Department of Political Science

Economic crises have been a recurrent feature of global capitalism since its beginning. These crises have significant effects on economic and political systems. Recent research suggests that crises are increasing in both frequency and severity, as evidenced by contemporary instability in North America, Europe, and the Arab World. Crises are frequently followed by calls for reform. Some reform efforts target specific market activities while others involve modifications to political institutions. Some reform efforts are instigated by international institutions while others are initiated by domestic politics. This course will consider the politics of crisis and reform from a comparative and international political economy perspective. In addition to learning general theories of crisis and reform, we will study in-depth "case studies" of important crisis episodes in the era of industrial capitalism and seek to understand both the causes and consequences of crisis events. We will examine the impact of various crisis responses, conducted under different political and economic systems.

• S&H
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