Comparative political economy

The course has two main objectives. First, it aims at introducing students to the contemporary study of international political economy (IPE), by providing them with the conceptual and analytical tools to address and understand how politics and economics interact at the global, regional and national level. To this end, the course will discuss the major theoretical and analytical frameworks in the field of IPE and apply them to important contemporary empirical issues related to the impact and implications of globalization. Second, the course aims at providing the fundamental theoretical and analytical tools for the comparative study of welfare state development and reform. In doing so, the course will focus on cross-national and cross-regime comparisons of welfare state institutions, addressing both long-term transformations and recent developments.

Knowledge and understanding: students are expected to acquire a basic knowledge and critical understanding of key topics in international political economy and comparative welfare state research, including: the integration of national economies and financial markets; global trade regimes and global value chains; the crisis of democratic capitalism; the variety of welfare regimes; the political economy of European welfare capitalism; the new politics of the welfare state; the social investment turn.
Applying knowledge and understanding: through the critical review of selected case studies, students will develop the ability to apply their knowledge and understanding to address contemporary empirical issues in the fields of international political economy and welfare state reform.
Making judgements: students will be introduced to a plurality of perspectives as a way to improve their capacity to deal with different arguments and claims in a critical way.
Communication skills: the course will develop students' ability to organize and communicate what they have learned, through group activities and class presentations.
Learning skills: the course aims at strengthening student's analytical skills, training them to be autonomous in collecting, organizing, and presenting data and empirical evidence.