Trinity Western University
POLS 314: International Political Economy
3 semester hours
Course Outline
Spring 2015
Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:35-3:50 pm
Location: RNT 234
Instructor: Paul S. Rowe, Ph.D.
Office: RNT 203
Office Hours:
Office Phone: 604-888-7511 x3133
E-mail: Paul.Rowe@twu.ca
Prerequisites: POLS 101 and 211, or instructor’s consent.
Course Description
“A study of the globalization of the world economy and the political factors that shape
this process. Students become familiar with the recent history of international trade,
global economic relations, and the role of various players in foreign economic policy
making. Using case studies of representative governments, students explore models of
fiscal and monetary policy and types of trade protection. Other topics include political
factors affecting emerging and transitional economies, role of trade groupings, impact of
multinational corporations, negotiations in the World Trade Organization, and the
problems related to global industries such as airlines or oil.” (Academic Calendar)
Course Objectives
1. To learn the fundamental principles of international economic behavior and its
relationship to regulation and control in the international economy.
2. To identify the factors which encourage global trade and investment in order to
understand the operation of global economic systems.
3. To assess the relative influence of major actors in the global economy.
4. To level a critical assessment of the way the international economy is run and to apply
Christian principles to that assessment.
Required Texts and Reference
Thomas Oatley, International Political Economy, fifth edition, Boston: Longman, 2012.
Other readings as assigned.
Course Requirements
Panel
Mid-Term
Research Paper
Final Exam
Participation
10%
20%
30%
30%
10%
Panel – each student will be assigned to a panel that will engage and research a pertinent
question in contemporary international political economy. Each of two panels of students
will prepare a single class learning exercise or presentation that will help the class to
explore answers to the question of the day. Each student will submit a single page
answer that summarizes his or her response to the question in addition to the classroom
learning exercise. The panel grade will depend in equal measures on the one-page
summary and the success of the classroom exercise. Students should seek to address the
question in class in a creative and thought-provoking manner.
Panel #1 due date: 4 February 2015
Panel #2 due date: 23 March 2015
Mid-Term – will be held in-class on 18 February 2015 and will test students’
comprehension of the material covered up to that point.
Research Paper – each student is required to submit a research paper of approximately
2500-3000 words that addresses a major issue in the global political economy. Every
student is urged to consult with the professor in developing his or her research project.
Due date for research paper: 16 March 2015
Here is a list of potential topics. Note: these are only suggestions!
Assessment of NAFTA: Sectors that suffer and sectors that win.
How well does the WTO dispute settlement mechanism work?
Does the IMF work effectively and with justice?
Currency Crises: the Mexican Peso Crisis, Asian Financial Crisis, the Euro Crisis
Coordination by the international banking industry, Basel Group, etc., how well do these
groups work?
Currency manipulation, what does it mean and who is doing it?
Argentina’s bold challenge to its creditors and the consequences
Oil Politics: Venezuela, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc.
State Economic Foreign Policies: Canada, the US, etc.
Chinese/American/etc. Trade Policy
Tax Evasion and Tax Havens
Latin American Regionalism, LAFTA, prospects for Latin American Free Trade
Can ASEAN deepen its economic integration?
Ethics of international sale of drugs--what should pharmaceuticals be required to do?
Regulation and behavior in key industries: pharmaceuticals, air industry, software, auto
industry
Assessment of corporate social responsibility: transgressions, limits.
Economic integration between Russia and its neighbours, expansion of the EU to the
east/Ukraine
The economics of illegal trafficking - Human, Drugs, Weapons.
World Bank assessed: how can it be more helpful?
Cancellation of poor country debts--how is it going?
Impact of our biggest aid organizations - The Gates Foundation, World Vision
Final Exam – will be held during the examination period in April and will cover all
material in the course.
Grading Policy – grading in this course will follow the university’s standard grading
policy found in the academic calendar.
Policy Regarding Late Assignments
Late assignments create a significant problem in the fairness of administration of the
course. They also make it difficult to keep up a regular pace of grading. For this reason,
late penalties of 5% per working day will be applied to any assignment that is submitted
after the due date. A hard copy of all work must be submitted. Work that has not been
submitted beyond two weeks will not be accepted. Exceptions will be made for serious
illnesses or life setbacks (with documentation) on a case by case basis.
Note Regarding Citation Style (Footnoting)
Students are requested to use the Chicago Manual of Style for citation of references in all
papers, employing the footnote approach (rather than the parenthetical reference
approach). A style guide (in PDF document that requires adobe reader) may be found online at http://www.twu.ca/academics/fhss/international/format-guide.pdf.
Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism at TWU
As Christian scholars pursuing higher education, academic integrity is a core value of the
entire TWU community. Students are invited into this scholarly culture and required to
abide by the principles of sound academic scholarship at TWU. This includes, but is not
limited to, avoiding all forms of plagiarism and cheating in scholarly work. TWU has a
strict policy on plagiarism. Learning what constitutes plagiarism and avoiding it is the
student's responsibility. An excellent resource describing plagiarism and how to avoid it
has been prepared by TWU Librarian William Badke and is freely available for download
(PPT file) or used as flash (self running) tutorials of varying lengths from:
http://acts.twu.ca/library/plagiarism.ppt
http://acts.twu.ca/library/Plagiarism.swf (14 minute flash tutorial)
http://acts.twu.ca/library/Plagiarism_Short.swf (8 minute flash tutorial)
Campus Closure and Class Cancellation Policy
In the event of deteriorating weather conditions or other emergency situations, every
effort will be made to communicate information regarding the cancellation of classes to
the following radio stations CKNW (980 AM), CKWX (1130 AM), STAR FM (107.1
FM), PRAISE (106.5 FM) and KARI (550 AM). As well, an announcement will be
placed on the University’s campus closure notification message box (604.513.2147) and
on the front page of the University’s website (http://www.twu.ca – also see
http://www.twu.ca/campus/campus-notification.html for more details).
An initial announcement regarding the status of the campus and cancellation of classes is
made at 6:00 AM and covers all classes beginning before 1:00PM. A second
announcement is made at 11:00AM that covers all classes which begin between 1:00PM
and 5:00PM. A third announcement is made at 3:00PM and covers those classes which
begin after 5:00PM.
Students with Disabilities
Students with a disability who need assistance are encouraged to contact the Equity of
Access Office upon admission to TWU to discuss their specific needs. All disabilities
must be recently documented by an appropriately certified professional and include the
educational impact of the disability along with recommended accommodations. Within
the first two weeks of the semester, students must meet with their professors to agree on
accommodations appropriate to each class. Students should follow the steps detailed by
the Equity of Access Office outlined on the TWU website
at http://twu.ca/life/wellness/learningresources/disabilities-and-equity-of-access/steps-toattaining-disability-services.html.
Topics and Readings (dates and topics are subject to change)
1. Introduction: Theoretical and Historical Context (12/14 Jan)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapter 1
2. Fundamentals of the World Trading System (19/21 Jan)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapter 2
3. Understanding International Trade (26/28 Jan)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapter 3
4. Trade Decisions: Societal and State Influences (2 Feb)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapters 4-5
Panel 1: What are the main issues in the Doha Round of Trade Negotiations? (4 Feb)
5. Trade Solutions: Import Substitution (11 Feb)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapter 6
6. Trade Solutions: Reform and Structural Adjustment (16 Feb)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapter 7
Mid-Term (18 Feb)
7. Multinational Corporations and the World Economy (2/4 March)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapters 8-9
8. The International Monetary System (9/11 March)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapters 10-11
9. Regulating the International Monetary System (16/18 March)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapters 12-13
Panel 2: How is the European Union responding to the Eurozone Crisis? (23 March)
10. Developing Nations and the Global Economy: the debt crisis (25/30 March)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapter 14
11. Developing Nations and the Global Economy: financial & monetary crises (1/8 Apr)
Oatley, International Political Economy, chapter 15
12. Review (13 April)