NORS 655/PS 455: The Political Economy of the Global Environment
Dr. Jonathan Rosenberg 603B Gruening
ffjr@uaf.edu (474) 6502
Office hrs: TR 11:300-1:30, or by app’t.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a course in International Political Economy (IPE), a field concerned with the political aspects of economic globalization. But conventional academic approaches to IPE are still preoccupied with relations among sovereign nation-states and therefore have some difficulty with global environmental issues. As you know, air, water and endangered species do not carry passports or respect for international borders; and environmental quality is increasingly impacted by such non-state actors as international organizations, transnational corporations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). So, if we are concerned about trade, financial flows and sustainable economic development – as we must be in an era of economic globalization – we must go beyond conventional approaches to consider resource depletion, pollution, endangered species, climate change and the sustainable management of ecosystems.
True, sovereign nation-states still matter. The policies they make (or fail to make) affect all aspects of the global environment; and the actions they take still usually respond to their own domestic interests. But increasingly, domestic interests have global components, and the context in which nation-states make policy is shaped by a globalized political economy. In short, understanding environmental policy requires an understanding global environmental issues and understanding global environmental issues requires an understanding of the international political economy.
COURSE INSTRUCTIONS, PROCEDURES AND MATERIALS:
This course is offered simultaneously in classroom and on-line versions using the UAF Blackboard System. Students in both versions will find all the instructions and course documents they need on the course website. For example, in the interest of saving trees, all assignments, including Discussion Questions, and topics and instructions for papers will be posted on the website.
On-line students will complete all assignments electronically, make presentations and participate in discussions through the course Discussion Board and Virtual Classroom (chat room). Classroom students will make their presentations and discuss topics in class, but will also be expected to interact with the on-line students through the Discussion Board and Virtual Classroom from time to time. Classroom students may submit written assignments in hard copy or as e-mail attachments.
To enter the course website your account information must be entered by the instructor. Therefore, all students must have a valid e-mail account on Aurora, and access to a computer with a reliable Internet connection. If you need help arranging this let the instructor know immediately. Blackboard is accessed at http://classes.uaf.edu.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Prerequisites:
Students should have junior standing for PS 455 and graduate standing for
NORS 655. PS 321 and/or 323 are recommended. Students not meeting these
prerequisites must consult the instructor about staying in this class.
Presentations and seminar participation: 30% for PS
455; 20% for NORS 655
This is not a lecture-based course. Classroom students must attend every
session prepared to make comments and answer questions on the assigned readings.
That means that you must do all readings in advance of the class meetings
for each Unit. On-line students must post all assignments on time and make
regular contributions to the Discussion Board and Chat Room.
For every course Unit, students will be provided with Discussion Questions.
Particular students or groups of students will be assigned particular questions,
and will make presentations and lead discussions on their assigned questions.
For on-line students, equivalent assignments will be posted on the website.
Participation grades will be based on the quantity and quality of postings
on the Discussion Board, and related Chat Room activities. All students
should refer to “Discussion Questions” and “Presentations”
in the Course Documents for a complete explanation of these requirements.
Short papers: 2 @ 15% for PS 455; 3 @ 10% for
NORS 655
Students will write short papers (4-6 pages) presenting a critical, thematic
review of selected readings. There will be four such assignments. NORS 655
students must do three; PS 455 students must do two.
Research paper and presentation: 40% for PS 455;
50% for NORS 655
A research paper of approximately 20 pages for PS 455 and 30 pages for NORS
655 is required. Papers may be derived from any topic covered in the course
but must be approved by the instructor. Papers on unapproved topics will
not be accepted. Complete instructions and requirements will be posted on
the website.
During the last two weeks all classroom students will make presentations
of approximately 20 minutes on their research papers, and post abstracts
of their papers (synopses of no more than 200 words) on the Discussion Board.
In lieu of a presentation, on-line students will post abstracts of their
papers on the Discussion Board and respond to questions and comments by
other students and the instructor. Detailed instructions will be posted
around the 7th week of the semester.
COURSE READINGS:
Required text:
Dimitri Stevis and Valerie J. Assetto (eds.). The International PoliticalOctober 13, 2006lder and London: Lynne
Reinner Publishers, 2001.
Reserve readings:October 13, 2006al required readings that have been placed
on the UAF Electronic Reserve System (ERS). Check the website for instructions.
Graduate and undergraduate readings:
Graduate students (NORS 655) do all of the readings listed for
each Unit. Readings marked with an asterisk (*) are optional for undergraduates
(PS 455).
COURSE TOPICS AND SCHEDULE:
Weeks 1 and 2
1. Bringing the Environment in: Do we need a new paradigm?
Read:
M. Gorbachev. “The world: nature will not wait.” World Watch
14 (March-April 2001).
2. Recent History of the International Political Economy of
the Environment
a. An overview.
Read:
b. The existing order: Have the Bretton Woods institutions been bad
for the environment?
Read:
c. Getting to Rio
Read:
Weeks 6 and 7
3. Foreign Investment and the Environment
a. Foreign Direct Investment: The impact of transnational corporations.
Read:
b. Portfolio investment: Making green by being green?
Read:
Weeks 8 and 9
4. Regional Integration, Free Trade and the Environment
Read:
Various case studies to be announced and posted.
Week 10
5. The Challenge of Environmentally Sustainable Development.
Read:
*R. Keohane and M. Levy, eds. Institutions for Environmental Aid. Cambridge
MA and London: The MIT Press, 1996 (selections).
Weeks 11 and 12
6. Conclusions and Ongoing Challenges
Read:
Weeks 13 and 14
7. Presentations of Students’ Research
Environmental Policy Programs Political
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