Political Economy

POEC 6301 Political-Economic Theories (3 semester hours) A critical analysis of theories of politics and economy. Focuses on such thinkers as Smith, Marx, and Keynes, and on bodies of theory about political and economic systems. Explores the controversies that have shaped the development of political economy and their implications for interdisciplinary policy analysis. (3-0) Y

POEC 6312 (SOC 6312) Social-Economic Theories (3 semester hours) A critical analysis of early and modern social and economic theories. Select classical works of Smith, Marx, and Weber are explored, as they pertain to Western capitalist development, along with more contemporary perspectives related to the accumulation and exchange value of human, social and cultural capital. Emphasis is placed on understanding how social relations and social institutions influence economic exchanges. (3-0) Y

POEC 6319 Political Economy of MNCs (3 semester hours) The Political Economy of Multinational Corporations will approach the rise of international firms and their behavior from a social scientific approach, utilizing research in economics, political science, and other disciplines. In addition to the historical rise of international firms, the course covers the economic theory of the firm, MNCs as political actors, the dynamics of foreign direct investment, and the relationship of MNCs to developing countries. The aim of the course is to understand the causes and effects of the behavior of transnational corporations, particularly in regard to economic policy. (3-0) R

POEC 6321 Economics for Public Policy (3 semester hours) Introduces students to the use of economic methods of the analysis of public policy. The primary theoretical framework for the course is microeconomics, but the course may include macroeconomics at the discretion of the instructor. A variety of public policy topics are covered including education, employment and the labor market, taxes and redistribution, access to health care, poverty and inequality, and public assistance programs. (3-0) S

POEC 6329 Ethics, Culture, and Public Policy (3 semester hours) This course considers the principal schools of ethical thought in the world's major cultural traditions and their implications for law and public policy. Topics to be considered include tensions between personal and collective interests, the conflict between democratic and authoritarian theories and systems of law and government, the relation between morality and law, the way law itself differs in different cultural regions, and the ethical role of institutions such as the family, government, business, religion, and interest groups. (3-0) Y

POEC 6335 (PSCI 6335) Institutions and Development (3 semester hours) An overview of leading theories, institutional perspectives, issues and policy debates concerning urban, regional, national and global development. Topics may include economic growth, technology and innovation, shifts in industrial structure, spatially imbalanced change, and their welfare consequences. (3-0) T

POEC 6347 (PSCI 6347) Proseminar in Political Institutions and American Politics (3 semester hours) Surveys the scholarly literature on major institutions associated with policymaking in the United States, including Congress, the Presidency, the bureaucracy, and interest groups. (3-0) Y

POEC 6351 (SOC 6340) Domestic Social Policy (3 semester hours) Overview of governmental and non-governmental programs, policies, and institutions dealing with those who cannot function self-sufficiently within the American market economy, including low-income families, the elderly, the unemployed, and people with disabilities. Analyzes how social policy in the United States reflects the political economy and culture, as well as social and demographic trends. (3-0) Y

POEC 6353 (ECON 6362) Industry, Technology, and Science Policy (3 semester hours) Focuses on the impact of social, economic, and political factors on industry as critical units of production, and how these interact with technology and science. Topics include availability of skilled labor, research and development in industry, business-university relationships, innovation, and international competitiveness of the U.S. economy. (3-0) Y

POEC 6354 Theories and Issues of Development (3 semester hours) In approaching development, there is an important interaction between theories and issues, each to some extent defining the other. This course will review a number of prominent instances in which we see this interaction - where theory has shaped the way people defined and approached practical problems and also where pressing practical problems have sometimes demanded new theoretical developments. Specific theories and issues discussed vary. Possible theories of interest include arguments for and against slavery, mercantilism, the idea of economic "takeoff," central planning versus pluralism, and the role of democracy and human rights. Issues include labor conditions, urban living conditions, population growth and population quality, environmental pollution and sustainability, and governmental ineffectiveness and corruption. (3-0) Y

POEC 6355 Political Economy of the Middle East (3 semester hours) Analysis of the interplay of cultures and conflicts in the Middle East. The course will examine ancient cultures, Islam and the Ottoman Empire, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the rise of the Oil Kingdoms, the Kurds, the Gulf wars, and terrorism in the name of Islam. The course will also focus on U.S. relations with a number of Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, and Israel. (3-0) R

POEC 6357 (PSCI 6357) Political Economy of Latin America (3 semester hours) Addresses historical and contemporary issues in Latin American political economy. Uses case studies and cross-regional comparisons to assess competing explanations. Analyzes the current political and economic situation facing Latin America in its quest for economic growth and development. The emphasis is to understand the broad patterns of development and change in the region and the physical, historical, social and economic constraints which have affected development, broadly understood. (3-0) R

POEC 6358 Political Economy of South and Southeast Asia (3 semester hours) Political Economy of South and Southeast Asia. South Asia is the Indian peninsula. Southeast Asia is the great swath of countries from Burma and Thailand through Malaysia to Indonesia and Australia. This is a region of great cultural, political, economic, religious, and historical diversity. This course surveys the political economy of the region by selectively examining key countries and their mutual interactions. The major countries, all of which are rising military and economic powers, are Pakistan, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Australia. Additional countries, which will be included according to interest and available material, include Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and New Zealand. (3-0) R

POEC 6360 (ECON 6352) World Political Economy (3 semester hours) An overview of the major economic, social, political and cultural forces that influence the nature of the international economic and political environment, as well as global economic and political relations. Topics include: theories of global political economy; economic and political transformation in Eastern Europe, China and the former Soviet Union; democratization and development in the less developed countries; military and non-military approaches to national and international security; environmentally sustainable economic development; and the international implications of technological failure. (3-0) T

POEC 6361 (PSCI 6361) Political Violence and Terrorism (3 semester hours) In this discussion-based seminar, we will cover the topics of terrorism, political violence, and civil war. We will examine concepts, causes, and consequences of different types of political violence. Additionally, we will discuss topics relevant to research, including discussions of different approaches (quantitative, qualitative, and formal) and a perusal of different data sources. We will take advantage of literature from multiple disciplines. (3-0) T

POEC 6362 (PSCI 6362) Political Development (3 semester hours) This course will survey different perspectives and theories of political development. Topics covered include the role of the state, democratization, political stability, civil society and environmental concerns, among others. (3-0) R

POEC 6363 (PSCI 6363) Conflict and Development (3 semester hours) This module will explore the nexus between violent intrastate conflict and development. It will examine some of the key conceptual frameworks advanced to understand conflict and will explore specific themes that have occupied researchers and policy practitioners in recent years. In addition to assessing the economic costs of the conflicts, this course will also examine the traditional factors that have been purported to explain the prevalence of insurgency. (3-0) R

POEC 6364 Development Economics (3 semester hours) An overview of theories of national economic growth and development, with emphasis on economy-wide modeling, application of micro-economic theories, and domestic sectoral policy. (3-0) T

POEC 6366 International Economics (3 semester hours) This course focuses on international trade theory and the ongoing process of regional integration in the Americas, with particular emphasis on the North American Free Trade Agreement. (3-0) R

POEC 6367 Topical Issues in Conflict and Conflict Resolution (3 semester hours) This course will examine in detail three recent international or ethnic conflicts and the national and international efforts to resolve the conflicts and/or mitigate their efforts. The course will examine theories of conflict including ethnic conflict and just war theory. It will examine the historical sources of the conflicts, the regional and international dimensions, the precipitating causes and the intensification of the conflicts. Examples of conflicts that could be used include: the former Yugoslavia, India/Pakistan, Iraq and Kuwait, North Korea, Israel/Palestine and Sudan. (3-0) T

POEC 6368 Population and Development (3 semester hours) Examines the relations among population, resources, economic development, and the environment in light of conflicting Malthusian and anti-Malthusian paradigms. Topics include fertility, mortality, public health, human capital, use of resources, and environmental impacts at local, regional, and global scales. (3-0) R

POEC 6369 National and International Security Strategies and Policies (3 semester hours) With the end of the decades-long Cold War, the US has become the world's only superpower. But the problem of national and international security continue to be a dominant concern of national and international political and economic life, just as it has been for more than sixty years. Many nations continue to maintain high levels of military expenditure as a mainstay of their security policy. Yet, there has been a profound change in the nature of the threats to security since the Cold War. Some, like the threat of intentional full-scale global nuclear war, have receded. Others, like the threat posed by nuclear proliferation and the terrorism of mass destruction, have increased. From acute hot spots to longer-term questions of restructuring power and security arrangements in a post-Cold War world, understanding the deeper issues of national and international security is critical to understanding what lies behind the headlines -- and what strategies are likely to be effective in achieving real security. Topics include: the nature and meaning of security; security and military force; terrorism, accidents and accidental war; nuclear proliferation; the international arms trade; the experience of war; the economics of security policy; social and psychological factors; and strategies for achieving security by nonmilitary means. (3-0) T

POEC 6371 Urban, Rural and Regional Development (3 semester hours) Analysis of factors that drive urban and rural change and shape geographic configurations of economic activity across regional landscapes. The course looks at spatial dimensions of production, consumption and distribution; job creation dynamics; globalization-induced economic restructuring; location behaviors of firms, workers and households; and influences of finance, transportation, infrastructure, water, land use and other public goods and services on the size and form of regional growth. Effects of science and technology, international trade, environment, energy, tax, labor and competition policies are assessed, as are public sector efforts to stimulate development through industrial targeting, work force training, tax and other incentives. (3-0) T

POEC 6373 Issues in Science, Technology and Society (3 semester hours) This course explores a number of topics related to the roles of science in society and the relationship between science, technology and society. Topics include epistemological issues having to do with the conduct of scientific research, the role of scientific objectivity and the challenges to scientific objectivity posed by politics and postmodernist influences on the scientific enterprise. The course also explores the impact of technological advances upon society in areas such as biotechnology, information technology and computing, and artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology and robotics, and what kind of policy responses, if any, to these new technologies, are appropriate. The ethical dimensions posed by the increased role of science and technology in the 21st century will be an important theme of the course. (3-0) T

POEC 6377 Political Economy of Africa (3 semester hours) Review of political and economic change in Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, from the late 19th century onward. The course explores interactions between governance mechanisms and economic growth, focusing on influences of colonization, independent authoritarian and democratic rule, and experimentation with socialist and capitalist modes of development. Contemporary themes taken up include poverty reduction, migration and remittances, economic modernization and diversification, conflict, public sector debt, foreign aid, and re-colonization by emerging and other economics. (3-0) R

POEC 6379 Special Topics in Development Studies (3 semester hours) Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). (3-0) R

POEC 6391 The Political Economy of Technology and Innovation (3 semester hours) An exploration of the relationships among technological advances, markets, and societal contexts, drawing on the social sciences (especially economics and sociology), engineering, and management. The economic impacts of both established and emerging technologies on firms and industries (profit and productivity), the macroeconomy, and society (employment and earnings). Special emphasis will be devoted to how advanced technologies transform both the work of - and work in - industries throughout the economy, even as they blur the distinctions among them. (3-0) T

POEC 6392 Practice of International Development (3 semester hours) This course focuses on the management of international development processes, including the role of context in development, various conceptualizations of poverty, development actors and institutions, and the challenges of development interventions in difficult environments. (3-0) T

POEC 6v81 Special Topics in Political Economy (1-9 semester hours) Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. ([1-9]-0) S

POEC 6v91 Evaluation Research (3-6 semester hours) Individual or group project in evaluation research performed for a public or private community organization under faculty supervision. Students will normally enroll in this course for two consecutive semesters. The first semester of enrollment will culminate in the completion of a formal evaluation research proposal; the second will end with a final research report based on conclusions of the proposed research. Permission of the program coordinator required. May be repeated for a total of six semester credit hours. ([3-6]-0) Y

POEC 7306 Macroeconomic Theory and Policy (3 semester hours) Studies various schools of macroeconomic theory, their political and economic implications and the policies that flow from them. Discusses the design and implementation of policies related to inflation, unemployment, business fluctuations and long-term economic growth. (3-0) R

POEC 7319 Economics of Education (3 semester hours) This seminar examines educational policy issues from an economic perspective. The issues considered include the link between educational achievement and earnings, the role of early childhood, assessments of head start and pre-school programs, the effectiveness of compensatory education and tutoring programs, the achievement gap for poor and minority children, educational production functions, the extent and consequences of school segregation, bilingual education programs, special education programs, international comparisons of student achievement and schools, school finance, and an examination of various school reform proposals. (3-0) R

POEC 7320 (PSCI 7320) International Negotiations (3 semester hours) This course examines both the substance and the process of international negotiations. Students study the theory and analysis of negotiations and identify issues, interests and positions of the parties. The course covers the substantive areas of arms control, trade, and environmental negotiations. The course moves from the analysis of simple, bilateral negotiations with only a few issues in contention to complex multilateral negotiations. (3-0) R

POEC 7321 Seminar on Business and Government (3 semester hours) Examines the interactions between markets and the state from a comparative and public policy perspective. Special emphasis will be placed on issues involving industry regulation/deregulation, antitrust/competition, innovation/industrial policy, infrastructure investment, intellectual property, social regulation, and global trade/investment. (3-0) Y

POEC 7327 Innovation Dynamics and Economic Change (3 semester hours) Examines the convergence of the information technology and telecom industries. Explores the role of technological innovation together with economic, institutional, and legal-regulatory issues shaping the new IT-Telecom industry within both domestic and geopolitical contexts. (3-0) T

POEC 7329 Special Topics in Industry and Public Policy (3 semester hours) Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). (3-0) R

POEC 7341 Health Policy (3 semester hours) The history and political economy of the U.S. health care system and a review of major governmental programs to expand access to appropriate services, control rising costs, ensure the quality of care, and promote health through prevention. Analysis of current and recent proposals for reform of health care policy. (3-0) R

POEC 7359 Special Topics in Policy Methods (3 semester hours) Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). (3-0) R

POEC 7v26 Policy Research Workshop in Institutions and Processes (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project on the political economy of public policy decisions in the context of institutional settings, such as legislatures, executive or administrative agencies, courts, or metropolitan systems. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). ([3-9]-0) R

POEC 7v47 Policy Research Workshop in Health Care Policy (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). ([3-9]-0) R

POEC 7v62 Policy Research Workshop in Social Policy (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). ([3-9]-0) R

POEC 7v64 Policy Research Workshop in Poverty Research and Policy (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). ([3-9]-0) R

POEC 7v76 Policy Research Workshop in Development Studies (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. Topics vary from semester to semester. However, students may substitute an individual Field Research Project for this workshop; the project must be approved by the faculty of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). Prerequisites: POEC 6341, POEC 6364, and an additional course in the concentration. ([3-9]-0) R

POEC 7v77 Research Workshop in Science and Technology Policy (1-6 semester hours) This workshop will provide the student with an opportunity to pursue individual and small group research under the supervision of the instructor into various policy-related dimensions of contemporary scientific research and technological advances such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and other contemporary advances, and the impact of scientific and technological advances on culture, economy and political institutions. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. May be repeated (6 hours maximum). ([1-6]-0) T

POEC 8398 Dissertation Seminar (3 semester hours) A seminar for students preparing proposals or writing dissertations. Prerequisite: Successful completion of qualifying examination or permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. (3-0) S

POEC 8v01 Independent Study (1-9 semester hours) Provides faculty supervision for student's individual study of a topic agreed upon by the student and the faculty supervisor. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. ([1-9]-0) R

POEC 8v97 Internship (1-9 semester hours) Provides faculty supervision for a student's internship. Internships must be related to the student's coursework. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. ([1-9]-0) R

POEC 8v99 Dissertation (1-9 semester hours) Provides faculty supervision of a student's dissertation research. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. ([1-9]-0) S