MVZ467 Contemporary Economic Policy

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2013
Extent and Intensity
2/0. 7 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Dominik Smyrgala, PhD. (lecturer), doc. Mgr. Filip Černoch, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Wed 25. 9. 16:00–17:40 U43, Thu 26. 9. 18:00–19:40 P52, Fri 27. 9. 12:00–13:30 U33, Wed 2. 10. 18:00–19:40 P31 Posluchárna A. I. Bláhy, Thu 3. 10. 18:00–19:40 P52, Fri 4. 10. 12:00–13:30 U33, Wed 9. 10. 16:00–17:40 U43, Thu 10. 10. 18:00–19:40 P52, Fri 11. 10. 12:00–13:30 U33, Wed 16. 10. 18:00–19:40 P31 Posluchárna A. I. Bláhy, Thu 17. 10. 18:00–19:40 P52, Fri 18. 10. 12:00–13:30 U33
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 35 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/35, only registered: 0/35
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives (in Czech)
The student should gain the knowledge of most important phenomena of the contemporary economic policy and their cultural and geographical background, consequences of them, turning points in history that determined them and reasons and ideological backgrounds of the policies in question
Syllabus (in Czech)
  • Course description The course starts with a theoretical introduction into the matters of the topic. The three influential schools of economic thought will be briefly presented (Marxism, Keynesian economics, Austrian School of Economics), and the basic kinds and tools of running an economic policy will be discussed (sessions 1, 2 & 3). The second part (sessions 4 & 5) presents a short historical perspective: the most important ideological discussion on the modern world (communism vs. free market). The third part (sessions 6, 7 & 8) discusses the most important phenomena and economic policies in various parts of the World (decolonization, resource-based economies, petroleum diplomacy, the lost decade, Thatcherism, the Third Way, Social Market Economy, unification of Germany, informatic revolution, export promotion, etc.). The fourth part deals with the most current issues of the economic policies (rise of China and India, economic integration, economic crisis). Course organization The course is composed of 12 sessions held in one specified week (see course structure). Each session consists of presentation by the lecturer, presentation of a student based upon readings assigned and a discussion. The credit weight of the course is 7 ECTS. Majority of readings to the course can be find in open sources on the Internet or in the EBSCO library. Course structure Session 1 Topic: Basic concepts of economic policy Mandatory readings: Alan S. Blinder, Keynesian Economics, http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/KeynesianEconomics.html. Peter J. Boettke, Austrian School of Economics, http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/AustrianSchoolofEconomics.html. David L. Prychitko, Marxism, http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Marxism.html. Session 2 Topic: From theory to practice: tools and types of economic policy Mandatory readings: Robert Higgs, Truth and Freedom in Truth and Freedom in Economic Analysis and Economic Policy Making, „Independent Review“, vol. 17, is. 3 (2013) (EBSCO). Session 3 Topic: The Interwar Period and World War 2 as important sources of the contemporary economic policy. Mandatory readings: Sheldon Richman, Fascism, http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Fascism.html. Richard Griffiths, Fascism and the Planned Economy: "Neo-Socialism" and "Planisme" in France and Belgium in the 1930s, „Science and Society“, vol. 69, is. 4 (2005) (EBSCO). William L. Niemi, David J. Plante, The Great Recession, Liberalism, and the Meaning of the New Deal, „New Political Science“, vol. 33, is. 4 (2011) (EBSCO). Session 4 Topic: From Bretton Woods to Reaganomics Mandatory readings: William Glenn Gray, Floating the System: Germany, the United States, and the Breakdown of Bretton Woods, 1969–1973, Diplomatic History, Apr 1, 2007 (EBSCO). William A. Niskanen, Reaganomics, http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/Reaganomics.html. Session 5 Topic: The Failure of the Soviet-type central command economy Mandatory readings: Morgan Rose, Information, Prices and Socialism's Flaws, http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/Teachers/informationII.html Robert Heilbroner, Socialism, http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Socialism.html Session 6 Topic: The Vicious Circle of Backwardness of the (non-)developing countries. Mandatory readings: Clive Crook, Third World Economic Development, http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/ThirdWorldEconomicDevelopment.html. David S. Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations. Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor, Chap. 28 (any edition). Session 7 Topic: Japan and the Eastern Tigers Mandatory readings: David R. Henderson, Japan and the Myth of MITI, http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/JapanandtheMythofMITI.html. Mark Williams, The Lion City and the Fragrant Port: The political economy of competition policy of Singapore and Hong Kong compared, „Antitrust Bulletin“, Sep 1, 2009 (EBSCO). Session 8 Topic: UK and Germany: different visions of economic policies in Europe Mandatory readings: Christopher S. Allen, Ideas, Institutions and Organized Capitalism: Germany, Europe and 21st Century Economic Policy Models, http://www.aicgs.org/documents/advisor/callen1208.pdf. Peter Clarke, The Rise and Fall of Thatcherism, „Historical Research“, Oct 1999, Vol. 72 Issue 179, p301, (EBSCO). Session 9 Topic: Economic transformation of India and China Mandatory readings: Economic Suvey of India, 2007, „OECD Policy Brief 2007“. (OECD website) China’s Emergence as a Market Economy: Achievements and Challenges, OECD contribution to the China Development Forum 20-21 March 2011, Beijing. (OECD website) Session 10 Topic: Economic integration Mandatory readings: Glen Atkinson, Regional integration in the emerging global economy: The case of NAFTA, „Social Science Journal“, 1998, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p159 (EBSCO). Giovanni Capannelli and Carlo Filippini, East Asian and European Economic Integration: A Comparative Analysis, Working Paper Series on Regional Economic Integration, No. 29 | May 2009, http://aric.adb.org/pdf/workingpaper/WP29_East_Asian_and_European_Economic_Integration.pdf. Session 11 & 12 Topic: Current economic crisis Mandatory readings: Benjamin Hunt, Oil Price Shocks and the U.S. Stagflation of the 1970s: Some Insights from the GEM, „Energy Journal“, Oct 1, 2006 (EBSCO). Maria Margaronis, Greece in Debt, Eurozone in Crisis, „The Nation“, Jul 18, 2011 (EBSCO). Rana Foroohar, The End of Easy Money, „Time“, Apr 15, 2013 (EBSCO). The World Bank Data, data.worldbank.org Recommended readings: Cameron Rondo; Neal, Larry, A Concise Economic History of the World. From Paleolithic Times to the Present, several editions. Henderson David R., ed., A Concise Encyclopedia of Economics, Liberty Fund, 2002, http://www.econlib.org/library/CEE.html (CEE). Landes David R, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, several editions. Torsten Persson, Guido Tabellini, Political economics: explaining economic policy, MIT, Boston 2000.
Assessment methods (in Czech)
Course requirements 1. Students are expected to read the required reading(s) for each lecture. 2. Students are encouraged to actively participate in the sessions by posing questions of clarification or bringing up problems for discussion. 3. Students should know the basic definitions of economic terms in English to be able to actively participate in class. Grading The final grade will be determined according to the results of a written exam which adopts a form of a set of open-answer questions.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2011.
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