Time Schedule:
Gary G. Hamilton
SIS 401
Seattle Campus
Establishment, maintenance, and decay of the post-1945 international economic order. Political economy of international trade, monetary relations, inflation, and North-South relations. Prerequisite: SIS 201 which may be taken concurrently; either ECON 201, GEOG 123 or SIS 120 any of which may be taken concurrently.
Class description
The American economy is currently experiencing a serious downturn, a decline that appears to be one of the worst since the Great Depression. Most analysts see this decline as being the result of a combination of trends, a perfect storm, if you will: collapsing housing and financial markets, on the one hand, and rising inflation (led by a powerful upsurge in petroleum prices), on the other hand. Although the United States is at the core of what is happening worldwide, the confluence of these trends shows that what we are witnessing is truly a global event, an event that has clear historical, international, and geo-political dimensions. For this introduction to international political economy, we will take advantage of the times to explore, theoretically and empirically, two of the main economic trends of the post World War II era that have led us to this perfect storm: internationalization and globalization.
Student learning goals
1. Increase knowledge of trends in political internationalization and economic globalization
2. Enhance research capabilities
3. Enhance abilities to use the world wide web for purposes of research
4. Enhance writing and composition
5. Increase awareness in current events
6. Increase willingness to participate in classroom discussions
General method of instruction
Lecture in main class, discussion in TA sessions
Recommended preparation
Junior or Senior status
Class assignments and grading
Midterm, Final, and four worksheet assignments
Grading will be based on the above assignments, as well as classroom participation
