Questions and Answers of International Political Economy

In what ways are China and the other BRICS economies posing a challenge to the IMF and World Bank?
What is the Washington Consensus? What is the Beijing Consensus, and how does it differ from the Washington Consensus? What form do you think a post-Washington Consensus should take?
How would you compare the effectiveness of import substitution, socialism, export-led growth, and neoliberal development strategies?
Why do the DCs give official development assistance, and why have ODA levels as a percent of countries' GNIs generally declined over the years? What are the debates regarding the effectiveness of
What is the obsolescing bargain model? Does the OBM have more validity in some areas and periods of time than in others?
What is the role of BITS, NAFTA, the United Nations, the WTO, and the OECD in regulating FDI? Why did the DCs decide to negotiate an MAI in the OECD, and was this a wise decision?
What are horizontal and vertical integration? Why does a business firm choose to become horizontally integrated? Why does a firm choose to become vertically integrated?
Do liberals, neomercantilists, and historical materialists believe that the nationality of an MNC makes a difference? Do you think that the competitiveness of a country is closely tied with the
How would you compare the foreign investment regime with the global trade and monetary regimes? How and why do liberals, neomercantilists, and historical materialists differ in their views of what
What special problems do FTAs among LDCs such as Mercosur have in achieving regional integration? In what ways are politics and economics intertwined in Mercosur?
What are some of the problems confronting NAFTA today? What are the liberal, neomercantilist, historical materialist, and environmentalist views of NAFTA? What are the TPP negotiations, and are they
In what ways is the EU a unique RTA? What are the neofunctionalist, liberal intergovernmentalist, and constructivist theoretical approaches to economic integration, and why are they applied mainly to
How do neomercantilists, liberals, and historical materialists explain the rise of regional integration?
What is the relationship between civil society groups and the GATT/WTO, and how has this relationship changed over time?
In what ways are China, India, and Brazil posing a challenge to DC dominance in the global trade regime?
How has the South's role in the GATT/WTO changed over time? Why did LDCs become more actively involved in the GATT Uruguay Round, and what has been their position in the Doha Round?
What are the similarities and differences between GATT and the WTO? How successful has the WTO been in global trade governance? What are the competing explanations for the Doha Round problems, and
Why are safeguards an essential part of most trade agreements? What are CVDs and ADDs, and what must a country demonstrate to impose them? Why are CVDs and ADDs so controversial?
How has liberal trade theory evolved over time? (Discuss the theories of absolute and comparative advantage, and the Heckscher-Ohlin and Stolper-Samuelson theories.) How do the neomercantilist
Why are banks so often central to financial crises? What was the Glass-Steagall Act and what is its current status? What are collateralized debt obligations, sub-prime mortgages, and mortgage-backed
What were the causes of the 2008 global financial crisis? What are the competing arguments of those calling for austerity versus government stimulus in response to financial crises? Which side's
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Baker Plan, the Brady Plan, and the HIPC and MDRI initiatives? How do you explain the fact that the Baker and Brady plans did not address the problems of
What is the relationship among the London Clubs, the IMF, and the Paris Club in dealing with foreign debt? How has the relationship between the IMF and World Bank changed as a result of the foreign
What are the similarities and differences between the European debt crisis and the 1980s foreign debt crisis?
What are the competing theoretical views regarding the causes of the 1990s Asian financial crisis? What were the similarities and differences between the 1980s foreign debt crisis and the 1990s Asian
Do you think the U.S. deficit and debt problems pose an economic and geopolitical threat to the country? Is external financing a good solution for U.S. debt problems?
Are the Japanese yen, the euro, and the Chinese renminbi likely to pose a challenge to the U.S. dollar as the key international currency? What are SDRs, and could they pose a challenge to the U.S.
Why was the euro zone formed, and what are its strong and weak points?
What are the characteristics of the current global monetary regime, and in what ways has it contributed to instability? What is the "Unholy Trinity," and does it limit the changes that IMF members
What have the IMF's functions been in the global monetary regime? How did the shift from pegged to floating exchange rates affect the role of the IMF vis--vis the G7? How has the role of the G20
How much influence have DCs and LDCs had in IMF decision-making? Do you think this is likely to change in the future?
When did the United States first have a balance-of-payments deficit, and when did it first have a balance-of-trade deficit? Why was the Bretton Woods monetary regime unsustainable, and what role did
What are the differences between public goods, private goods, club goods, and common property goods? In what way do common property goods present a collective action problem?
What are the differences between neomercantilist, liberal, and critical environmental theorists? What are the differences between liberal and critical constructivists? How significant are the
In what way does regime theory draw on both the liberal and neomercantilist perspectives? What are the major criticisms of regime theory? Is "global governance" a more useful concept than "regimes"?
In what way do both the provision of public goods and prisoners' dilemma demonstrate "collective action problems"? How and why do liberals and neomercantilists differ in their views regarding the
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the neomercantilist perspective?
What aspects of North-South relations are of most, and least, interest to neomer- cantilists?
How do theorists differ in their views regarding the current status of U.S. hegemony? Is any other actor likely to replace the United States as the global hegemon?
What are "public goods"? Why are they necessary, and why does their provision present "collective action" problems? What is the relationship between hegemony and public goods?
What is hegemony, and what are theorists' views regarding the strategies and motives of hegemonic states? Is a hegemon necessary to create and maintain open, stable economic regimes?
What are the similarities and differences between realism, neomercantilism, and economic nationalism?
What is rational choice, and what are its strengths and shortcomings as an approach to the study of IPE?
What are civil society groups, and how do they differ in terms of tactics and goals? What are TANs?
What is the WEF, and in what way does it contribute to a blurring of lines between "public" and "private" in the global political economy?
What are the most significant divisions within the South? What are OPEC, the NIES, the BRICS, and the emerging economies? Do these groups have anything in common with the LLDCs?
What is the resource curse, and does it apply to all countries that are rich in natural resources?
What is the HDI, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? What is the IHDI?
What are the advantages of using PPP-adjusted per capita GDP figures, and what are its shortcomings? What is the Gini coefficient?
What is the role of smaller organizations and groups such as the OECD, G7/G8, and G20? Why was the G20 formed, and why is it now more important than the G7?
Why were the IMF, World Bank, and GATT created, and how did they evolve over time?
Why has the North been so important in managing the global economy? Do you think that the South is gaining in influence?
What is the importance of theory, and what are the main theoretical perspectives in IPE?
What was the 2008 global financial crisis, and what were some of its causes?
How have the roles of the IMF and World Bank, and the relationship between these two institutions, changed as a result of the foreign debt and financial crises?
What are the competing views of the causes, and remedies for, the 2008 global financial crisis? Which of these views do you find most convincing? Do you think that the 2008 global financial crisis is
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Baker Plan, the Brady Plan, and HIPC and MDRI initiatives? How do you explain the fact that the Baker and Brady plans did not address the problems of the
What is the relationship among the London Clubs, the IMF, and the Paris Club in dealing with foreign debt? Why do you think some of the most important institutional groupings such as the Paris Club,
What are the views of orthodox, institutional, and interventionist liberals and historical materialists regarding the best means for reforming the international financial architecture? Was a new
How did the 1980s debt crisis differ from the 1990s Asian financial crisis? What are the similarities and differences between the 2008 global financial crisis and the two earlier crises discussed in
Do liberals and historical materialists believe that the debt strategies have successfully dealt with the worst aspects of the debt crisis? Do you think that debt reduction is necessary or that it
What are the competing theoretical views regarding the causes of the 1980s foreign debt crisis?
What do you think is the best approach to development, and why?
How has the World Bank tried to change its approach to development, and how successful has it been? What are Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers?
What is the Washington consensus, and what form do you think a post-Washington consensus should take?
What are structural adjustment loans, and how have they affected LDCs, women, and the poorest groups in LDCs?
How would you compare the effectiveness of import substitution, socialism, and export-led growth strategies? Do you think that other LDCs could pursue export-led growth strategies as effectively as
What are the five main institutions of the World Bank group, and what functions do they perform?
Why has the World Bank group been so important in a development context, and how influential has the United States been in the Bank group?
Why do the DCs give official development assistance (ODA), and why have ODA levels as a percent of countries’ GNIs generally declined over the years? What are the debates regarding the
Have NGOs had an impact on the behavior of MNCs? What is CSR, and what are the competing theoretical views regarding the value of the concept?
What is the obsolescing bargaining model? Does the OBM have more validity in some areas and periods of time than in others?
What is the role of BITs, NAFTA, the United Nations, the WTO, and the OECD in regulating FDI? Why was the decision made to negotiate an MAI in the OECD, and was this a wise decision?
What are some of the major effects of MNCs on home and host states? Do you think that the effects have on the average been more positive or negative?
In what ways have the major host and home countries for FDI changed over time? Have there been changes in the position of the South vis-à-vis the North in FDI? Is it possible to generalize about
Why does a business firm choose to become horizontally integrated? Why does a firm choose to become vertically integrated?
Do liberals, realists, and historical materialists believe that the nationality of an MNC makes a difference? Do you think that the competitiveness of a country is closely tied with the
How and why do liberals, realists, and historical materialists differ in their views of what should be regulated in a foreign investment regime?
What special problems do FTAs among LDCs such as Mercosur and AFTA have in achieving regional integration? In what ways are politics and economics intertwined in Mercosur and AFTA? Why is East Asian
What are some of the problems confronting NAFTA today? What are the liberal, realist, historical materialist, and environmentalist views of NAFTA?
In what ways is the EU a unique RTA? What are the neofunctionalist, liberal intergovernmentalist, and constructivist theoretical approaches to economic integration, and why are they applied mainly to
In what ways do LDCs receive special treatment as members and associate members of RTAs? Does Mexico receive special treatment in NAFTA?
What conditions does GATT Article 24 impose on RTAs? How successful has the GATT/WTO been in regulating RTAs?
In what ways can RTAs be trade diverting and trade creating? Do you think that RTAs are stepping stones or obstacles to global trade liberalization, and why do you think liberal theorists cannot
How do realists, liberals, and historical materialists explain the rise of regional integration?
What are the differences between a free trade area, CU, common market, and economic union? Do any RTAs fit completely within one of these models of integration?
What are the similarities and differences between GATT and the WTO? What are the competing explanations for the Doha Round problems, and which explanations do you think are the most plausible?
How much priority have GATT and the WTO given to the environment? Is free trade compatible with protection of the environment?
What were the terms of China’s admission to the WTO, and has its admission been good for China and the WTO? Why is Russia still not a WTO member? What are some of China’s and Russia’s trade
How has the South’s role in the GATT/WTO changed over time? Do you think that it is meaningful to group emerging economies such as China, India, and Brazil together with LLDCs—all as part of the
Why are safeguards an essential part of most trade agreements? What are countervailing and antidumping duties, and what must a country demonstrate to impose them?
Is the GATT/WTO most-favored-nation principle compatible with specific reciprocity, diffuse reciprocity, and the development principle? Explain.
How do the realist concepts of competitive advantage and strategic trade theory differ from the liberal concept of comparative advantage? How do historical materialists view the liberal free trade
How has liberal trade theory evolved over time? (Discuss the theories of absolute and comparative advantage, and the Heckscher–Ohlin and Stolper–Samuelson theories.)
What are the characteristics of the current global monetary regime, and in what ways has it contributed to instability? What is the “Unholy Trinity,” and does it limit the changes that IMF
What have the IMF’s functions been in the global monetary regime? How did the shift from pegged to floating exchange rates affect the role of the IMF vis-à-vis the G7? How has the role of the G20
How much influence have DCs and LDCs had in the IMF decision-making structure? Do you think this is likely to change in the future?
When did the United States first have a balance-of-payments deficit, and when did it first have a balance-of-trade deficit? Why was the Bretton Woods monetary regime unsustainable in the long term,
What options does a country have in dealing with a balance-of-payments deficit, and what are the preferred options of the three main theoretical perspectives?
What are some of the criticisms of the critical perspectives, and how valid do you think they are?

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