GRA 5914 Global Politics: International Political Economy and World Trade

GRA 5914 Global Politics: International Political Economy and World Trade

Course code: 
GRA 5914
Department: 
Law and Governance
Credits: 
6
Course coordinator: 
Nick Sitter
Marit Sjøvaag
Course name in Norwegian: 
Global Politics: International Political Economy and World Trade
Product category: 
Master
Portfolio: 
MSc in Business - Elective course
Semester: 
2018 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

This is an introductory international political economy course and requires no previous knowledge of the subject. The central focus is on global politics and international trade, the processes of globalization that drive change in international political economy (IPE), and international organizations and international public policy (IPP) regimes designed to manage international trade and the world economy. The course includes case studies of world trade, and sectors such as energy and information technology.

The course addresses international developments since the end of the Cold War, and– more specifically trends and patterns related to democratisation, economic growth and trade as well as stability or change in international relations. It covers theories of international relations (IR), and addresses the great questions of international political economy, including the ‘end of history’ thesis, the relationship between democracy and economic growth/stability, developments in world trade and efforts to build sustainable international institutions to regulate this.

The course also addresses the EU'’s external relations, including some focus on Norway'’s relationship with the EU and international free trade regimes.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

The course is designed to provide students with tools and frameworks for analysing current debates and controversies related to the EU and world trade, including the EU's relationship with Norway and organisations such as the WTO, as well as current debates on the design and operation of international organisations. This includes the main institutions that have been established to liberalise (GATT) and manage (WTO) world trade, as well as issues such as climate change (Paris accord). Other international organisations related to democracy, security and human rights are also addressed.

Learning outcomes - Skills

Students will gain a thorough understanding of research methods in IR, IPE, IPP and global governance, and be in a position to engage critically with the research-based literature in this field.

Students will be able to analyze international and global political, economic and social institutions and organizations, the relationship between them, and the dynamics of stability and change.

Students will be applying analytical tools and empirical knowledge to practical problems in new settings related to global politics.

Students will gain experience in identifying and assessing policy problems, choosing appropriate analytical tools and applying them to current issues in global politics, IR, IPP and IPE.

Learning Outcome - Reflection

Students will be able to assess and evaluate international public policy options and actual policies in terms of both efficiency and justice.

Students will be in a position to assess the economic, ethical, social and political dimensions of international and global public policy, and to evaluate it in term of norms such as the rule of law, transparency, accountability and legitimacy.

Students will be able to adopt a multi-level (national, regional and global) perspective on political economy and public policy and understand the parameters within which global and international policies are developed and implemented at the national level.

Course content
  1. Stability and change in international relations since the end of the Cold War, and International Relations theory
  2. Globalisation and new patterns of international politics
  3. International Political Economy and International Public Policy
  4. International trade from GATT to WTO, free trade and development; international regimes and regulation
  5. The EU'’s relationship with other international organisations and its role in global politics, with particular focus on free trade regimes (the WTO) and the relationship with the USA.
  6. Norway’s changing links with the EU, and her participation in international institutions.
Learning process and requirements to students

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on It's learning or text book.

This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course starts.

At resit, all exam components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Qualifications

All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have spesific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.

Exam categoryWeightInvigilationDurationGroupingComment exam
Exam category:
Activity
Form of assessment:
Presentation
Exam code:
GRA59141
Grading scale:
Point scale
Grading rules:
Internal examiner
Resit:
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
15No -Group ( 2 - 3) Presentation
Exam category:
Submission
Form of assessment:
Written submission
Exam code:
GRA59141
Grading scale:
Point scale
Grading rules:
Internal examiner
Resit:
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
15No1 Semester(s)Individual Assignment
Exam category:
Submission
Form of assessment:
Written submission
Exam code:
GRA59141
Grading scale:
Point scale
Grading rules:
Internal and external examiner
Resit:
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
70No1 Semester(s)Individual Term paper
Exams:
Exam category:Activity
Form of assessment:Presentation
Weight:15
Invigilation:No
Grouping (size):Group (2-3)
Duration: -
Comment: Presentation
Exam code:GRA59141
Grading scale:Point scale
Resit:All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category:Submission
Form of assessment:Written submission
Weight:15
Invigilation:No
Grouping (size):Individual
Duration:1 Semester(s)
Comment:Assignment
Exam code:GRA59141
Grading scale:Point scale
Resit:All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category:Submission
Form of assessment:Written submission
Weight:70
Invigilation:No
Grouping (size):Individual
Duration:1 Semester(s)
Comment:Term paper
Exam code:GRA59141
Grading scale:Point scale
Resit:All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam organisation: 
Continuous assessment
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Total weight: 
100
Sum workload: 
0

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.