Field Description

International Political Economy (IPE) analyzes the interaction between politics and economics within a global context.  Together, the POIR course offerings for this field provide an overview of those conceptual approaches, critical turning points, and key issues that have characterized the international political economy since the first wave of globalization in the 19th century. Candidates master the most influential bodies of theory in international relations and in IPE.  Other key points of analysis include, but are not limited to, major IPE issue areas such as finance or trade, international institutions such as the World Bank or World Trade Organization (WTO), and the manner in which a given issue or institution has affected specific countries or sub-regions of the global economy.

The gateway course for the field includes: a comparison of the two waves of globalization in the 19th and 20th centuries; a detailed analysis of the post-World War II Bretton Woods era, including the design of formal rules and institutions to oversee heightened flows of international trade and finance; and, a review of those main themes and burning issues that have dominated late 20th century academic and policy debates.  The latter covers, for example, the proliferation of regional integration agreements, the eruption of numerous financial crises, the changing profile of multinational corporations and foreign direct investment, those political economic challenges related to the rise of China, India and other emerging market countries within the IPE, and the most pressing collective action dilemmas that have slowed recent efforts to deepen the globalization process.

The IPE faculty are engaged in research on a number of these topics.  Apart from the gateway course, POIR faculty offer seminars in special topics like Economic Bargaining in Theory and Practice, IPE of the Pacific Rim, IPE and Development, and Foreign Economic Policies of Advanced Industrial States.  Students who wish to combine IPE with a regional or specific country focus have access to a rich array of courses offered in the field of Comparative Politics.  Candidates can deepen their expertise in Economics and their competitiveness in the job market by presenting a special third field in Economics (see Part 3).

Core Faculty
Saori N. Katada
John Odell
Nicholas Weller
Carol Wise *
* Field Coordinator

Field Requirements

To complete this field, the student must take IR500, IR541, and at least one elective course in the field of IPE listed below.

Courses in International Political Economy

IR 500: International Relations Theory
IR 525: State and Society in International Relations
IR 541: Politics of the World Economy
IR 542: Foreign Economic Policies of Industrial Capitalist States
IR 543: Politics of International Money and Trade Relations
IR 545: International Political Economy of Development
IR 547: The Political Economy of Global Space and Environment
IR 550: Economic Bargaining Theory and Practice
IR 551: International Political Economy of the Pacific Rim
IR 581: International Relations of the Middle East
IR 599: Migration and Diaspora

Field Reading List

A recommended reading list for the field exam is maintained by the field coordinator.  Each year the IPE coordinator will consult with the other IPE faculty in updating the reading list, adding new items and deleting others.

Language Requirement

IPE students must satisfy the language requirement as defined in these guidelines.  The student may petition to waive this language requirement on the grounds that he or she does not plan to write a dissertation in this field

Sample Program of Study

Year 1:
IR 500,
IR 541

Year 2:
Electives in fall or spring semesters; completion of substantive paper prior to sitting for the IPE qualifying exam in semester 5

Year 3:
Sit for qualifying exams during fall semester; complete 60 course units and satisfy language requirement by the end of spring semeste