Florida International University
Department of Politics & International Relations
Fall 2015
INR 3703
International Political Economy
Last Revised: August 20, 2015
Instructor: Dr. Jin Zeng
Phone: 305-348-0395
Classroom: Chem & Physics 117
Office Hours: Th. 9am-noon
Email: jzeng@fiu.edu
Office: SIPA 411
Class Time: Tu/Th. 2-3:15pm
Course Description
This course is designed for you to gain a better understanding of the tensions and
interactions between politics and economy on an international scale. The readings will help
you to master useful tools in analyzing and assessing both current phenomena of international
political economy and their historical developments. Some interesting questions we will
explore in the course include: What are the causes and consequences of financial crisis? What
strategies are viable for developing countries in an increasingly globalized economy? Why is
some type of international governance of the global economy necessary? We seek answers to
the above questions by analyzing the roles of states, corporations, international and domestic
institutions, and other factors in creating and/or managing conflicts and facilitating
cooperation.
The course consists of three parts. The first part surveys three major perspectives of
international political economy: realism, liberalism, and critical perspectives. The second part
of the course applies the three theoretical perspectives to empirical analyses of various
aspects of globalization, such as international trade (the flow of goods), foreign direct
investment (the flow and location of production), integration of financial markets (financial
flows), debt crises, financial crises, and the political economy of development. The third part
of the course turns to the problems of international political economy and the challenges
faced by nation-states.
Prior knowledge of international political economy is not required. But a basic
familiarity with the analytical concepts of economics and international relations is desirable.
Course Grading
1) Attendance and participation (10%): Regular attendance and high-quality contributions to
class discussions are essential course requirements. I will circulate an attendance sheet for
your signature at the beginning of each class. You are responsible for ensuring that you sign
it. Given that there may be times when you are unable to attend class (for whatever reason),
you may miss three classes over the course of the semester without incurring any penalty.
After the fourth absence, however, I will deduct ¼ of grade off your attendance grade for
each additional absence. This is non-negotiable. If you cannot come to class on a regular
basis, it is better for you to drop this course as soon as possible.
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2) In-class quizzes (20%): I will hand out in-class quizzes at the beginning of the class on
selected dates. Each quiz consists of 5 multiple-choice questions based on the assigned
readings of that week. You should complete assigned readings before coming to class. If you
are late for the class, you will not be able to take part in the quiz. There is no make-up quiz
in the course.
3) News reporting (10%): Starting from the second week of the semester, students will take
turns to orally report to the whole class one piece of news related to international political
economy. You should not simply read the news to the class. Instead, you should take this
opportunity to hone your presentation skills. I highly encourage you to use slides to highlight
the data or figures in the news. The news can be a day to a week old. Each student’s news
reporting should be limited to 1-2 minutes. Please stay informed of current international
political, economic, and social events relevant to this course by reading newspapers or
magazines, such as the business section of The New York Times, BBC News, The Economist
(http://www.economist.com/), The Wall Street Journal (http://www.wsj.com/), and Financial
Times (http://www.ft.com/home/us). We will briefly discuss news of global political
economy during class meetings. If you miss your turn to do the news reporting, you will not
be given another chance without legitimate reasons.
4) Exams (60%): There will be three in-class exams (two midterms and a final). The exams
will draw on materials from lectures, class discussions, and reading assignments. Each exam
consists of brief identifications and short essay questions. The first two exams are
non-cumulative, meaning that they cover materials not previously tested. The final exam is
cumulative, but it places more emphasis on the last part of the course. Each of the exams
accounts for 20% of the final grade.
The grading scale is displayed in the following table.
Score
Grade Score
Grade
93 – 100
A
73 – 76
C
90 – 92
A70 – 72
C87 – 89
B+
67 – 69
D+
83 – 86
B
63 – 66
D
80 – 82
B60 – 62
D77 – 79
C+
0 – 59
F
Course Policies
1) This course uses Blackboard Learn to facilitate our communication and learning
experience. Course-related materials, such as syllabus, reading materials (except the two
required books), slides, and assignments, will be available at Blackboard Learn. You can
access Blackboard Learn by visiting http://online.fiu.edu/login/ecampus, and login with
your FIU account information. Make sure you check Blackboard Learn and your FIU
email account on a daily basis.
2) No make-up exams will be given. If you miss an exam, the weight of the exam will be
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3)
4)
5)
added to the following one with a penalty of -5 points. For example, if you miss the
first exam and you get 90 in the second exam, your “downgraded” score of the second
exam will be 85, which will account for 50% of your final grade. However, if you miss
two exams or if you miss the final exam, you automatically fail the course.
Classroom Etiquette: Please turn off cell phones prior to the beginning of class.
Appointment: I welcome students to contact me by email or visit me during office hours.
You can also email me to schedule an appointment.
Academic Integrity: Please note that plagiarism and other forms of cheating will result in
a failing grade of the course and/or expulsion from the university itself. See the
university's policy on academic misconduct at
http://www.fiu.edu/~oabp/misconductweb/1acmisconductproc.htm.
Required Books
Cohn. Theodore H. 2011. Global Political Economy: Theory and Practice. 6th edition. New
York: Longman. ISBN-13: 978-0205-075836.
(Note: You can buy the 5th edition, as most of the chapters in the two editions are identical.)
Balaam, David N. and Bradford Dillman. 2013. Introduction to International Political
Economy. 6th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN-10: 0133402398.
(Note: I will provide a personal copy of Balaam and Dillman’s book in the reserve of the
library.)
1. Aug. 25, Tues.
Introduction: What is International Political Economy?
Cohn. Ch1, pp. 2-17.
2. Aug. 27, Thur.
Managing the Global Economy Since World War II
Cohn. Ch2, pp. 18-51.
PART I. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
3. Sept. 1, Tues.
The Realist Perspective
Cohn. Ch 3, pp. 56-76.
4. Sept. 3, Thur.
NO CLASS (professor away at the APSA Conference)!
5. Sept. 8, Tues.
The Liberal Perspective
Cohn. Ch 4, pp. 77-102.
6. Sept. 10, Thur.
The Critical Perspective
Cohn. Ch 5, pp. 103-130.
PART II. CORE ISSUE AREAS
7. Sept. 15, Tues.
The International Monetary System
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Cohn. Ch 6, pp. 132-167.
8. Sept. 17, Thur.
Foreign Debt and Financial Crises
Cohn. Ch 11, pp. 339-380.
9. Sept. 22, Tues.
The Asian Financial Crisis
Wade, Robert. 2000. “Wheels within Wheels: Rethinking the Asian Crisis and the Asian
Model.” Annual Review of Political Science 3: 85-115.
10. Sept. 24, Thur.
In-Class Exam 1
11. Sept. 29 Tues.
The 2008 Financial Crisis
Wade, Robert. “The First-World Debt Crisis of 2007–2010 in Global Perspective,”
Challenge 51(4) (July/Aug 2008), pp. 23-54.
-Watch and discuss PBS Frontline: Inside the Meltdown,
available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meltdown/ (57 minutes)
-Global Financial Crisis Explained
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-zp5Mb7FV0&feature=related (11 minutes)
-RSA Animate: Crises of Capitalism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOP2V_np2c0&feature=player_detailpage (11
minutes)
-Global Financial Meltdown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4XfNiqwQDo (2hs 50 mins.)
12. Oct. 1, Thur.
Austerity: The History of A Dangerous Idea
Blyth, Mark. 2013. Austerity: The History of A Dangerous Idea. Oxford University Press.
Ch 6 pp. 178-226.
Watch Dr. Mark Blyth’s presentation on Austerity: The History of A Dangerous Idea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQuHSQXxsjM
Or a short version of his arguments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v8m-J8sgik&NR=1&feature=fvwp
13. Oct. 6, Tues.
Global Trade Relations
Cohn. Ch 7, pp. 168-208.
14. Oct. 8, Thur.
Regionalism and the Global Trade Regime
Cohn. Ch 8, pp. 209-248.
15. Oct. 13, Tues.
Multinational Corporations and Global Production
Cohn. Ch 9, pp. 249-293.
16. Oct. 15, Thur.
International Development
Cohn. Ch 10, pp. 294-338.
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17. Oct. 20, Tues.
What Strategies are Viable for Developing Countries Today?
Wade, Robert H.. 2003. "What Strategies are Viable for Developing Countries Today?
The World Trade Organization and the Shrinking of 'Development Space'," Review of
International Political Economy 10, 4 (November): 621-644.
18. Oct. 22, Thur.
Aid to Developing Countries
Horta, Korinna. 2006. The World Bank’s Decade for Africa: A New Dawn for
Development Aid? Yale Journal of International Affairs (Winter/Spring). Available at
http://www.yale.edu/yjia/articles/Vol_1_Iss_2_Spring2006/horta217.pdf
19. Oct. 27, Tues.
The Rising Powers
Balaam and Dillman, Ch 13.
20. Oct. 29, Thur.
In-Class Exam 2
PART III: TRANSNATIONAL PROBLEMS
21. Nov. 3, Tues.
The Illicit Global Economy
Balaam and Dillman, Ch 15.
22. Nov. 5, Thur.
Migration and Tourism
Balaam and Dillman, Ch 16.
23. Nov. 10, Tues.
Food and Hunger
Balaam and Dillman, Ch 18.
24. Nov. 12, Thur.
Oil and Energy
Balaam and Dillman, Ch 19.
25. Nov. 17, Tues.
The Environment
Balaam and Dillman, Ch 20.
26. Nov. 19, Thur.
Current Trends in the Global Political Economy
Cohn. Ch 12, pp. 382-408.
27. Nov. 24, Tues.
Watch a documentary: Life and Debt (48 mins)
28. Nov. 26, Thur.
Thanksgiving Holiday (University Closed)
29. Dec. 1, Tues.
Review Class
30. Dec. 3, Thur.
Final Exam
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