Global political economy

This is an introductory module to the field of global political economy, aimed at students from a wide variety of backgrounds. In it you will be introduced to key issues guiding the evolution of world economic order, and the debates around this: capital, power, development, states, markets and governance.

You will trace the evolution of global capitalism from its structure in the post war era to its contemporary transnational roots.

We focus on three interrelated themes: the internationalisation of production, the globalisation of finance and the changing nature of political authority, or the state.

Although issues of economic organisation are at the heart of study of GPE, this course is not about economics per se and does not require a background in economics. Rather, the course aims to help you understand the nature of the relationship between the political and the economic in the evolution of
capitalism.

The module is built around a balance of historical and theoretical approaches in the field of GPE, and the study of practical issues, such as challenges of global governance, development and growth, and problems of global environment. By the end of the course, you should feel confident with the basic themes and history of postwar global political economy.