PSCI 3213: International Political Economy

Analyzes issues at the intersection of international politics and international economics. Utilizes theories and concepts from both economics and political science to understand issues in trade, finance, development and migration.

Learning Objectives 

• Analyze how international trade affects different social groups using society-centered and state-centered approaches to trade politics;
• Evaluate competing arguments for and against free trade, drawing on empirical evidence and major theoretical perspectives in IPE;
• Explain the political dynamics of foreign direct investment and multinational corporations, including debates around labor standards and regulatory competition;
• Compare different international monetary systems and assess the political implications of exchange rate regimes and capital mobility;
• Assess how globalization affects economic development, with a focus on the effectiveness of trade and financial policies in developing countries;
• Critically engage with theories of public opinion and policy formation on immigration within the context of international political economy.
   

In this course, you will

Put concepts into practice by analyzing current global events, such as:

   Supply Chains Under Tariff Pressure
Analyze how recent US tariffs on steel and aluminum have reshaped global supply chains — where production has shifted, which countries and firms have gained or lost and how affected governments have responded.

   Currency Crises and Political Fallout
Analyze the recent undervaluation of the Japanese yen, including what drove the shift, its economic effects, how the Japanese government responded and what political consequences followed.

   Check Tariffs at Checkout
Analyze the Trump-era tariffs on Chinese imports: what was taxed, what happened to prices, who gained and who lost, and whether the tariffs achieved their stated goals or simply shifted costs.

   Migration, Remittances and Development
Analyze recent data and policy debates on how remittances to Mexico shape its development, inequality and domestic politics.
 

Meet Your Instructor

Adrian Shin

  adrian.shin@colorado.edu 

Adrian J. Shin is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. He studies the political economy of international migration, inequality and globalization, with work published in leading journals such as Comparative Political Studies, International Studies Quarterly, and Economics and Politics. He earned his PhD from the University of Michigan and has taught courses on international migration, inequality and public policy, and global political economy.