POEC 301(F) Economic Liberalism and Its Critics (Same as Economics 299 and Political Science 333)
Economic liberalism holds that, if left alone by government, people will make
mutually beneficial transactions with one another, leaving society better off. Its
critics point to what they believe this position ignores or what it wrongly assumes, and hence, how it would make bad policy. This course explores the relationship between politics and economics by surveying influential works of political economy. Its first part examines major thinkers in relation to the historical
development of capitalism in Western Europe and the United States: the classical liberalism of Adam Smith, Karl Marx's revolutionary socialism, and the reformist ideas of John Stuart Mill, R. H. Tawney, and John Maynard Keynes. The
second part considers more recent writings that revise and critique liberalism
from a variety of perspectives. The historical focus of the course permits you to
appreciate the ongoing dialogue between classical and contemporary views of
political economy, while classroom discussion involves frequent reference to
current public policy issues.
Format: discussion/lecture. Requirements: eight 2-page papers and a final exam.
Prerequisites: one course in Economics and either Political Science 201 or 203
or AP credit in American Politics (or permission of instructor). Enrollment limit:
35 (expected: 32). Preference given to Political Economy majors and sophomores intending a Political Economy major.
Required in the Political Economy major but open to non-majors.