POLS 216 Honors - Fall 2005
International Political Economy
MWF 9 AM, HRM 203
Dr. Mark A. Boyer
Office: HRM 214 Phone: 486-3156
mark.boyer@.uconn.edu
www.globaled.uconn.edu
Economics and politics surround us. We all intuitively know this, but sometimes
don't want to acknowledge how intertwined these two relams are with each other and
how much they affect our everyday lives. Added to this is a growing sense that the
world is getting smaller, that "globalization" of the world economy and even politics
is taking place at an ever-accelerating rate. Events that were once considered distant
phenomena are now having effects close to home. The recent financial crises in
Russia and throughout much of Asia provide striking examples of how far away
events impact our daily lives. They cause fluctuations in prices for commonly
consumed goods and even volatility in the American stock market, an institution
widely viewed as the bellweather for the economy as a whole.
This course is designed as a critical and intensive introduction to the subfield of
international political economy. It will hopefully provide you with some of the
analytical tools necessary for you to better understand the interplay between politics
and economies in the contemporary world system. In this way, we are explicitly
rejecting the disciplinary and college major boundaries that we have all come to know
and assume as valid categories for the way the world works. Throughout the course
we will focus on the seamless way politics and economics overlap and are woven
together into the fabric of the contemporary world system.
Lastly, this is a course that requires active participation by students in all aspects of
the course. You will be required to participate in class discussions, read assigned
materials, work in groups to solve problems and use computers in a variety of ways in
the course. Thus, students should be prepared for a non-traditional learning
environment that is flexible and adaptable to a variety of approaches and learning
styles. Students are encouraged to ask questions, to raise interesting topics and to
explore the world of political economy in new and creative ways. Only by doing this
will the next generation of citizens and policy-makers be able to meet the challenges
facing the world system.
As an honors course, I hope and expect that the course will be even more interactive
than my regular courses. I hope to lecture less, entertain questions more, explore
interesting avenues for research and challenge all of you to think critically and
analytically. I also expect that I will be challenged by you and that there will be times
when I will not know the answers to the questions you ask. When that happens, we'll
work to find the answers one way or another.
Grading and Requirements: % of total grade






Midterm exam 20%
Final exam 20%
Reflection Papers (3) 20%
Class Participation 10%
IFs Group Project 25% (group grade)
Baldicer Participation 5%
Required Readings



Hughes, Barry B. (1999) International Futures: Choices in the Face of Uncertainty,
3rd ed. Boulder: Westview Press.
Spero, Joan E. and Jeffrey A. Hart. (2003) The Politics of International Economic
Relations, 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson (S&H).
Broad, Robin. (2002) Global Backlash: Citizen Initatives for a Just World Economy.
Boulder, CO: Rowman and Littlefield.
Class Schedule
Aug. 29 and 31 - Introduction and Perspectives - S&H - Chaps. 1, 5 Go
to www.lib.uconn.edu/~mboyer/concepts216.html for a summary of theoretical
approaches we will discuss.
Sept. 2 - Mercantilism - Hamilton and Gilpin articles in GlobalEd Office
***NOTE: The readings for the next four sessions will be on "in-house" reserve in
HRM 200 (GlobalEd Office). These articles are left for "honor system" use and
should not leave HRM 200 for more than one hour for copying purposes. All these
articles, except for the Denemark piece, are taken from George T. Crane and Abla
Arawi, eds. (1997) The Theoretical Evolution of International Political Economy: A Reader,
New York: Oxford University Press.***
Sept. 7 - Liberalism - Smith, Ricardo, Keohane and Nye articles
Sept. 9 - Marxism and World Systems - Marx, Lenin, and Denemark articles
Sept. 12 and 14 - Integrating Theory with Reality - Broad, Parts I and II, pp.13-116,
Sept. 16, 19 and 21 - The Global Monetary System: Its Challenges and Problems S&H Chaps. 2, 6
Paper #1 Due Sept. 19
Sept. 23, 26, 28 - The Global Trading System - S&H Chaps. 3, 7
Sept. 30 - Other Perspectives on Trade - Broad, Part III, pp. 117-172.
Oct. 3, 5 and 7 - Baldicer Simulation
Paper # 2 Due October 5th
Oct. 10, 12, and 14 - Global Investment and Financial Flows - S&H Chaps. 4, 8
October 17 and 19 - Broad, Part IV, pp. 173-242
October 21 - Midterm Exam
October 24 - The Changing Nature of IPE - Broad
October 26 and 28 - Thinking About Our Future - Hughes, Chaps. 1-3
Paper #3 Due October 28th
October 31, Nov. 2 and 4 - Modelling Our Future - Hughes, Chaps. 4-8
November 7, 9, and 11 - In-Class Group Work Days
November 14, 16 and 18
Thanksgiving Recess November 19 to 27
November 28, 30 and Dec. 2 - Group Presentations in Class
December 5, 7 and 9 - Tying it All Together: Broad
Final Exam Period as Scheduled by the Registrar