Teaching
- Political Economy of Public Policy (FGV, graduate)This course explores how economic power relates to political power and to public policymaking. We examine these relations in both causal directions; we will study how the political context — domestic and international — influences economic policy and economic performance, but also the means through which economic conditions influence the stability and the quality of policymaking in democracies.We start by looking at how economic conditions affect the emergence and consolidation of democratic regimes, as well as at the relations between democracy and economic performance. Subsequently, we will focus on democratic politics, investigating core topics such as the economic vote, political business cycles and the politics of income redistribution. We finish with an analysis of international influences over economic policymaking, with a focus on international financial institutions and the politics of financial market discipline.
- Political Economy of Latin America (FGV, undergraduate)Latin America has experienced dramatic political and economic changes over the past 50 years. Politically, it has witnessed swings between democratic and military rule. Economically, it has moved from state-led to market-driven development policies, only to see a strengthening of statist policies once again during the 2000s. The goal of this course is to analyze and explain these political and economic changes by focusing on two themes – democracy and development. We will start by looking at the way Latin American democracies functioned between the end of World War II and the onset of authoritarian interludes, with special emphasis on the relationship between political regime and economic performance. Next, we will move to the processes of redemocratization and economic reform occurred throughout the region during the eighties and nineties; readings will assess the domestic and international determinants of economic reforms, and consider how the prospects for democratic stability and quality are affected by changes in economic development strategy. The final section of the course will focus on current affairs, such as the resurgence of a “new left” in Latin America.
- Globalization and Development (Princeton, graduate)This is a course in international political economy, designed to provide students with a theoretical and critical understanding of the interaction between globalization and development. We will examine international patterns of trade, debt, aid, investment, and migration, as well as the impacts of these processes on economic and political development. Attention is also devoted to analyzing the role of multilateral institutions, such as the IMF and the WTO, in mediating these impacts and promoting development. The course has a particular focus on less developed nations, and inquires into the normative issues of global justice.
- The Politics of Inequality and Income Redistribution (Princeton, graduate)This segment of the Social Policy seminar focuses on the politics and political economy of inequality and the welfare state. Following a discussion of why inequality matters to politics, we will begin by presenting simple models of policy choice by self-interested voters (e.g. concerned with their own incomes and economic risks) in a purely majoritarian setting., and then extend these frameworks in two ways. First, we explore the role of different economic and political institutions such as firms, unions, parties, and electoral systems. We then consider more complex models of voter motivations including altruism, religion, and racial attitudes.
- International Political Economy (Princeton, undergraduate)This course introduces students to the study of international political economy, with a focus on globalization processes. Its main goal is to provide students with a theoretical and critical understanding on the ways international financial and trade markets interact with governments and how this interaction has changed since the post-war period. The course examines the following questions: who wins and who loses from globalization of trade and finance? Who sets the rules under which the game of international capitalism is played? How powerful are international organizations like the WTO or the IMF vis-à-vis nation-states? These issues are explored with reference to economic and political theories, history and contemporary events.
- Politics of International Finance (UCLA)This is a course in international political economy, with a focus on international finance. Its main goal is to provide students with a theoretical and critical understanding of the ways international financial markets interact with governments and how this interaction changed since the post-war period. In order to do so, the readings explore the current debate about the politics of financial globalization as well as historical texts which contextualize this debate.
