States and Markets

What it is about

You analyze the interplay of state and market in developed, democratic capitalist systems (focus: Europe and North America). At the end you will be able to place central debates of comparative and international political economy, distinguish historical development paths of capitalism and the welfare state, and apply political economy models to current problems.

What you will be able to do

• Introduction to central debates of comparative and international political economy
• Knowledge of the historical development of capitalism in the 20th century (Postwar Keynesianism vs. neoliberalism)
• Application of political-economic frameworks to analyze topics such as climate change, economic concentration, financial crises, populism and inequality
• Improvement of quantitative and qualitative research and analysis skills
• Understanding how methods for evaluating competing approaches are used
• Development of an independent research project
• Formulation of political proposals on current problems

What the module consists of

• SeminarDiscussion of core texts, development of questions and contributions by students
• Vorlesungsanteile (interaktive Vorlesungen)Conveying central concepts and placing the topics within a framework by the teaching staff
• PräsentationenShort presentation of one's own paper idea at the end of the semester
• Kleingruppenarbeit / Rollenspiele / DebattenApplication and deepening through interactive methods

Teaching method

• DiskussionsseminarEnables intensive engagement with the texts and mutual exchange
• Interaktive VorlesungenExplanation of theoretical fundamentals and structuring of the material
• Präsentationen und RollenspielePromote presentation skills and applied understanding