BEM/Ec 131 - International Trade and Finance

In this course, we will study the global economy and how it is shaped by the interaction between market forces and government policy. We will build a foundational understanding of the economics of international trade and finance and examine the incentives that drive the behavior of firms, investors, and governments. Topics will include comparative advantage, factor endowments, and the gains from trade; tariffs, industrial policy, and regional trade agreements; exchange rate regimes, interest rate parity, sovereign debt, and financial crises. Throughout the course, we will frame our analysis within a broader institutional and historical context, examining how global economic systems have been organized through periods of colonialism, globalization, and geoeconomic rivalry.