Comparative Political Economy

Catalog description

How do politics shape markets, and markets shape politics? Why do some countries become rich while others remain poor? Why does capitalism take such different forms in different places, and what do these differences mean for societies, firms, and individuals? What is globalization, and who gains (and who loses) from the increasingly close economic ties between different countries? This course will address these and other questions at the intersection of politics and economics by focusing on domestic variation and outcomes. Students will study how various political institutions, processes, and events affect economic policy and outcomes as well as the converse, how economic performance and interests influence the development of institutions and political outcomes.