Department
of Political Science, University of Ghana
POLI
445/405: Politics of International Economic Relations, Main
and City Campuses
Instructor: Bossman Asare bossasare@gmail.com, beasare@ug.edu.gh
Tues 11:30-120 (Ven: JQB 23), Office: Room 12
(Poli Sci) Thurs 12-2pm ACC Office hours- M T W 10:00-11:30
Course
Description and Objectives
This course offers an
introduction to the political and economic relations among countries and
international organizations in the global system. Within the broader family of international
relations, international political economy (IPE), or politics of international
economic relations, is primarily concerned with the interactions between
political actors and economic forces in the global system. Scholars in the
field of international political economy have divided it into several parts,
including the international trade system, theories that explain economic
relations, globalization, multinational corporations, economic development, the
international monetary system, etc. The class is intended to help students
appreciate how each division (though they all tend to work in tandem in the
global economy), shapes global economic relations. The course also renders some investigative
frameworks: Why global north countries dominate trade politics? What explain/s
the marginal role played by global south countries in the international
economy? The role of multinational corporations in the developing world; The
contents and discontents of globalization; How regionalism could leapfrog the
economies of the global south? The role of non-state actors in the global
economy; and among others.
By the end of
the class, students will understand how political actors shape the global
economy; the theories that explain the role of both rich and poor countries in
the global economy; why Africa has less influence on the global economy; the
international institutions that shape the economic policies of global south
countries; why regionalism has not achieved the desired results in Africa; and
the controversies surrounding globalization. Each student must come to class
ready to discuss the assigned readings in a more coherent fashion. All the
assigned readings are meant
to be read and discussed.
Required Texts
Thomas
Oatley 2008, International Political Economy (3rd Edition):
Interests and Institutions in the Global Economy, Pearson Longman.
Bossman E. Asare, 2011. International Politics: The Beginner’s Guide,
Accra: Yamens Press
Robert Gilpin, 2000. The
Challenge of Global Capitalism: The World Economy in the 21st
Century, Princeton.
Recommended Texts
Richard Payne, 2007. Global Issues: Politics, Economics, and
Culture. New York: Pearson Longman.
John Ravenhill (Editor) 2005.
Global Political Economy. Oxford University Press.
Charles W. Kegley, Jr. 2009.
World Politics (12th Edition): Trend and Transformation, Wadsworth: Cengage Learning.
Joseph
Stiglitz 2003. Globalization and its Discontents. Norton, USA.
Martin Wolf 2001, Will the
Nation-State Survive Globalization? Foreign
Affairs
Joshua Golstein and Jon Pevehouse 2006. International Relations, Pearson
Longman
Exams
Final
exams will consist of a combination of fill in the blanks, short essays, and
long essay questions. The final is cumulative, with questions ranging from the
first day to the last day of class. The Interim Assessment will involve
fill-in-the-blanks and short and long essay questions. The IA will focus on
certain areas.
Civility
Civility in the
classroom is expected of all students. Students who disrupt class to the extent
that other’s educational opportunities are diminished may be asked to leave the
classroom. Cell phones must be turned off at all times in the classroom.
Communicating with your Instructor
Feel free to stop by and discuss academic matters or concerns with me in the office. All emails sent to me should include POLI 445 in the subject line.
Class
Attendance and Participation
Attendance will be
monitored every class session, and students are expected to regularly and
relevantly contribute to class discussions by raising questions and making
salient comments. For the purpose of class participation, which is compulsory, students
are encouraged to bring clippings to class and initiate discussions on them or
simply discuss what they have heard or read in the news that relate to the
themes covered in the course. Some good sources of such material are the New
York Times online, Yahoo news, BBC, Reuters, Associated Press, Google News, The
Economist, CNN, DW TV, Google News, Al Jazeera, and so forth. This will be an
opportunity for students to make oral contributions, in addition to the regular
lectures and discussions. Importantly, be aware that students who attend class
regularly tend to perform substantially better than students who skip
regularly.
Learning
Disability Students
Any student with an
officially recognized disability should make fitting arrangements with the
university, not the instructor.
Plagiarism
and Cheating
Plagiarism, which is
representing somebody’s work as your own, as well as cheating in all forms,
must be avoided. The consequences of these behaviors are not worth mentioning
in this class.
Course
Calendar
Week
1 Aug 13-17
Introduction to course and
explanation of key terms and key themes in Politics of International Economic Relations,
Oatley chapter 1 and Gilpin read introduction
Week
2 Aug 20-24
Theories of International
Political Economy, Oatley Chapter 1
Week
3 Aug 27-31
Intergovernmental Organizations
and the Global Political Economy-The World Trade Organization and the World
Trade System, The World Bank and European Regional Integration, Asare chapter 5, Oatley Chapter 2, Gilpin chapter 7
Week
4 Sept 3-7
Intergovernmental Organizations
and the Global Political Economy-The World Trade Organization and the World
Trade System, The World Bank and European Regional Integration, Asare chapter 5, Oatley Chapter 2, Gilpin chapter 7
Week
5 Sept 10-14
The Global South in the Global
Political Economy, Asare chapter 7, Kegley chapter 5
Week
6 Sept 17-21
Import-Substitution
Industrialization, Oatley Chapter 6
Week
7 Sept 24-28
Multinational Corporations in the Global
Economy, Asare Chapter 8, Oatley Chapters 8 & 9, Gilpin
chapter 8
Week
8 Oct 1-5
Globalization, Asare chapter 9,
Kegley chapters 9 & 10, Payne chapters 1, 6, 10 &11, Gilpin chapter
10
Week
9 Oct 8-12
Globalization and Inequality, Ravenhill chapter 11, Asare
Chapter 9, Kegley chapters 9 & 10, Payne chapters 1, 6, 10
&11, Gilpin chapter 10
Week
10 Oct 15-19
A
Society-Centered Approach to Trade Politics, Oatley Chapter 4
Week
11 Oct 22-26
A State-Centered Approach to
Trade Politics, Oatley Chapter 5
Week 12 Oct 29-Nov
1
Regional
Integration/Regionalism-African Regionalism and Asian Regionalism
Joshua
Golstein and Jon Pevehouse chapter 10, Gilpin chapter 9, Asare,
chapter 5, Kegley chapters 6 and 14 John Ravenhill chapter 5
Week 13 Nov 5-9
Class discussion on Africa in the
Global Political Economy and Revision
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