Topics in Government and Politics

An examination of selected topics related to political science.

Current Semester Information

390A: Tps:GoogleGuerillasGrnPc

390B: Tps:PolEconGlobalEnviron

Tps:Political Economy of Global Environment

This seminar focuses on the ways in which international economic processes shape global environmental governance.

The first half of the course is a survey of global political economy, with a specific focus on the environment. Topics will include (1) the environmental consequences of current patterns of consumption, (2) the effect of international trade on global environmental issues, (3) the influence of foreign direct investment on environmental regulation (is there a "race to the bottom" in environmental regulation?), (4) the compatibility of environmental protection and economic growth, (5) whether current understandings of sustainable development are tenable, and (6) the effect of development finance on the environment.

We then examine a number of specific topics in greater detail, including (1) the political economy of the international climate regime, (2) the effectiveness of corporate self-governance (e.g., corporate social responsibility), (3) the use of market mechanisms to promote environmentally-beneficial behavior (e.g., eco-labelling), and (4) the conditions under which corporate interests can or cannot be harnessed to promote environmentally-beneficial outcomes.

This course has no formal prerequisites, though previous coursework in international politics, international trade, international development, and environmental politics may be helpful. Preference will be given to third- and fourth-year political science majors.

390C: Tps:HumanitarianIntervnt

390D: Tps:John Rawls