POLITICS 768

Economic Statecraft: Power, Politics and Resources


Description

Course Description

This course provides a survey and analysis of foreign policies and inter-governmental relations as they impact on international economics and commerce. It presents different theoretical perspectives and case studies to engender an appreciation of the complexity of the politics of international economics. Included are not only the historical evolution of international political-economic issues and institutions but also contemporary issues of foreign economic policy, economic rivalry, resource and environmental security and multilateral cooperation for the management of globalisation.

Goals of the Course

  • To sharpen skills and deepen experience in efficient research, discriminating analysis, critical thinking, accurate writing and effective oral presentation
  • To stimulate interest in and provide information on the broad fields of international relations, international political economy and foreign policy analysis
  • To inform students to the origins, structures, processes and political issues surrounding the use by governments of economic resources and instruments to pursue foreign policy goals to advance their national interests
  • To prepare students for other courses in international relations, international political economy and foreign policy analysis
  • To contribute to the student’s store of ideas and information and academic credit in pursuit of the BA(Hons), MA, MCTS, MMP and MProfStudsIR&HR degrees and other Arts graduate degrees, including the writing of dissertations and theses
  • To prepare students for eventual career work in domestic and international enterprises, governments, international organisations, NGOs and other institutions and professions

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, students should be able to:

  • Identify the different institutions and policies employed by states and intergovernmental organisations to manage scarce economic resources and how these institutions and policies impact on other state, non-state and international actors
  • Discuss legal, moral and human rights issues arising from national and international economic management
  • Appreciate the domestic political forces underlying international theories and prescriptions in such contested areas as trade and resource rivalry and multilateral economic cooperation
  • Identify the political actors and interactions that shape economic policy-making and outcomes
  • Anticipate the sort of information that will be necessary, and the means for obtaining it, in order to conduct international economic policy-making in the modern state-centric world, or to conduct a research project on an aspect of that policy-making
  • Appreciate the types and extent of changes in the current inter-state system induced by processes encompassed by what we loosely call "globalisation"

 

Study expectations

Generally, students are expected to keep abreast of current international events by following broadcast media reports (access BBCNews.com or watch CNN) and reading the NZ Herald and serious online periodicals such as The Economist  on a regular basis during the semester. The identification, discussion and assessment of current international political and economic issues are an integral part of the course.

To achieve the educational goals of this course, students will be expected to read assigned readings and prepare assignments in advance of the scheduled meetings. During the scheduled classes active participation is expected so students can learn from not only the lecturer but also the other students via their oral presentations and audience critiques.    

For the essay, students should allocate substantial time for book, article and internet research, and for reading, thinking and write-up; and they should employ books and articles from the Library as well as in-class, Canvas and internet resources.    

For the oral presentation students will be expected not only to speak clearly and informatively but also provide a PowerPoint and a one-A4-sheet (two-pages) written outline to the class. They should take into account other students’ presentations, supplementing and augmenting them but not repeating or pre-empting them.    

For the in-class test students will be expected to show ability to deploy mainly information from the textbook New Zealand Trade Negotiations. The test will also have a few items on information presented in class lectures and student reports and concepts and insights emerging from discussions in our POLITICS 768 course. 

Class meetings forma

Availability 2025

Not taught in 2025

Lecturer(s)

TBA

Points

POLITICS 768: 15 points