Fall/Winter Timetable

POL2322H1S L0101

Undergraduate Course Code: POL443H1S L0101

Topics in Comparative Politics II

Globalization, Democracy and Growth

Themes

Comparative political economy is the study of how political context influences economic policy choice and economic performance. It has been one of the most active research areas in political science over the past twenty years, as scholars in have placed a renewed emphasis on the way in which political institutions influence economic outcomes. In this course we will focus on the link between institutions and economic policy, asking first how representative democracy influences economic performance, and subsequently examining the effect on economic outcomes of specific democratic institutions, such as the separation of powers or delegation to unelected officials like central bankers. In so doing we will also ask whether globalization has altered the relationship between democratic institutions and economic policy choices. Empirical studies in the field of comparative political economy have used both qualitative historical methods and quantitative comparisons across broad groups of countries. We will read studies that use both of these approaches, and as a result, students taking the course should be familiar with quantitative methods in political science.

Texts

Links to readings in the form of journal articles and working papers will be made available. The purchase of Drazen, Allan, (2000), Political Economy in Macroeconomics, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, is recommended.

Format and Requirements

TBA