Economic Challenges for France

Catalog description

Economic policy is critically important for any government and is inextricably linked to the social well-being of the citizens. For students to fully understand French culture, understanding the economic policies in the country and how they drive employment, social safety nets, innovation, and business are critical inputs. We will explore France's role within the EU and provide contrasts with the U.S. By being in Paris, we will be able to meet with government officials and other policy makers, policy analysts, and academics who can give a contextual explanation of some of the policy challenges facing the government. Hopefully there will be 7-8 "field trips" to meet with French experts. For example, we started with the government budget and after my overview, we met with the Inspector General of the Ministry of Finance who had previously served as the Chief of Staff for the Prime Minister. We looked at the challenges for economic growth and then met with the Paris Bureau chief of the Economist magazine. For each class, students will read the assigned material and prepare a short (1-2 page) response with thoughts and questions for discussion. Each student will lead discussion for 1-2 classes. In that class, they will do extra reading and lead the discussion with a 10-20 minute presentation based on more material than is in the assigned readings (although discussion leaders can add assigned readings as well).