KIC

MEIGAKUKAN　MG001

English

This course is aimed at examining and understanding major issues and incidents of international/global political economy (IPE/GPE). It analyzes the main actors engaged in domestic and foreign economic policymaking and international economic institutions through a “political economy” perspective. We will apply international relations theory to some cases related to international political economy and examine them from several analytical perspectives.

In the first part of this course, we will learn major international relations theories (neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism and constructivism) and analytical perspectives relevant to the international political economy such as agency/incentives, structure/institutions and ideas. We will then examine several important issues related to international/global political economy such as trade/FDI and regional economic integration (or dis-integration), industrial and developmental policy, monetary and fiscal policy, neoliberal globalization and structural reform, labor and social welfare policy, population and immigration policy, environment and SDGs, and digitalization and economic efficiency.

There is no main textbook, but students are required to read relevant academic works including the following: "Global Political Economy: Theory and Practice", written by Theodore H. Cohn, to understand relevant IPE/GPE issues and theories; “Comparative Politics: Rationality, Culture and Structure (Second edition)”, edited by Mark Irving Lichbach and Alan S. Zuckerman, to understand analytical frameworks relevant to IPE/GPE; “The Japanese Economy”, written by the course instructor; and several books of international relations theory written by Kenneth Waltz (neorealism), Robert Keohane (neoliberal institutionalism) and Peter Katzenstein (constructivism). Students are provided with PowerPoint lecture slides in each class. The course emphasizes the importance of the interaction between students and the course instructor, and students are required to participate fully in discussions in small groups by conducting assigned reading prior to class. To assist students’ understanding, the course instructor provides several opportunities for students to watch relevant video clips in class.

Students who complete this course would be able to:
1) Discuss major contemporary issues in international political economy critically and theoretically;
2) Examine prominent issues and incidents in international political economy from a historical perspective; and
3) Construct logical arguments and support them by referring to the relevant literature in an essay.

No particular course, but I welcome students who took the Japanese Economy course in a previous academic term.

Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors)	Theme
	Keyword, References and Supplementary Information
1	Introduction
	Course overview
2-3	Theories and analytical framework for IPE/GPE
	IR theory (neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism, constructivism), Analytical perspectives of agency/interests, structure/institutions and ideas
4-5	Trade/FDI and regional economic (dis-)integration
	FTAs and regional economic integration (TPP/RCEP), America First, Brexit
6	Industrial and developmental policy
	Developmental state, industrial policy, bureaucratic regulation and interest group politics, industrial protection, dual economy
7-8	Monetary and fiscal policy and structural reform under neoliberal globalization
	Economic stagnation, Keynesianism, neoliberalism, globalization, Asian and global financial crises, Washington Consensus, structural reform
9-10	Labor and social welfare issues
	Welfare state typology, labor market reform, industrial relations, dual labor market, gender discrimination, gap society, precarious work, working poor
11-12	Population and immigration issues
	Low fertility rate, work-life balance, daycare and maternity leave, labor migration, immigration policy
13	Environment and SDGs
	Global warming, SDGs, renewable energy, global environmental governance
14	Digitalization and economic efficiency
	Economic efficiency, labor productivity, barriers to digitalization, employment maintenance, future of work
15	Review
	Summary of the course

Class 1-15: In-person (Zoom may be used when necessary)

Students are required to conduct reading of relevant academic works prior to each class.

Kind	Percentage	Grading Criteria etc.
Final Examination (Written)	0
Report Examination (A report to be submitted by the unified deadline)
Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment　 (Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class)	100	Essay (1,500-2,000 words)

The course instructor provides students with a list of essay questions and students choose one question from the list to write an essay. In the essay, students are required to present main arguments and evidence such as relevant academic sources and data. Students are required to submit the essay by the deadline.

Academic misconduct such as plagiarism and data fabrication may result in fail and an academic disciplinary action in accordance with the College's rules.

Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN Code	Comment
Global Political Economy: Theory and Practice	Theodore H. Cohn	Routledge	9781138958746
Comparative Politics: Rationality, Culture and Structure (Second edition)	Mark Irving Lichbach and Alan S. Zuckerman	Cambridge University Press	9780521712347
The Japanese Economy	Watanabe, Hiroaki Richard	Agenda Publishing / Columbia University Press	9781788210515

https://www.agendapub.com/books/59/the-japanese-economy http://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-japanese-economy/9781788210515

Nikkei Asian Review http://www.asia.nikkei.com
Financial Times http://www.ft.com

Learning Management System （manaba+R）,Talk with Students,Other (Separate instructions will be provided)

【科目ナンバリング・カリキュラムマップはこちらから/Click here to see the Curriculum-Map and Course-Numbering】
URL:http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp//students/pathways-future/course/curriculum.html