Course content
The Comparative Political Economy (CPE) course introduces students to the comparative approach to understanding modern capitalism and drivers of political, economic, and social differences between societies. The course is structured around key theories and approaches for the comparison of Firms, Economies, and People. This includes theories and approaches that locate the comparative political economy of corporate governance structures, macroeconomic regimes and growth models, as well as welfare regimes and household policies.
Students will learn comparative method and the use of typology, as well as prominent theoretical traditions that offer explanations for why capitalism looks different in different societies. The strengths and weaknesses of these approaches will be explored through a series of cases in advanced capitalist societies structured around the key themes of Firms, Economies, and People. Students will learn how policies for corporate governance, financialization, macroeconomic policy, welfare, and household economies are developed in different societies.
Students will develop an essay that provides the basis for a group oral exam. The essay will apply two theories/approaches from the course to a case from their own independent research, reflecting on the benefits and deficiencies of the theories/approaches in light of the comparative empirics. Through the comparative method and typology the CPE course provides students with the means to analyze topics of relevance to government-business relations.
The CPE course supports Nordic Nine 4, “competitive in business and compassionate in society” by highlighting social and economic structural disadvantages while promoting business-minded solutions.
In relation to Nordic Nine
The Comparative Political Economy course supports the Nordic Nine
values in providing the means to understand and explain the social and politico-economic
structures that replicate both prosperity and inequality over generations (NN7), as well as
how some disadvantages can be addressed with business-minded solutions (NN4). The
course’s focus on comparative methodology supports both critical thinking and to locate
business in a broad context (NN1). The course format supports critical thinking and
constructive collaborations between students in providing a research-led assignment in
preparation for the group oral exam.
See course description in course catalogue