Course Archive

International Business and Government
Jonathan Zeitlin, UW-Madison Professor of Sociology, Public Affairs, Political Science and History

The course falls into two broad parts. The first is primarily comparative. In it we will examine the “varieties of capitalism” that have been identified in advanced industrialized societies and consider their capacity to withstand globalization. We will also analyze the role within these national models of capitalism of established forms of economic coordination such markets, hierarchies, and associations; and we will then go on to consider the emergence of new modes of governance based on networks, information, experimentation, and learning in response to the challenges of an increasingly complex, volatile, and uncertain environment. The second part of the course is primarily international. In it we will examine a series of key issues concerning the evolving relationship between business and government in the global economy, such as the nature of multinational corporations, the particular problems of developing countries and transitional economies, the emergence of the European Union as a regional polity and global economic actor, and the potential contribution of international civil society to business regulation and global governance.

Menzie Chinn, UW-Madison Professor of Economics and Public Affairs

This course surveys international macroeconomics, with special reference to international monetary policy and international financial market architecture. Topics include the structure of international financial markets; the role of central banks; exchange-rate systems; the determination of balance of payments and exchange rates; macroeconomics of open economies; policy analysis for open
economies; policy coordination; the International Monetary Fund; and financial crises.

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Markets and Institutions in the Global Economy
Orfeo Fioretos, UW-Madison Assistant Professor of Political Science

This advanced graduate seminar provides an organized environment in which students with research interests in international political economy can discuss recent theoretical and empirical developments in the field, test ideas for original research, and develop research designs. It does so by means of focused readings on the origin and consequence of global markets, and on the structure and evolution of political, social, and economic institutions. Primary emphasis is placed on the evolution of global economic institutions after 1990 and their effect on national economic performance.

International Business Transactions
Erik W. Ibele, UW-Madison Law School Instructor

This course focuses on international commercial transactions, and on the laws, regulations, practices and conventions which affect international trade and investment transactions. The emphasis is on the formation and enforcement of agreements between private commercial parties, and on the anticipation and recognition of issues which are peculiar to, or are especially prevalent in, international business. The materials follow a sequence of increasingly complex transactions, from the isolated purchase and sale of goods, through sales through distributors, licensing, to foreign direct investment. Bilateral and multilateral conventions and treaties are discussed to the extent they provide necessary background for analysis of problems relating to individual commercial relationships. The basic structure and significance of the World Trade Organization and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade are discussed in summary; however, the international trade system, the formation and conduct of international trade policy by, the roles of the various international trade-related agencies and institutions, and dispute resolution in the WTO are the subjects of the course in International Trade.

Spring 2005