Pol 611 - Comparative Political Economy


                                       Spring Semester 2021


                                    Instructor: Andrew Roberts

                                    Email: 233595@mail.muni.cz

                                   Office Hours: By appointment


This class introduces students to the basics of comparative political economy. Political economy
studies the mutual influences of politics and economics – how does politics affect the economy and
how does the economy affect politics. The field covers many of the most fundamental questions in
political science such as: Why are some countries rich and others are poor? Why do some countries
distribute income equally while others are highly unequal? And why have some countries adapted to
globalization while others have not?


The course will be divided into two parts. The first half will focus on the political economy of
development. We will consider the main explanations for why some countries have grown rapidly and
others continue to stagnate as well as consider ways to improve the economic performance of poor
countries. The second half will look at the political economy of the advanced industrial states.
How do their economies work and which forms of political economy are best prepared to succeed in
the future?


                                         Course Structure


The course will contain synchronous and asynchronous elements. I will post a set of short lectures
in advance of each class period. You should view these lectures before class and answer the
multiple-choice questions that conclude each one. I will post discussion questions for each class.
You should write a one paragraph response to one of these per week on the course discussion board.
We will use class periods to talk about your responses to these questions and answer other
questions about the material.


                                        Course Requirements


Evaluation will be based on three components. First, students should participate by responding to
discussion questions. Students will also prepare one in-class presentation of a topic that we do
not have time to cover in class. I will recommend helpful resources in preparing these
presentations. The presentations should last ~10 minutes with another 5 minutes for discussion.


Potential topics for in-class presentations (you may propose others as well):

·         Part 1: Resource Curse, Corruption, Foreign Aid, Property Rights

·         Part 2: Globalization, Lobbying, Campaign Finance, Eurozone Crisis


Second, students will be required to write one short paper. Students can choose between an
evaluation of a debate between prominent theorists of development or an analysis of survey data.
The paper should be approximately 3-4 pages in length. Details about the paper will be distributed
in class.


Third, students will complete a midterm and a final exam. These exams will be open-book and
open-note. Students will have 24 hours to complete the exam.


                                         Course Evaluation


Class Participation and Presentation:            20%

Short Paper:                                                   15%

Midterm Exam:                                              30%

Final Exam:                                                    35%


                                          Course Outline

PART 1 - Political Economy of Development


Introduction (March 5)


Lesson 1 – The Facts of Development (March 12)


·         Lant Pritchett, “Divergence: Big Time”, Journal of Economic Perspectives (1997)

·         Dani Rodrik, “The Past, Present, and Future of Economic Growth” (only pages 1-34)


Lesson 2 – Geography and Development (March 19)


·         Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, chapter 4.

·         Paul Collier, The Bottom Billion, chapters 2 & 4


Lesson 3 – The State and Development (March 26)


·         Peter Evans, "Predatory, Developmental and Other Apparatuses: A Comparative Political
Economy Perspective on the Third World State," Sociological Forum (1989)

·         William Easterly, “Governments Can Kill Growth” in The Elusive Quest for Growth


Lesson 4 – Democracy and Development (April 9)


·         Acemoglu and Robinson, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty,
chapters 2-4.

·         Dani Rodrik, “Goodbye Washington Consensus, Hello Washington Confusion”, Journal of
Economic Literature (2006).


Paper #1 Due (April 9)


Midterm Exam – Take Home (April 16)


PART 2 - The Political Economy of Advanced Industrial States


Lesson 5 – Basics of the Democratic Capitalist Order (April 23)


·         Francis Fukuyama, “The End of History”

·         Claus Offe, “Competitive Party Democracy and the Keynesian Welfare State: Factors of
Stability and Disorganization”, Policy Sciences (1983).


Lesson 6 – The Welfare State (April 30)


·         Gosta Esping-Andersen, “The Three Political Economies of the Welfare State.” Canadian
Review of Sociology and Anthropology (1989).

·         Paul Pierson, “The New Politics of the Welfare State”, World Politics (1996)


Lesson 7 – Public Choice (May 7)


·         James Buchanan, “Politics without Romance”

·         Bryan Caplan, “The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies”


Lesson 8 – Inequality & Business (May 14)


·         Paul Krugman, “Why We’re in a New Gilded Age”, New York Review of Books

·         Tyler Cowen, Big Business: A Love Letter, chapter 1


Paper #2 Due (May 21)


FINAL EXAM – Take Home – May 28