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Political Economy with tracks in Economics, Political Science, and Public Policy


The field of political economy examines the many intersections of politics and markets, within and between countries. While applying a broad array of approaches, political economy emphasizes empirical analysis, while attending also to the context of history and theoretically and normatively significant claims about the way in which politics and markets work. Substantively, the field concerns interactions between economic and political development (does prosperity fuel democracy?); cooperation and conflict among nations, groups, and individuals (what causes civil war?); the distribution and redistribution of material resources and economic power (who gets what?); the effects of political actors and political structures upon economic outcomes (how do autocracies promote growth?); the effects of economic actors and economic structures upon political outcomes (how does inequality foster corruption?); the political causes and consequences of technological and structural change, growth, and globalization (how do party systems integrate new issues?); and the politics of regulation, market interventions, and global governance (how can policy address climate change?). Students can choose among three disciplinary tracks: Economics, Political Science, or Public Policy.

 

Major Requirements

(Not every course listed is offered every term, and the course list will be updated periodically. Please refer to the online Course Catalog for Courses offered in 2023-2024.)

Political Economy / Economics

Divisional Foundation Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

SOSC 101

Foundational Questions in Social Science

4

And choose one from the following two courses

MATH 101

Introductory Calculus

4

MATH 105

Calculus

4

Interdisciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

STATS 101

Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods

4

ECON 101

Economics Principles

4

POLECON 201

International Political Economy

4

ETHLDR 202

Ethics, Markets, Politics

4

POLECON 301

Development

4

POLECON 302 / GCHINA 301

China’s Economic Transition

4

POLECON 490

Senior Seminar: Advanced Topics

4

 

Disciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

ECON 201

Intermediate Microeconomics I

4

ECON 202

Intermediate Microeconomics II

4

ECON 203

Introduction to Econometrics

4

ECON 204

Intermediate Macroeconomics

4

And complete one of the following courses

ECON 301

Health Economics

4

ECON 302/ ENVIR 302

Environmental Economics

4

ECON 303

Financial Institutions

4

ECON 304

Economic Growth

4

ECON 307

History of Monetary and International Crises

4

ECON 309

Behavioral Finance

4

ECON 310

Urban Economics

4

ECON 314

International Trade

4

ECON 333

Social and Economic Networks

4

Electives

Courses listed in the table below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year.  (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

Applied Microeconomic Analysis

BEHAVSCI 101

Introduction to Behavioral Science

4

BEHAVSCI 102

Mechanisms of Human Behavior

4

SOSC 204

Business Ethics

4

ECON 301

Health Economics

4

ECON 302/ ENVIR 302

Environmental Economics

4

ECON 333

Social and Economic Networks

4

ECON 404/ ENVIR 404

Environmental Justice: The Economics of Race, Place and Pollution

4

Macroeconomics and Financial Economics

ECON 303

Financial Institutions

4

ECON 304

Economic Growth

4

ECON 307

History of Monetary and International Crises

4

ECON 309

Behavioral Finance

4

ECON 314

International Trade

4

ECON 317/ MATH 317

Quantitative Finance

4

Government and Policy

PUBPOL 301

Political Analysis for Public Policy

4

POLSCI 307

Political Economy of Institutions

4

POLSCI 308

Global Governance

4

PUBPOL 315/ ECON 315

Public Sector Economics

4

POLSCI 318

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in the History of Ideas

4

POLECON 401/ GCHINA 401

Political Economy of Chinese Reform

4

Optional Signature Work Preparation (Students are encouraged to complete at least one 300-level economics course before submitting a Signature Work Project Proposal.)

POLSCI 301

Program Evaluation

4

WOC 211

Composing Research 1: Developing a Research Proposal

4

WOC 212

Composing Research 2: Developing a Research Paper

4

SOSC 314

Computational Social Science

4

SOSC 320

Data in the World: Applied Social Statistics

4

 

Political Economy / Political Science

Divisional Foundation Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

SOSC 101

Foundational Questions in Social Science

4

SOSC 102

Introduction to Research Methods

4

Interdisciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

STATS 101

Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods

4

ECON 101

Economics Principles

4

POLECON 201

International Political Economy

4

ETHLDR 202

Ethics, Markets, Politics

4

POLECON 301

Development

4

POLECON 302 / GCHINA 301

China’s Economic Transition

4

POLECON 490

Senior Seminar: Advanced Topics

4

Disciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

POLSCI 101

International Politics

4

POLSCI 104[1]

Comparative Politics and Institutions

4

ETHLDR 203

Conceptions of Democracy and Meritocracy

4

POLSCI 301

Program Evaluation

4

POLSCI 302

Public Opinion

4

Electives

Courses listed in the table below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year.  (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

International Relations

HIST 110

Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Global Issues

4

POLECON 105

China and the Global South

2

HIST 202[2]

Global Interactions in a Historical Perspective

4

SOSC 204

Business Ethics

4

POLSCI 210

International Relations in East Asia

4

POLSCI 221

US/China Relations

4

POLSCI 303

International Politics of East Asia

4

POLSCI 305

American Capitalism in the World

4

POLSCI 308

Global Governance

4

POLSCI 310

America in the World

4

Comparative Politics

BEHAVSCI 101

Introduction to Behavioral Science

4

POLSCI 222[3]

Social Choice and Democracy

4

POLSCI 315

American Politics in Comparative Perspective

4

POLSCI 105

Contemporary Political Ideologies

4

POLSCI 106

Political Rhetoric, Crisis, and Leadership

4

POLSCI 209

Democratic Erosion

4

POLSCI 214/ CULANTH 214

Authoritarianism and the Struggle for Democracy in Latin America

4

POLSCI 307

Political Economy of Institutions

4

POLSCI  313

Political Psychology

4

POLSCI 316

Sino-African relations in History and Present

4

POLSCI 318

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in the History of Ideas

4

Optional Signature Work Preparation

STATS 102

Introduction to Data Science

4

WOC 211

Composing Research 1: Developing a Research Proposal

4

WOC 212

Composing Research 2: Developing a Research Paper

4

SOSC 314

Computational Social Science

4

SOSC 320

Data in the World: Applied Social Statistics

4

Political Economy / Public Policy

Divisional Foundation Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

SOSC 101

Foundational Questions in Social Science

4

SOSC 102

Introduction to Research Methods

4

Interdisciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

STATS 101

Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods

4

ECON 101

Economics Principles

4

POLECON 201

International Political Economy

4

ETHLDR 202

Ethics, Markets, Politics

4

POLECON 301

Development

4

POLECON 302/ GCHINA 301

China’s Economic Transition

4

POLECON 490

Senior Seminar: Advanced Topics

4

Disciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

PUBPOL 101

Introduction to Policy Analysis

4

PUBPOL 301

Political Analysis for Public Policy

4

PUBPOL 303

Policy Choice as Value Conflict 

4

PUBPOL 315/ ECON 315

Economics of the Public Sector

4

Choose one course from the following two courses

ECON 201

Intermediate Microeconomics I

4

PUBPOL 205[4]

Microeconomic Policy Tools 

4

Electives

Courses listed in the table below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year.  (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

Social and Urban Policy

PUBPOL 106

Urbanizing China: Spatial and Social Dynamics in Chinese Cities

2

CULMOVE

203

Wealth, Inequality, and Power

4

SOSC 204

Business Ethics

4

PUBPOL 212

Immigrant Dreams, U.S. Realities: Immigration Policy History

4

PUBPOL 220

Introduction to Regulatory Governance

4

PUBPOL 221

Comparative Social Policy

4

SOCIOL 306

Contemporary Population Problems

4

ECON 310

Urban Economics

4

HIST 316/ PUBPOL 316

The Modern Regulatory State

4

Global Policy

POLECON 105

China and the Global South

2

SOCIOL 306

Contemporary Population Problems

4

CULANTH 314 / POLSCI 314

Refugees and the Biopolitics of Citizenship

4

POLSCI 307

Political Economy of Institutions

4

PUBPOL 306

International Development and Poverty

4

POLSCI 318

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in the History of Ideas

4

PUBPOL 318

How to Change the World: The Role of Non-State Actors

4

Government and Policy

PUBPOL 219/ POLSCI 219

The U.S. Legal System: Lawyers, Judges, Lawmakers, & Bureaucrats

4

PUBPOL 220

Introduction to Regulatory Governance

4

PUBPOL 311

Economic and Political History of the European Union

4

PUBPOL 318

How to Change the World: The Role of Non-State Actors

4

Optional Signature Work Preparation

STATS 102

Introduction to Data Science

4

WOC 211

Composing Research 1: Developing a Research Proposal

4

WOC 212

Composing Research 2: Developing a Research Paper

4

SOSC 314

Computational Social Science

4

SOSC 320

Data in the World: Applied Social Statistics

4

POLSCI 301

Program Evaluation

4

[1] This course was numbered and named POLSCI 201 Political Institutions and Processes prior to fall term 2022.

[2] This course was named HIST 202 World History and Global Interactions prior to fall term 2022.

[3] This course was named POLSCI 102 World History and Global Interactions prior to fall term 2023.

[4] This course was numbered PUBPOL 304 prior to fall term 2022.