Introduction

What course is about: looking at how political decision making by states and economics together help us understand our global economy today.

Some questions we will try to answer: what is the global economy, how did it develop, are there winners/losers in this process, how do you determine this, what vehicles/agents do we see helping in the globalization process, who do this agents help, who is hurt, how do states make economic/political decisions, etc.

Different perspectives may result in different answers to these questions....

Chapter One Summary: The political economy of relations within a nation and among nations

Chapter Two: Key terms and Concepts: To be applied in later chapters

Chapter Three: Important threads…

The role of technology

The impact of foreign trade on a nation and its adjustments to change

Role of protectionism: impeding the free flow of goods across borders

What contributes to growth for a country, what contributes to decline

Interdependence… the pros and cons

The role of the hegemon, and shifts in the balance of power

The role of the government

Chapter Four: Tremendous growth – attributed to int’l trade- due to lower tariffs, convertible currencies, inexpensive oil

Chapter Five: The globalization of Finance and production accelerates the process of technological change, innovation, and global competition.

Chapter Seven: Competition and Conflicts: Nations and firms compete among themselves and with each other

Chapter Thirteen: Hunger, Population and Sustainable Development

Chapter Fourteen: The Political Economy of Post-Communist States