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Survey of advanced topics in political economy, with a focus on affluent democracies in North America, Western Europe, and East Asia. We will explore cross-national differences in the organization of economic, political, and social institutions, and how these produce divergent economic policies and outcomes. We will also ask how class, race, and gender affect the politics of inequality and redistribution, and we will consider the political and economic consequences of globalization, women’s economic mobilization, and new technology — including the rise of right populism. The course is taught seminar-style and restricted to a maximum of 16 advanced undergraduates

This seminar is on the political economy of policymaking and institutional change. Readings include a mixture of foundational approaches and recent research, covering a variety of methodological perspectives. The topical emphasis is on democracy, accountability, inequality, redistribution, and growth. The course provides students interested in these topics an overview over the existing literature (with a focus on recent, exciting work), an understanding of key unanswered questions and puzzles, as well as a set of theoretical and methodological tools that can be employed to answer those questions and puzzles.

Surveys major topics in comparative politics. Works of theoretical importance from both the developed and the developing world considered. Addresses such issues as development of the modern state; institutions of government; social cleavages and interest mediation; democracy and authoritarianism; revolution and political stability; political parties; mass and elite political behavior.

The Research Workshop on Positive Political Economy is a yearlong graduate seminar aimed at encouraging crossdisciplinary research and excellence in graduate training. We explore how political and economic outcomes reflect choices constrained by institutions, as well as the way in which specific institutions affect change more generally.

Students in comparative politics, regardless of regional or thematic focus, are cordially invited and encouraged to join. Faculty and graduate students meet each week to discuss work by 1-2 Workshop members, which is circulated in advance. In addition to providing a forum in which students can get feedback on their work in progress, there are sessions that deal with fieldwork, methodology, getting published, and professional development.

Deals with the economic, political, and sociological causes of labor market inequality, including educational inequality, intergenerational inheritance of advantages, discrimination, immigration, and labor market regulation. Special attention is given to the economic and social effects of such policies.

This is a lecture course that introduces advanced undergraduates to the field of comparative political economy with a focus on developed democracies in Europe, North America, and East Asia. It is part of a sequence of two courses where the other is focused on developing countries and usually taught by Robert Bates (Gov1100)