Political Science: Political Economy

Political Economy focusses on the interaction of 'the economy' and 'politics', both broadly conceived.

It covers the ground from economics for non-economists to understanding how the rules of the game are shaped, to thinking about how an open global economy gives rise to new conflicts and new political movements. You will explore critical issues facing the developed and developing worlds, from Asia to Europe to the Americas - contemporary challenges such as migration, the struggle for development, or better financial market governance. We also explore policy challenges with an ethical dimension such as social policies or corporate power and social inequalities so as better to understand how this plays out in different political environments. Our starting point is that the relationship between 'politics' and 'the economy' is a two-way street: political contestation shapes economic outcomes and their governance, while economic developments generate political conflicts. The causes and consequences of the on-going economic malaise have brought this highly political 'who-gets-what' nature of 'the economy' back out into the open.