The course aims to offer a general overview of the new international economic order following the end of Cold War. This period is frequently associated with the concept of globalization. The mainstream affirms that this process has been possible because of liberalization, deregulation and in general thanks to a massive reduction of the state intervention. This course will challenge this vision,
John Ravenhill, Global Political Economy, Oxford UP, 2011
Robert Gilpin, The Challenge of Global Capitalism: The World Economy in the 21st Century, Princeton UP, 2011
Learning Objectives
Familiarizing students with the most recent trends of the world economy seen in a medium-terme perspective
Prerequisites
Knowledge of international relations, international economics, economic history
Teaching Methods
lecturing with regular use of power point presentaion previously at disposal of the students- focusing on specific topics and discussion and dialogue with the students about the most recent issues connected with the presentations
Further information
This course requires that students participate in class discussions, since classes will be based more on discussion rather than straight lecture. This means that students contribute to class discussions by asking questions and making comments appropriate to the topics being discussed. In each lecture, there will be a Q/A time based both on the topics of the lecture but particularly on issues of actuality. For this purpose, students are strongly recommended to read the European and international news taken from newspapers and magazines such as The Economist, Business Week, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy.
Students’ participation include group presentations on specific topics connected with the course. This activity will be developed in the first as well as in the second mid-term and it will have an important impact on the final evaluation (see down in the text in “Evaluation and grading system). Team groups must be international, including both American and non-American students. Each student will be part of a group making at least one presentation in each mid-term. The list of the topics for presentations (length no more than 15 minutes) will be available during the lecture of week 2. Part of the course will be using movies and documentary to go deeper in some of the topics. Some of this material will be available in the library for individual or collective vision by students. Selected movies will be examined together and discussed during classes. Students will be assigned readings (articles taken from newspaper and magazines) which will be discussed during a given class period. In order for the discussions to be meaningful, each student must come to class fully prepared to discuss the assigned reading and make meaningful comments. Since participation plays a role in the final grade (see down the information in the section about evaluation), it is essential that students have not only read the assignment, but have drawn conclusions of their own from the readings. Under the same point of view, student are strongly encouraged to propose topics for discussion taken from the most relevant events connected with globalization process that would occur during the term.
Type of Assessment
mid-term exam on the topics dealing with in the first six weeks and final exam at the end of the course. Each written exam includes ten multiple choice questions and two open questions to choose from four. A week before the exam, the attending students are required to receive a paper of about 5,000 words (7-8 pages) by developing an original theme chosen within the topics discussed in the course. Presentation and active participation in class are worth 10% of the final vote; the paper and the two media examines 30% each.
Non attending students are requested to wirte a paper and to send it one week before the exam. the written exam will deal with the contents of the three books mentioned ion the literature for the exam
Course program
1 What do they have in common: explaining the myriad faces of globalization
2 An overview of the international economic scenario at the end of Cold War and the unexpected recovery of the US
3. Japan. The cost of the challenging US and the lost decades
4. The European Hybrid. Varieties of Capitalism in the Old Continent
5. After Saigon’s fall: the triumph of capitalism in Asia
6. B for Brazil or for bluff?
7. Russia: from socialism to authoritarian capitalism via de-industrialization?
8. India between poverty and high-tech
9 China: the new giant or the partial power?
10 Africa: not anymore the lost Continent?
11 The world of commodities: producers vs. consumers?
12 The financialization of the world economy
14 Conclusions: More or less State with the globalization process?