Document Type
Undergraduate Syllabus
Date
Fall 2015
School
Diplomacy
Course Number
DIPL 4555 AA & AB
Course Description
This course examines the causes and consequences of international trade using an economics framework. The first half of the semester covers basic trade theories to explain why nations trade, what they trade, and the patterns of trade (what they trade with whom), and who gain/lose from trade. We will explore the effects of trade on economic growth and wage inequality, the role: of multinationals, and international movements in labor (migration) and capital (FDI) as alternatives to traditional trade in goods and services. The second half of the course covers welfare and policy implications of trade. We will cover topics in trade regulation, trade policy for developing countries, and recent controversies in trade policy.
Textbook readings and models of trade are supplemented with relevant newspaper or magazine articles throughout the semester. The course is both lecture-based and discussion driven, giving you an opportunity to demonstrate your grasp of concepts. Coursework includes both individual work designed to develop your knowledge of trade models, and a group project where you will delve deeply into a current trade issue and synthetically apply the concepts learnt in class.
The objectives of this course are to:
1. Build on your economic courses to gain a deeper understanding of the economics of international trade.
2. Understand the importance of models used in economic analyses.
3. Apply the economic knowledge learnt to frame and solve problems in trade both analytically and graphically.
4. Critically reading news media (e.g. The Economist) from a technical perspective. This includes analyzing trade issues using the trade models, and assess if observations in real life or claims in media are consistent with models.
5. Work in a group environment to product: an in-depth analysis of a current trade topic by (at the very least) using the frameworks learnt in class.
Recommended Citation
Alam, Nabeela N. PhD, "DIPL 4555 AA/AB Economic Aspects of International Relations" (2015). Diplomacy Syllabi. 275.
https://scholarship.shu.edu/diplomacy-syllabi/275
