Special Topics in Political Science (390-0-26)

Topic

21st Century Capitalism and its Discontents

Instructors

Jeff Rice
847/491-8916
1908 Sheridan

Meeting Info

Locy Hall 111: Mon, Wed 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

In the third decade of the 21st century, significant efforts and being made to reform American Capitalism. Some of these are seeking a redistributive model, others one less regulation. This class will investigate these approaches, focusing less on the free market alternatives than those seeking regulation and redistribution. This will meet weekly and we will divide the class into lecture and discussion.

Learning Objectives

The learning plan for class is to make us aware of choices which exist in designing economic systems and how they are not "natural". Furthermore, how to think about them in non-mathematical terms but to use the mixture of political goals and economic means.

Evaluation Method

I short mid-term assignment and a final assignment

Class Materials (Required)

Erik Olin Wright: "How to be an Anti-Capitalist in the 21stCentury". Verso. 978-1788739559

Jane McAlevey: "A Collective Bargain". Ecco. 978-0-06-290860-5

Yanis Varoufakis: "Techno Feudalism". Melville House.

Wolfgang Streeck: "Taking Back Control". Verso 978183976729-6

Martin Wolf: "The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism". Penguin. 978-0735224216

Essays by Oren Cass, Glenn Hubbard, Greg Makiw and other conservative economists as well as Paul Krugman.