Spring 2009

Professor J. Lawrence Broz

University of California, San Diego

Department of Political Science

TTh 9:30-10:50am

Office Hours: TU 1.30-3.30 pm, SSB 389

http://weber.ucsd.edu/~jlbroz/Courses/INTL102

Phone: 858.822.5750

 

INTL 102: Economics, Politics, and International Change: The Modern World Economy

 

This course examines the evolution of the world economy from the late nineteenth century to the present. Our purpose is not only to describe the historical trends in the international economy but also to explain the causes and the consequences of these trends. Students come away with the basic tools they need to understand the global economy and the politics of international economic relations.

 

The history of the modern world economy divides into three periods. The Golden Age (1870-1913) was a period of extensive globalization; in some respects, nations were more economically integrated then than now. The Golden Age came to an end with the Interwar Interregnum (1919-1939), which saw nations abandon the world economy and turn inward behind high protectionist barriers and restrictions on international capital flows. Postwar Globalization (1945-2003) saw the gradual reemergence of the world economy, a trend that is now threatened by politics, anti-globalization forces, and crises in global finance.

 

Prerequisites: Familiarity with political science and economics is helpful but not required. We will cover the necessary material.

 

Requirements:

1)      Midterm examination (30% of total grade).

2)      Final examination (50%).

3)      Section participation (20%).

 

The exams are composed of two equally weighted parts: Part I: Short-Answer Identifications and Part II: Essay Question(s). The IDs on Part I will be drawn from a longer list of potential IDs that will be distributed before each exam. On the exams, you should define the ID and discuss its significance to the course. Answers should be 1-2 paragraphs in length. The essay questions on Part II will incorporate material from readings and lectures. There will be one essay question on the Midterm and two essay questions on the Final Exam.

 

Books:

 

  • Jeffry A. Frieden, Global Capitalism: Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century. (W.W. Norton, 2006). ISBN 0393058085

 

  • Thomas Oatley, International Political Economy: Interests and Institutions in the Global Economy, 4th ed. (New York: Pearson-Longman, 2009). ISBN-13: 9780205723775

 

Books are available for purchase at the bookstore and on reserve at Geisel Library.

 

Articles: Journal articles are marked on the reading list below with an asterisk (*). They are available electronically via E-Reserves at http://reserves.ucsd.edu/ or via the links below.

 

Reading tips: Do the assigned readings by the day for which they are assigned. The reading load is moderate though not evenly distributed. Pay particular attention to weeks with heavier assigned readings and plan accordingly. The lecture and reading schedule is tailored to fit the structure of the course but may change to accommodate extended coverage of particular topics.

 

Academic Integrity: You must comply with the standards of academic integrity set forth by the University of California at San Diego. Any incident of academic dishonesty, as defined in the University rules, will be punished to the full extent allowed by the University.

 

PART I: INTRODUCTION

Mar 31: Course Overview

  • Oatley, Chapter 1, pp. 1-20.
  • *Jeffrey Frankel, "Globalization of the Economy," in Governance in a Globalizing World. Edited by Joseph S. Nye and John D. Donahue, pp. 45-71 (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2000).

 

Apr 2: Understanding International Trade and Trade Policy

 

Apr 7: Understanding International Finance and Exchange-Rate Policy

  • Oatley, Chapters 10-11, pp. 214-259

 

PART II: THE GOLDEN AGE, 1873-1914

Apr 9: Prologue to the late 19th century: Mercantilism and the rise of the United States

  • Frieden, "Prologue: Into the Twentieth Century."

 

Apr 14: Overview of "The Golden Age."

  • Oatley, Chapter 10 (partial): "Closer Look" box on the "Classical Gold Standard," pp. 220-222
  • Frieden, Chapter 1, "Global Capitalism Triumphant."
  • Frieden, Chapter 2, "Defenders of the Global Economy"

 

Apr 16: Movement of Money, Capital, and People

Apr 21: Divergent Patterns of Development

Apr 23: Opposition to Globalization

  • Frieden, Chapter 5, "Problems of the Global Economy."
  • Frieden, Chapter 6, "All that is Solid Melts into Air."

 

APR 28: MIDTERM EXAM

 

PART III: INTERWAR INTERREGNUM, 1918-1939

Apr 30: World War I, Recovery, and Collapse

  • Frieden, Chapter 7, "The World of Tomorrow."
  • Frieden, Chapter 8, "The Established Order Collapses."

 

May 5: Responses to the Great Depression

  • Oatley, Chapter 12 (partial), pp. 260-266.
  • Frieden, Chapter 9, "The Turn to Autarky."
  • Frieden, Chapter 10, "Building a Social Democracy."

 

PART IV: POSTWAR GLOBALIZATION, 1945-2003

May 7: Settlement and Reconstruction

  • Oatley, Chapter 4, pp. 71-93.
  • Frieden, Chapter 11, "Reconstruction East and West."

 

May 12: The Bretton Woods System, 1950-1973

·        Oatley Chapter 10 (partial), pp. 224-236.

  • Frieden, Chapter 12, "The Bretton Woods System in Action."
  • Frieden, Chapter 15, "The End of Bretton Woods."

 

May 14: Decolonization and Development

  • Oatley, Chapters 6-7, pp 114-163.
  • Frieden, Chapter 13, "Decolonization and Development."

 

May 19: Multinational Corporations

  • Oatley, Chapters 8-9, pp 164-213.

 

May 21: From Oil Crises to Debt Crisis

  • Oatley, Chapter 14, pp. 306-331.
  • Frieden, Chapter 16, "Crisis and Change."

 

May 26: Patterns of Global Integration

  • Frieden, Chapter 17, "Globalizers Victorious."
  • Frieden, Chapter 18, "Countries Catch Up."

 

May 28: Tensions in Developing Countries

  • Oatley, Chapter 15, pp. 33-355.
  • Frieden, Chapter 19, "Countries Fall Behind."

 

Jun 2: Tensions in Industrialized Countries

  • Frieden, Chapter 20, "Global Capitalism Troubled."
  • *Richard B. Freeman, "Are Your Wages Set in Beijing?" Journal of Economic Perspectives, 9, 3 (1995): 15-31.

 

Jun 4: Ongoing Globalization Controversies

 

FINAL EXAMINATION: Tuesday, June 9, 8:00-11:00 am