Liberalism and Nationalism, Struggle to Describe the World in Four Decades
. Be able to draw informed comparisons between different societies and courses of social development.
Students are invited to write a paper that explains the basic aspects of the three major schools of thought in international political economy (IPE). Then, students will utilize the three IPE schools to compare and contrast the global political economy of the 1970s/80s and the global political economy since the beginning of the 21st century. The criterion level to assess the paper is that it could it theoretically be submitted to a student-driven social science journal for possible publication.
Papers are assessed for writing (academic tone, grammar, style, flow) (50 points), ability to make an argument/claim (50 points) and using evidence from contemporary issues to support the arguments presented (50 points).
Baseline readings:
• Gilpin, Political Economy of International Relations
• Steger, Chapters 3-6
Other potential sources for background reading:
• Commanding Heights (Yergin and Stanislaw)
• Fulcher, Preface, Chapters 3 and 6
Robert Gilpin states the following on p. 25 of the reading assigned : “Although my values are of liberalism, the world in which we live is one best described by the ideas of economic nationalism and occasionally by those of Marxism as well.” Why does Gilpin make this claim?
Finally, if you were asked by Professor Gilpin to write an introduction to his new book today, which of the three international political economic perspectives would you argue as best describing the current global international economic situation since the beginning of the 21st century? Again, use the sources I provided above to substantiate you claim. Perhaps read Steger with an eye for the various “schools” of thought in each of the chapters in which he highlights the various perspectives on the political, economic, cultural, and ecological dimensions of globalization. So, for instance, if you find that you are more of a “skeptic” in globalization debates as they relate to politics, you might look for examples in the current political situation in the early 21st century in which states still have the final say about globalization processes. On the other hand, if you are a Zakarian/Friedman optimist, you would want to look for examples that might demonstrate that the nation-state is increasingly unnecessary/powerless/unable to stop the globalization process.