Political Economy
The study of political economy involves issues that range from the analysis of American Public Policy, globalization, comparative national economic policies, the relationship of micro-level to macro-level activity, and the ways that public and private choices affect one another.
Requirements for the Political Economy Minor
Since the study of politics and economics are closely and intimately related, we ask students (1) get a grounding in political science and economics, and perhaps a third discipline, sociology; (2) to specialize in either American Public Policy or World Trade and Development; and (3) to integrate their studies in a final senior seminar that cuts across the different fields of specialization.
Students who double major in Economics and Political Science/IR are not permitted to minor in Political Economy.
Lower Level Course Requirements (four courses required):
All three of the following:
- ECON 110 Principles of Macroeconomics
- ECON 111 Principles of Microeconomics
- POSC 265 Pubic Policy and /Global Capitalism or POSC 263 European Political Economy
plus one course from:
- ECON 250 History of Economic Ideas
- HIST 141 Europe in the Twentieth Century
- POSC 120 Democracy and Dictatorship
- POSC 170 International Relations and World Politics
Middle-Division Requirement (one course required):
The selected course must correspond with area of specialization.
American Public Policy
- ECON 270 Economics of the Public Sector (not offered in 2017-18)
- POSC 219 Poverty and Public Policy in the U.S.
or World Trade and Development
- ECON 240 Microeconomics of Development
- ECON 241 Growth and Development
- ECON 271 Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment
- ECON 280 International Trade
- ECON 281 International Finance
- POSC 266 Urban Political Economy
- POSC 366 Urban Political Economy*
Upper Level Course Electives (three courses required):
Each student will select at least three courses from the two areas of specialization listed below in consultation with the minor coordinator. These courses must come from at least two different departments. Two of these courses will be in the same area of specialization with the third coming from the other area. Courses listed under Middle-Division Requirement (above) may also count as upper level course electives if they are not being used to satisfy the Middle-Division Requirement. Political Science 263 may be used to satisfy one upper level elective requirement in the area of World Trade and Development if Political Science 265 was used to satisfy the lower level course requirement. It may not satisfy both requirements simultaneously.
American Public Policy
- ECON 232 American Economic History: A Cliometric Approach (not offered in 2017-18)
- ECON 246 Welfare Economics and Mechanism Design (not offered in 2017-18)
- ECON 259 Economics of Higher Education
- ECON 262 The Economics of Sports (not offered in 2017-18)
- ECON 264 Health Care Economics
- ECON 273 Water and Western Economic Development
- ECON 274 Labor Economics
- ECON 276 Money and Banking (not offered in 2017-18)
- ECON 278 Industrial Organization and Firm Behavior
- ECON 282 The Theory of Investment Finance (not offered in 2017-18)
- POSC 219 Poverty and Public Policy in the U.S.
- POSC 231 American Foreign Policy
- POSC 266 Urban Political Economy
- POSC 366 Urban Political Economy*
World Trade and Development
- ECON 221 Cambridge Program: Contemporary British Economy (not offered in 2017-18)
- ECON 269 Economics of Climate Change
- ECON 271 Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment
- ECON 281 International Finance
- POSC 242 Political Economy of the Middle East
- POSC 268 Global Environmental Politics and Policy
- POSC 322 Neoliberalism and the New Left in Latin America* (not offered in 2017-18)
- POSC 333 Global Social Changes and Sustainability*
- POSC 338 Politics of Inequality and Poverty*
- POSC 361 Approaches to Development*
- SOAN 239 Social Statistics
Upper Level Seminar Requirement (one course)