anonymity Habanero pepper cryptocurrency- a very different take on cryptocurrency Venezuela's Cryptocurrency -like the habanero pepper approach, except much dodgier Could I teach a whole class on this? Yes, I think so!
10/17 T	Fall Break
10/19 TH	International Monetary System Discuss readings	Readings: Bitcoin mining and here Cryptocurrency in El Salvador Mobile cash Digital citizenship
10/24 T	International Monetary System Discuss Ch 3 Go over Paper 2 assignment	Reading: Chapter 3, Spices
10/26 TH	Class not meeting--Come you have questions/want help on P2	Paper 2 is due Tuesday, 10/31 at 8 am -.5 penalty for 'briefly' late submission until 8:15 am -Latest accepted submission at 8:59 am with a 2-point penalty. No papers will be accepted after this time.
Part IV: ITS
10/31 T	International Trade System Paper 2 due 8 am	Reading: Readings: Made in China? Discussion questions for the 2nd half of the semester
November 11/2 TH	International Trade System Class not meeting- discuss the readings on the Canvas DB	Readings: Florida v. MX tomatoes if you hit a paywall pdf Blowing the Dice 'Pirate' website Sugar Subsidies If you're interested: US FTAs EU FTAs What's Next for the WTO About AfCFTA Antigua asks for settlement money US position on Antigua dispute How U.S. trade exporters benefit from a relationship with China Protectionist trade policies A history on shipping containers About the CPTPP (formerly the Trans-Pacific Partnership that the US opted out of under the current administration) About the ACFTA and more if you're super interested RCEP and ASEAN Nifty interactive graph to see US export relationships This article does a great job of delving into the implications of a US- SK trade deal, and how the big guy always has the benefit when it wants to play that card A thorough article detailing the interconnectedness between the China and the US Legal analysis of sanctions on Russia Transatlantic Trade Solar Panels Chip Industry Sanctions - effects, Trade partners Avocados and more on avocados WTO on Spanish Olives Palm Oil
11/7 T	International Trade System Review 11/2 readings	No new readings If you're interested effectiveness of sanctions, more on sanctions, Sanctions on Russia, Wider toll of sanctions
11/9 TH	International Trade System	Reading: Chapter 4, Cocoa Beans If you're interested, the problems with cocoa production continue, Impact of COVID, Nestle, Assessment
Part V: II & IF
11/14 T	International Investment & Financial Flows	Readings: MNCs in Indonesia Moving to Cambodia If you're interested: EAC Capital Markets
11/16 TH	International Investment & Financial Flows	Class not meeting-watch King Corn (90 min) If you're interested How to Save the Planet
11/21 T	International Investment & Financial Flows Class not meeting Discuss King Corn & Ch 1 -online Discussion Board- see email	Reading: Chapter 1, Introduction to the Global Political Economy of Food
11/23 TH	Thanksgiving Day
11/28 T	International Investment & Financial Flows	Readings: Corruption Cash in a Canoe
11/30 TH	International Investment & Financial Flows	Readings: The Bottleneck Grocery Wars Walmart in India The Rivalry in India If you're interested: Recent FDI in India India's FDI report Good article about China's domestic market challenges
December 12/5 T	Tying together IPE	Reading: Chapter 8, The Future
12/7 TH	Question day for Paper 3
T 12/12	Final Exam Time Tuesday from 10:10-12:10	Critical Thought Paper 3 due to Canvas I'll give you until 4 pm on T 12/12 to submit (note that the Canvas due time will reflect late paper submissions) -.5 penalty for 'briefly' late submission until 4:15 pm -Latest accepted submission at 11:59 pm with a 2-point penalty. No papers will be accepted after this time.