Political Economy

This field examines the reciprocal relationships between politics and markets, both within and among countries, using a variety of analytical tools, including those of economics. Its concerns include interactions among economic and political development; cooperation and conflict among nations, groups, and individuals; the distribution of material resources and political power; the effects of political actors and institutions on economic outcomes; the causes and consequences of technological and structural change, growth, and globalization; and regulation.

First Field

Course Requirements
  • POLSCI 745 Core in Political Economy
  • ECON 601 Microeconomics
  • POLSCI 747S Seminar on Political Economy: Macro Level OR an approved macroeconomics course
  • 2 field course in political science
Qualifying Procedure

You will take a written examination at the end of your second year. The examination will assess whether or not you have attained a firm command of the literature in the field. The qualifying procedure will not normally include an oral element, but the examination committee may, at its discretion, administer an oral examination to a student whose written examination the committee deems is in need of an oral defense.

Preliminary Examination

Each student who passes the qualifying procedure in Political Economy is required to submit and present at a meeting of the Political Economy Workshop an original, plausibly publishable research paper on a relevant topic. This must be submitted no later than the end of the first semester of the third year. The student's preliminary examination workshop presentation will serve as the oral portion of the preliminary examination. The faculty constituting your preliminary examination committee will attend the workshop and will meet right after the workshop completion to evaluate your performance, and then will meet with you. The committee administering the preliminary examination may pass you with distinction on the basis of both your performance in the qualifying procedure or your paper presentation and defense.

Second Field

  • POLSCI 745 Core in Political Economy
  • ECON 601 Microeconomics OR POLSCI 747S Seminar on Political Economy: Macro Level OR an approved macroeconomics course
  • 2 field course in political science

Field Requirements

Methods

Students who identify Political Economy as either a first or second field must successfully complete the four required Methods courses identified in order to achieve field certification.

Workshop

Beginning in the second year, students who identify Political Economy as a first field are required to participate in the bi-weekly Political Economy Workshop, and are encouraged to participate in the workshop during their first year at Duke.

Typical Graduate Study Timeline

Year Typical Student Activities
Year 1

Summer, pre-matriculation

Fall

  • POLSCI 630 Probability and Basic Regression
  • MATH 790-92 Calculus and other mathematical foundations
  • 2 electives selected from Political Economy course listing
  • Workshop in Political Economy

Spring

  • POLSCI 631L Introduction to Deductive & Analytical Approaches to Political Phenomena
  • POLSCI 733 Advanced Regression
  • POLSCI 745 Core in Political Economy
  • Elective selected from Political Economy course listing
  • Workshop in Political Economy

Summer

  • STA 230 Probability or higher level course
  • Research with faculty
Year 2

Fall and Spring

  • An approved research design course (e.g., POLSCI 890-5, POLSCI 732)
  • POLSCI 749S Advanced Game Theory
  • Elective in Political Economy
  • STA 611 Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
  • POLSCI 632S Computational Political Economy
  • STA 701S Readings in Statistical Science
  • Attend Workshop in Political Economy

Summer

  • Finish prelim paper
Year 3

Fall

  • Defend prelim paper
  • Elective selected from Political Economy course listing
  • STA 721 Linear Models
  • Attend Workshop in Political Economy
  • Complete dissertation prospectus

Spring/Summer

  • Defend prospectus
  • Submit prelim paper for publication
  • Workshop in Political Economy
Year 4
  • Dissertation work
  • Present new paper/chapter at the end of year conference in late spring
  • Regular attendance at Political Economy Workshops
Year 5
  • Dissertation work
  • Present new paper/chapter at the end of year conference in late spring
  • Regular attendance at Political Economy Workshops

 

Course Number Title Crosslisting Numbers
POLSCI 745 Core in Political Economy
POLSCI 503S Crisis, Choice, and Change in Advanced Democratic States International Comparative Studies
POLSCI 527S Africa in a Global Age CULANTH 561S, AAAS 510S, HISTORY 561S, ICS 510S
POLSCI 536 Choosing in Groups: Social Choice and Collective Action
POLSCI 549S Collective Action, Property Rights, and the Environment ENVIRON 544S, Energy and the Environment
POLSCI 555S The Politics of Market Competition in a Global Economy ETHICS 555S, PUBPOL 555S
POLSCI 632 Computational Political Economy
POLSCI 642S Global Inequality Research Seminar AAAS 642S, ECON 541S, SOCIOL 642S, PUBPOL 645S
POLSCI 644S The Political Economy of Inequality
POLSCI 645S Political Economy of Growth, Stabilization and Distribution ECON 548S, PUBPOL 630S
POLSCI 646S The Politics of European Integration
POLSCI 650S Political Economy of International Relations Markets and Management Studies
POLSCI 651S Theories of International Political Economy PUBPOL 651S
POLSCI 658S Political Economy of Terrorism
POLSCI 662S Problems in International Politics
POLSCI 675S Economy, Society, and Morality in Eighteenth-Century Thought ECON 547S
POLSCI 690-6 Advanced Topics in Political Economy
POLSCI 690S-6 Advanced Topics in Political Economy
POLSCI 705S Political Economy of Macroeconomics PUBPOL 681S
POLSCI 720S Capitalism CULANTH 716S, SOCIOL 716S
POLSCI 746S Seminar on Political Economy: Micro Level
POLSCI 747S Seminar in Political Economy: Macro Level
POLSCI 750S Political Economy of Development
POLSCI 758 Workshop in Political Economy I
POLSCI 759 Workshop in Political Economy II
POLSCI 761 Islam and the State: Political Economy of Governance in the Middle East
POLSCI 762 The Political Economy of Institutions ECON 751
POLSCI 890-6 Political Economy

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