Part one: Approaching IPE

Question 1

Identify the ‘three schools of thought’ in IPE, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of organising the field in those terms

Answer 1

The model of the three classical schools of thought (Liberalism, Mercantilism and Marxism) has often been criticised as being overly simplistic, as well as excluding many current approaches.

Question 2

What is the difference between liberalism and republicanism in IPE?

Answer 2

Liberals believe politics should serve the economy while republicans believe the economy should serve politics

Question 3

Identify the origins of ‘mercantilism’ as a set of approaches to IPE and as a style (or mode) of foreign economic policy

Answer 3

Mercantilism was the status quo prior to Adam Smiths’ “Wealth of Nations” (1776)

Question 4

Explain the security rationale for mercantilism and produce useful examples of that rationale shaping practice

Answer 4

In addition to wanting to control ones defense industry as well as industries related thereto (e.g. steel/coal in europe during the 20th century), countries may also seek to deprive their rivals of ressources and technologies important to them (US oil embargo of Japan, Anderson, 1975)

Question 5

Explain the economic rationale for mercantilism and produce useful examples of that rationale shaping practice

Answer 5

Respective economic interests of actors close to the government (Smith, 1776)

Question 6

Explain the developmental rationale for mercantilism and produce useful examples of that rationale shaping practice

Answer 6

Developing colonial industries to benefit the mainland or developing domestic industries without the burden of international competition (Magnusson, 2015)

Question 7

Explain Marx’s historical materialism and offer useful examples that illustrate this mode of explanation

Answer 7

New stage in the economy brings a new social class to power (i.e. those who control means of production). For example, the advent of capitalism produced powerful capitalists, eg. Medici in 16th century Florence, to power, as they controlled capital

Question 8

Debate the roles of structure and agency in Marx’s account of the coming communist revolution

Answer 8

The Proletariat have no class consciousness and thus no agency of their own. They can only take agency once they have developed class consciousness (Marx 1932 [1846])

Question 9

Identify the key differences and similarities between Marx and the Marxists who followed him

Answer 9

Similarities: focus on class and material condition
Differences:
Lenin (1999[1917]): Imperialism is the monopoly stage of capitalism, where corporations now combine with government in the imperialist hunt for new markets. This will lead to war as ressources are limited.
Wallerstein (1984): states uphold capitalist order. Countries can move out of the periphery
Cox (1987) also focuses on global capitalism and dependency theory, claims that society in global north supports and upholds capitalism

Question 10

Distinguish between system-level and sub-system-level analysis

Answer 10

System-level focuses on the international system, sub-system on the state level

Question 11

Define international regimes, and explain how, according to international regime theorists, regimes incentivise states to engage in cooperative behaviour

Answer 11

Regimes (sets of implicit or explicit principles, norms, rules and decision-making procedures) like the GATT and the IMF define obligations, which sets expectations, they also offer incentives and punishments

Question 12

Outline neorealists’ critiques of International Regime Theory

Answer 12

Mearsheimer (1995): IRT “is of little revelevance in situations where states interests are fundamentally conflictual”
Gowa (1994): trade patterns typically follow lines of anmity
Generally, relative gains and losses more important than absolute gains and losses due to security concerns.

Question 13

Develop useful examples that can be used to arbitrate between the competing theoretical arguments made by neorealists and international regime theorists

Answer 13

Nuclear non-proliferation treaties, Climate Change Accords, Trade agreements

Question 14

Provide useful definitions and examples of the Three I’s: interests, ideas, and institutions

Answer 14

Ideas: e.g. Smiths idea of mutually benefitial trade
Institutions: determine the ideas and interests that are allowed to shape policy
Interests: motivations of individual actors or groups

Question 15

Explain how interests can influence foreign economic policy using relevant examples

Answer 15

USA treatment of China or Iran due to interests of political elites
Business Interests encouraging gmnt. to open up foreign markets (e.g.) agricultural lobbies in EU and USA looking for increased exports (CEMA, 2023)

Question 16

Explain how ideas can influence foreign economic policy using relevant examples

Answer 16

Corn laws repeal due to ideas about free trade (Irwin, 1989)

Question 17

Explain how institutions can influence foreign economic policy using relevant examples

Answer 17

Change to institutions can effect a change in policy: corn laws repeal due to expansion of Franchise in UK (Dean, 2016)
Change in leadership in CCP leading to increased trade (or any other communist countries)

Question 18

Outline the role of institutions in promoting development, according to the classical view

Answer 18

Acemoglu et. Al (2001): Countries with better institutions will invest more in physical and human capital

Question 19

Discuss, using examples, liberal imperialism

Answer 19

Idea that Liberal institutions could be exported, and thus, development could be equally achieved everywhere (“The White Man’s Burden”, Kipling, 1899) → US colonisation of the Philippines (Gonzalez, 2007)

Question 20

Discuss, using examples, state-led development

Answer 20

States adopting quasi-mercantilist policies to protect naissant industries, such as USA under Hamilton, Japan during the Meji Period of the German empire (Breslin, 2009)

Question 21

Analyse the rise of China using classical perspectives on development

Answer 21

China is in part due to parttaking in liberal institutions (De Graaff et al, 2020)
China is an example of state-led development (Li et al, 2003)

Question 22

Define critical approaches, particularly to development

Answer 22

Decolonisation
Dependency theory
Underdevelopment

Question 23

Explain the differences between decolonising the international system versus IR’s theories about, and approaches to, development

Answer 23

Decolonisation:
- broader scope of issues, adressing blind spots and including voices from global south
- challenging Eurocentrism: binary of the west vs the rest, progress as being linear, going through stages and with europe as the driver
Antunes de Oliveira, Kvangraven, 2023

Question 24

Outline the essential features of ‘underdevelopment’ and dependency theory and provide examples of each in practice

Answer 24

Frank, 1966:
Dependency theory: Global Capitalism depends upon stifling development of developing states. Unequal patterns of exchange, advantage in skilled labour held by global north. Post-war economic order intentionally biased (west Africa).
Underdevelopment: Metropolis and satelites. Satelites experience their greatest economic development when the metropolis is at its weakest (Latin America during 17th century depression, Napoleonic Wars, World Wars). This is also true in the revers. The closer the ties with metropolis, the worser the underdevelopment is today.

Question 25

Compare and contrast these critical approaches to development with other critical perspectives in IPE, such as feminist approaches and Marxist approaches.

Answer 25

Similarity to Marxism: material basis of analysis
Difference from Marxism: differentiation between societies, not classes
Similarity to Feminism: disenfranchised voices must be heard

Question 26

Chang (2002)

Answer 26

Kicking away the ladder:
- Developed countries got where they are by using infant industry protection and export subsidies
- they had very few of the institutions deemed essential today, until they were quite developed (late 19th to early 20th
century)
- These institutions were the outcome, rather than the cause, of economic development in now-developed countries
- Institutions demanded from developing countries are irrelevant or harmful given their stage of development