Dr Stephanie Rickard CON6.11

This course is available on the MSc in Comparative Politics, MSc in Global Politics, MSc in Political Science and Political Economy and MSc in Public Policy and Administration. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

The course is organized around several important theoretical and empirical questions regarding the functioning of the global economy and the role of international institutions. Why do states delegate certain economic tasks and responsibilities to international institutions rather than acting unilaterally or cooperating directly? To what extent do states continue to control international organizations once authority has been delegated? To what extent do international institutions constrain national governments and their economic policies, such as trade, monetary and fiscal policy? When and under what circumstances do national governments comply with the decisions of international organizations? These questions are examined in the context of a variety of different institutions that play a role in the global economy including, for example, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, the OECD and the International Monetary Fund.

10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the LT. 2 hours of lectures and 2 hours of seminars in the ST.

Hawkins, Darren G., David A. Lake, Daniel L. Nielson, and Michael J. Tierney (2006) Delegation and Agency in International Organizations, Cambridge University Press; Ravenhill, John (2007) Global Political Economy, Oxford University Press; Rose, Andrew K. (2004) Do We Really Know That the WTO Increases Trade? American Economic Review 94(1): 98-114; Rickard, Stephanie (2010) Democratic Differences: Electoral Institutions and Compliance with GATT/WTO Agreements. European Journal of International Relations; Moravcsik, Andy (1989) Disciplining Trade Finance: The OECD Export Credit Arrangement, International Organization; Nooruddin, Irfan and Joel W. Simmons (2006). The Politics of Hard Choices: IMF Programs and Government Spending. International Organization 60: 1001-1033.

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.