Seminar in International Relations: Politics of International Finance and Development

This seminar examines how politics affects the international economy, and vice versa.  It will focus primarily on the political economy of finance and international development, across nations, issues, and time. We will explore some of the following questions: why are some countries richer than others? Why do financial crises occur? Are countries "punished" for defaulting on their debt? Is foreign aid "effective"? How does financial globalization affect domestic politics and vice-versa? The aim of the course is to equip students with the tools to better understand the relationship between financial globalization and politics.