MVZ427 International Political Economy of Economic Development

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2010
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Oldřich Krpec, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Timetable
Wed 18:00–19:30 U42
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 46 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/46, only registered: 0/46
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The issue of economic development is a central one within the international political economy. Economic development will be discussed in number of perspectives during the course. The first perspective will cover the history of economy. The origin and the development of world economy and its particular centers will be presented. In this context, the issue of development is connected with searching for causes of wealth of contemporary developed countries. It is a "historical recipe" for the economic development. The second perspective will be a theoretical discussion about some of the key issues (the international trade and finances, the international institutions and aid, the multinational corporations and foreign direct investments, the international implications of domestic economic policies of certain countries, the international political structures, the colonial heritage, the neo-imperialism, and the hegemony). The third perspective will cover a dispute over the interpretation of specific periods and aspects of functioning of the contemporary world economy (the position of dependency versus neo-liberalism in the international trade and finances from 1945 till present). At the end of the course, students should be able to apply theoretical concepts (neo-liberalism, neo-Marxism, the dependency theory, the theories of state development and others) on the issue of economic development. Students will cultivate their interpretive skills and will be able to to evaluate applied policies. The aim of the course is to stimulate a critical reflection of key issues as well. This should lead to reasoned recommendations of future policies addressing specific problems in concerned regions.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction - structure, goals and requirements
  • 2. The poor and the rich – the history and the present of the world economy (the economic history), causes and the dynamics of development and underdevelopment
  • 3. The political economy of the economic development - paradigms, themes and approaches, history of the discipline
  • 4. The theoretical concepts - the neo-liberalism, the structuralism and the theory of dependency, the uneven growth, the developing country, the endogenous growth, the new geography, the strategic trade
  • 5. Seminar I.: The internal or the external conditions of the economic development? - cultural values, the geographic conditions, the colonialism
  • 6. The development strategy – import substitutions: historical causes, development, results and consequences
  • 7. The economic reforms – the neo-liberalism: the crisis of the developing country and the structural adjustment, the context of the reversal, the dispute over the Asian miracle
  • 8. Seminar II.: The international trade and the economic development – the protection of intellectual property rights, the protection of labor and social rights
  • 9. The debt crisis in developing countries - Latin America: the causes, the dynamics, the attempts to resolve the situation, the dispute over the interpretation
  • 10. The financial and monetary crises in developing countries - Asia and Latin America: the causes, the dynamics, the resolution, the dispute over the interpretation
  • 11. Seminar III.: The international finance and economic development - foreign direct investments, the conditionality
  • 12. The neo-liberalism versus the dependency theory and the alternative theories - the dispute over the interpretation of the history and the prospects for future – the convergence or the divergence?
  • 13. Final test.
Literature
  • BHAGWATI, Jagdish N. In defense of globalization. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, xi, 308. ISBN 0195170253. info
  • GILPIN, Robert. Global political economy : understanding the international economic order. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001, xii, 423 s. ISBN 0-691-08677-X. info
  • KIELY, Ray. The new political economy of development : globalization, imperialism, hegemony. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007, viii, 333. ISBN 9781403999979. info
  • MADDISON, Angus. The World economy :a millennial perspective. Paris: OECD, 2001, 383 s. ISBN 92-64-18608-5. info
  • OATLEY, Thomas. International political economy : interests and institutions in the global economy. 2nd ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2006, xiv, 432. ISBN 0321355660. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, disccusion of selected topics based on compulsory texts, elaboration of position papers, group work and presentation of conclusions, analysis of empirical facts and its interpretation, formulation of recomendations regarding the suitable policies concerning selected issues.
Assessment methods
Students are obliged to submit three preparation papers to the extent of 3600 signs for each seminar. The preparation papers should be submitted in the IS system two days before each seminar at latest. The preparation papers will be elaborated in groups of three people. Formulation of own attitude as a basis for discussion is supposed to be included in the text. Students should be able to interpret and defend their position if asked to. Students can get three points for the preparation paper of appropriate quality. The course is finished by graded test. The test contains four open questions based upon lectures and obligatory bibliography. Open questions will be scored in the range of 0-4 points. 15 points are needed to graduate the course.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2010, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2010/MVZ427