Dr Noah Zucker CBG.9.03

This course is available on the BSc in International Relations, BSc in International Relations and Chinese, BSc in International Relations and History and BSc in Politics and International Relations. This course is not available as an outside option. This course is available with permission to General Course students.

This course has a limited number of places (it is capped).

There are no formal prerequisites, but prior coursework in international political economy (e.g., IR206) will be useful.

Why has climate change proven to be such a challenging issue for global governance? How will intensified climate disruptions and decarbonization transform countries' economies and politics? Who are the winners and losers of these transitions and how are they shaping climate governance today? This course will address these questions in a survey of the political economy of climate change. We will explore cutting-edge research on climate politics and critically analyze various theoretical concepts and models, assess the advantages and drawbacks of different empirical approaches, and draw connections to core debates in international political economy and political science. Students will gain familiarity with the frontier of climate politics scholarship, learn how to constructively critique academic work, and develop skills in designing and executing rigorous political economy research.

Note that this is a research-focused course, with an emphasis on close reads of research articles and special attention paid to theory development and empirical methods. The course will thus be especially useful for students planning to write a dissertation (IR398).

10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the WT.

Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6, in line with departmental policy.

Students will be expected to produce an outline of the summative essay in the WT.

• Waldinger. 2022. “The Economic Effects of Long-Term Climate Change: Evidence from the Little Ice Age.” Journal of Political Economy.
• Ross. 2008. “Oil, Islam, and Women.” American Political Science Review.
• Sprinz and Vaahtoranta. 1994. “The Interest-Based Explanation of International Environmental Policy.” International Organization.
• Clark and Zucker. 2023. “Climate Cascades: IOs and the Prioritization of Climate Action.” American Journal of Political Science.
• Barrett. 2003. Environment and Statecraft: The Strategy of Environmental Treaty-Making. Oxford University Press.
• Kennard. 2020. “The Enemy of My Enemy: Why Firms Support Climate Change Regulation.” International Organization.
• Colantone, Di Lonardo, Margalit, and Percoco. 2023. “The Political Consequences of Green Policies: Evidence from Italy.” American Political Science Review.
• Bush and Clayton. 2023. “Facing Change: Gender and Climate Change Attitudes Worldwide.” American Political Science Review.
• Buntaine, Greenstone, He, Liu, Wang, and Zhang. 2024. “Does the Squeaky Wheel Get More Grease? The Direct and Indirect Effects of Citizen Participation on Environmental Governance in China.” American Economic Review.
• Graham and Serdaru. 2020. “Power, Control, and the Logic of Substitution in Institutional Design: The Case of International Climate Finance.” International Organization.

Essay (80%, 2500 words) in the ST.
Class participation (20%) in the WT.

Class participation will be comprised of general class participation (15%) and discussion leadership (5%).