What is “political economy?” That seems like a simple question, yet if you ask political economists what they study—and how and why they do it—you are likely to get a wide range of answers. Some will say political economy is an academic discipline, while others see it as an object of study, or a methodology, or a field of inquiry. This course is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on history, philosophy and the social sciences to answer the not-so-simple question “What is political economy?” We will explore the importance of identities, institutions, and ideas for answering this question, and examine the relationship between political economy, liberal democracy, the nation-state, and empire. By the end of this course students will have a clearer understanding of what “political economy” is—or should be—in a globalized world, and how an integrated form of political economy will be crucial in addressing contemporary social issues in the US and beyond.

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