What is the relationship between politics and economics? How has the relationship changed over time? What is the ideal relationship between politics and economics, states and markets, democracy and capitalism? These are some of the fundamental questions of the field of political economy.
The fundamental concepts and questions of political economy are introduced to students as they read the works of major political and economic thinkers. The course surveys the market system from its foundation in the thought of Aristotle and Khaldun to its nineteenth and twentieth century exponents and critics, including Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes. Most importantly, the course acquaints students with more contemporary approaches such as feminism, anti-racism and environmental political economy.
Theories and Approaches to Political Economy encourages students to cultivate a greater appreciation of the relationship between politics and economics, and how the integration of the two has produced the distinctive tradition of political economy. It explains the interdependence of political and ideological issues of power and the allocation of resources with economic problems such as unemployment, poverty, and inflation. This course should appeal to all students who want a basic course on the fundamental questions concerning the relationship between politics and economics.
Outline
The course consists of the following ten units.
Unit 1: What Is Political Economy? Background and Context
Unit 2: Ancient and Mercantilist Foundations
Unit 3: Smith, Ricardo and Malthus
Unit 4: Marx and Early Marxian Approaches to Political Economy
Unit 5: Marginalist Economics: The Utilitarianism of Jevons, Menger and Walras
Unit 6: Economic Sociology: Weber, Schumpeter and Galbraith
Unit 7: Thorstein Veblen and John Maynard Keynes
Unit 8: The Rise of Neoliberalism: The Austrian and Chicago Schools
Unit 9: Intersectional Analysis
Unit 10: The Revival of Critical Political & the Future of Capitalism
Objectives
Compare and contrast various theories of political economy
Explain the relationship between pre-capitalist and capitalist societies
Apply abstract theoretical concepts of political economy to contemporary issues
Develop analytical and writing skills
Explain how political economy has been transformed over the last two centuries
Identify key issues and concerns pertaining to the future of capitalism
Evaluation
To receive credit for POEC 302, you must complete all of the assignments, achieve a mark of at least D (50 percent) on the final research assignment, and obtain a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
TME 1
15%
TME 2
15%
TME 3
30%
Final Research Assignment
40%
Total
100%
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Hunt, E. K., & Lautzenheiser, M. (2011.) History of economic thought: A critical perspective. 3rd ed. New York: M. E. Sharpe. (Print)
Heilbroner, Robert L. (1999). The worldly philosophers: The lives, times, and ideas of the great economic thinkers. Revised 7th ed. New York: Simon & Schuster. (Print)
Other Materials
All other course materials are found online and include a study guide, a student manual, and a reader.
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the POEC 302 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least C- (60 percent) on the examination.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.