Advanced International Political Economy
TSED700200 | 3 credits

Course Description

This course introduces graduate students to international political economy (IPE), a dynamic field that examines how power, interests, institutions, and information shape economic policies and outcomes and, conversely, how international economic forces reshape political behavior and institutions. Beyond surveying foundational concepts, key theories, and influential scholarship, the course pushes students to think critically about real-world phenomena through an IPE lens. By the end of the semester, students will have a solid grounding in the major topics of IPE, the ability to engage with them from multiple theoretical angles, and the analytical tools to ask and pursue important research questions.

The course, structured into six modules, covers trade (flow of goods), foreign direct investment (flow of capital), migration (flow of people), finance (flow of money), and emerging issues, including environment, backlash against globalization, supply chain, and technology. Students engage with these topics from diverse perspectives and at multiple levels of analysis. More specifically, we will explore the following questions:

• What are the central issues and debates in IPE?
• Who are the key actors in IPE, and what interests and incentives shape their behavior?
• What are the political consequences of economic change in the global economy?
• How does globalization reshape domestic politics, and how do domestic political forces in turn shape foreign economic policy?
• In what ways do political institutions — domestic and international — structure outcomes in the global economy?
• In what ways do political institutions — domestic and international — structure outcomes in the global economy?
• How do international institutions shape the behavior of states, firms, and subnational actors?

The class is organized into two main components. First, the student discussion leader will provide a brief (five-minute) overview of the week’s theme and assigned readings. Building on this summary, the instructor will guide the session by (re)introducing the topic and situating it within the broader literature. This will be followed by an in-depth class discussion. All students are expected to complete the assigned readings in advance and come prepared to engage actively.

The second component focuses on application and empirical exploration. The session will transition to an empirical exploration segment, in which the instructor may introduce relevant methods or students will work with datasets to complete short analytical tasks. These in-class exercises will involve basic coding and empirical analysis and should be submitted by the end of the class. The primary programming language used in the course is R. No prior knowledge is required. Detailed plans for in-class assignments will be provided during class.

Politics of Firms in Globalization
TSE601600 | 3 credits

Course Description

This course provides graduate students with a foundational understanding of the politics of firms and their role in international political economy. Firms are not only key political actors that actively shape both domestic and international politics, but also entities that are themselves deeply influenced by political environments across levels. Throughout the course, you will engage with core concepts, major theoretical approaches, and influential scholarly works that define the study of the politics of firms. The aim is not only to build your conceptual grounding but also to encourage critical analysis of real-world phenomena involving firms through a political economy lens.

The course, structured into five modules, covers introduction, domestic politics, comparative politics, international political economy, and emerging issues such as geopolitics and technology. You will engage with topics including the role of firms in domestic politics, their policy preferences, variations in political and economic systems across countries and their impact on firms, and global issues such as trade, foreign investment, and supply chains. More specifically, we will explore the following questions:

• How do we conceive of firms as political actors?
• What are firms’ policy preferences?
• How do firms influence politics?
• How do institutions influence behavior of firms?
• How do we measure the impact?
• How do firms react to political changes or geopolitics?
• What are some emerging issues in politics of firms in globalization?

The class is organized into two main components. First, the student discussion leader will provide a brief (five-minute) overview of the week’s theme and assigned readings. Building on this summary, the instructor will guide the session by (re)introducing the topic and situating it within the broader literature. This will be followed by an in-depth class discussion. All students are expected to complete the assigned readings in advance and come prepared to engage actively.