Should The United States Pursue Free Trade Agreements?

The position papers should be 3-4 page argumentative essays. You will pick a ¡°Policy Analysis and Debate¡± topic from the IPE text. They can be found on pages 41, 75, 99, 131, 151, 199, 221, 239, 267, 286, 315, and 335. Each of them gives a brief overview of an issue and question to be answered. They also offer up different possible policy options and a few questions to help you analyze those options. You must choose a position and defend it. I expect you to make use of and cite at least three sources other than your textbook.

U.S. Economic History

Texts:

International Political Economy, 5e, Thomas Oatley (IPE)

            Kicking Away the Ladder, Ha-Joon Chang (KAL)

            The Globalization Paradox, Dani Rodrik (GP)

Course Objectives:

            After completing this class, students should be able to:

• Understand and distinguish the perspectives or paradigms within which scholars approach the field of international political economy.
• Understand basic concepts and methods of Economics, Political Science, and History (such as the development over time in the modern world of “the state” and “the market”) as they apply to the postwar world system.
• Recognize the value and importance of approaching a subject from an interdisciplinary standpoint.
• Explain the growth and development of the types of economic and political systems, and their international interaction, in the post-World War 2 era.
• Understand how contemporary international monetary and trade regimes work, and how these developed out of prior international arrangements.
• Understand the basis for conflict and cooperation between and among states in the current world system.
• Recognize the differences in economic and political “development” among countries in the international system, and evaluate the theories and perspectives explaining those differences.
• Understand the basis of current conflicts and issues in the international political economy, trade disagreements, conflict over the role of multinational corporations, the world debt crisis, the role of international institutions, IMF, World Bank. etc.).

Grading:

Evaluation of student performance will be based on weekly quizzes, three argumentative essays, and class participation.  The relative weights are as follows.   A grade scale is listed below and each component is described in more detail.

            Quizzes                                   30%     Every Friday

            Position Paper #1                    20%     10/21

            Position Paper #2                    20%     11/18

            Position Paper #3                    20%     12/9

            Engaged Attendance              10%     Daily

            Total                                       100%

            100-94 A, 93-90 A-, 89-87 B+, 86-83 B, 82-80 B-, 79-77 C+, 76-73 C, 72-70 C-,

            69-67 D+, 66-60 D,  59 > F

            Quizzes

Quizzes will be multiple choice, T/F, and/or short answer.  They will be given every Friday.  You will be allowed to drop two quizzes.  No makeups will be given.

            Position Paper

            The position papers should be 3-4 page argumentative essays.  You will pick a “Policy Analysis and Debate” topic from the IPE text.  They can be found on pages 41, 75, 99, 131, 151, 199, 221, 239, 267, 286, 315, and 335.   Each of them gives a brief overview of an issue and question to be answered.  They also offer up different possible policy options and a few questions to help you analyze those options.   You must choose  a position and defend it.  I expect you to make use of and cite at least three sources other than your textbook.             

            Some general rules apply to the writing assignments.  First, all of these assignments should be typed, double-spaced, using standard font sizes and margins. Second, your grade will be based in part on whether or not you have expressed yourself clearly. Spelling, grammar, and organization matter. Third, if you use material from any source, you must clearly indicate your source, and if you directly quote any material, you must clearly indicate what has been quoted (along with indicating your source). If you quote material without clearly indicating so, you will receive a 0 for the assignment. If you have any questions about this, please discuss them with me. Finally, late assignments will not receive full credit. If you know that you are going to miss class on the day an assignment is due, please make some arrangement for getting the work to me before class.  Late work will be docked 10% a day.  

If you need help with writing, then please visit the Writing Lab.  The earlier you make contact with them the better. http://bellevuecollege(dot)edu/asc/writing/

            Engaged Attendance

Participation points will be based on random attendance checks. Students will also be expected to arrive on time each day.  Attendance will be called at the beginning of class.  I will select 11 days at random and grade your engaged attendance.  You must not only be physically present, but also mentally engaged. I will drop the lowest of the 11 and the remainder will equal 10% of your final grade.  Attendance and preparation matter to your grade!!!

            Instructor Expectations

                        I expect students to show up to class prepared, participate in discussion, and not     distract other students.  If you and your personal electronics become a distraction to other      students, then you will be dismissed for the day and warned.  If it is a recurrent problem,       then you will be referred to the Vice President of Student Services for removal from the       class and any disciplinary action that office deems appropriate.

Class Calendar

Week 1  9/23

• Syllabi and Introductions 
• Cohort Formation, IPE 1 –International Political Economy
• IPE 2 – The WTO and the world trade system

Week 2 9/30

• IPE 3 – The Political Economy of International Trade Cooperation

Week 3 10/7

• IPE 4 – A Society Centered Approach to Trade Politics
• IPE 5 – A State Centered Approach to Trade Politics

Week 4 10/14

• IPE 6 – Trade and Development I: Import Substitution Industrialization
• IPE 7 – Trade and Development II: Economic Reform

Week 5 10/21 – Position Paper #1 Due 10/21, NO class on 10/23

• KAL 1 – Introduction: How did the Rich Countries Really Become Rich?, GP 1 – Of Markets and States, GP 2 – The Rise and Fall of the First Great Globalization
• KAL 2 – Policies for Economic Development, GP 7 – Poor Countries in a Rich World
• KAL 3 – Institutions and Economic Development, GP 8 – Trade Fundamentalism in the Tropics
• KAL 4 – Lessons for the Present

Week 6 10/28

• IPE 8 – Multinational Corporations in the Global Economy
• IPE 9 – the Politics of Multinational Corporations

Week 7 11/4

• IPE 10 – The International Monetary System
• IPE 11 – Cooperation, Conflict, and Crisis in the Contemporary Int’l Monetary System

Week 8 11/12 – No class 11/11

• IPE 12 – A Society Centered Approach to Monetary and Exchange Rate Policies
• IPE 13 – A State Centered Approach to Monetary and Exchange Rate Policies

Week 9 11/18 – Position Paper #2 Due 11/18

• IPE 14 – Developing Countries and Int’l Finance I: Latin American Debt

Week 10 11/25 – No class 11/28, 11/29

• IPE 15 – Developing Countries and Int’l Finance II: A Decade of Crises

Week 11 12/2

• IPE 16 – Globalization: Consequences and Controversies
• GP 9 – The Political Trilemma of the World Economy

Final Exam Period  - Monday 12/9 - 11:30 a.m. - Position Paper #3 Due

This course schedule is intended to give students an idea as to the content of the course and a rough reading schedule.  It is not meant to be taken as fixed, permanent, eternal, etc.   If the need arises changes will be made.

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