International Trade

Course Description

An intensive examination of modern theories of international commercial policy and the international trade system. Developments in trade theory, and restrictions of international trade are discussed.

Course Objectives

The course will enable students to gain an understanding of how the international economy works and how economic theory can be used to understand issues of public policy, the impact of trade on economic development, and the impact of trade restrictions.

Course Materials

Required:

The course will mainly follow the textbook “International Economics: A Heterodox Approach” by Hendrik Van den Berg (3rd edition), 2017, Routledge. The required readings from this textbook are listed below.

The textbook is available from amazon and bookdepository.

You will find a study guide for the (2nd edition of our) textbook here.

Sometimes it is helpful to have access to an alternative textbook that explains the material in a different way. For this purpose I recommend: Robert J. Carbaugh, International Economics (15th edition), 2014, Cengage.

An additional study guide for (only) the orthodox models that includes solved problems is:
Salvatore, Schaum’s Outline of International Economics, 4th Edition, 1995, McGrawHill.
Available from amazon and bookdepository

On work, Progress, and Prosperity

Brynjolfsson and McAfee, The Second Machine Age, 2014, W.W. Norton
bookdepository

Brynjolfsson and McAfee, Race Against the Machine, 2012, Digital Frontier Press
bookdepository

Course Requirements:

Students must read the corresponding chapters of the textbook before each session. Reading the economic and political press will also be helpful.

Course Prerequisites:

Students need to have passed principles of microeconomics and principles of macroeconomics before enrolling in this course.

Instructor Information:

Prof. Dr. Dennis A. V. Dittrich
dennis.dittrich@touroberlin.de
http://economicscience.net

You can always contact me via email. For meetings in my office appointments can be arranged through the my webpage at: http://economicscience.net/content/book-appointment.

Updated information, links to the literature, additional materials, etc. can be found on my webpage as well.

Grading Guidelines:

Grading ComponentWeight
Class Participation and Quizzes20%
Homeworks20%
Midterm Examination20%
Final Examination40%

(Class) participation (at the level of an “A”) requires that you attend class regularly and always contribute to the discussion by raising thoughtful questions, analyzing relevant issues, building on other’s ideas, synthesizing across readings and discussions, expanding the class perspective, and appropriately challenging assumptions and perspectives. You help your fellow students. Contributing in the aforementioned ways only (“B”) sometimes, (“C”) rarely, or (“D”) never diminishes not only your own but your fellow students learning opportunities.

Workload

A typical 3 credit course requires 150 hours of your time. The table below identifies how I expect those 150 hours will be allocated. While you do not receive direct marks for reading, reading will affect your class participation mark (your ability to participate in class discussions and activities) and your final exam mark. While some weeks have more readings than others, you should be able to read the required reading in an average of 2 hours per week.

ActivityTime
Class Time (3 hours / week)45 hours
Reading (3 hours / week)45 hours
Review and Homework (4 hours / week)60 hours

Topics and Reading Assignments

Week 1 (13.02.)

Session 2 (20.02.)

  • International Trade Theory (Ch. 3)

    The Economist, 6.8.2016, An inconvenient iota of truth
    The Economist, 29.09.2016, Coming and going
    The Economist, 1.10.2016, An open and shut case

Session 3 (27.02.)

Session 4 (06.03.)

  • Imperfect Competition & Transnational Corporations (Ch. 5)

    The Economist, 29.9.2016, A lapse in concentration

Session 5 (13.03.)

  • International Trade & Economic Development (Ch. 6)

Session 6 (20.03.)

  • International Trade, Human Happiness, and Unequal Economic Development (Ch. 7)

Session 7 (27.03.)

  • International Trade, Human Happiness, and Unequal Economic Development (Ch. 7)

Session 8 (10.04.)

  • Midterm

Session 9 (17.04.)

  • Tariffs, Quotas, and Trade Restrictions (Ch. 8)

    The Economist, 1.10.2016, Hard bargain
    The Economist, 29.9.2016, Needed but not wanted

Session 10 (24.04.)

  • History of Trade Policy (Ch. 9)

    The Economist, 2.4.2016, Open Argument
    The Economist, 2.4.2016, Trade, at what price?

Session 11 (8.05.)

  • International Trade Policy: A Holistic Perspective (Ch. 10)

    The Economist, 1.10.2016, The reset button
    Jane Jacobs, 1985. Cities and the wealth of nations: Principles of economic life. Vintage.

Session 12 (15.05.)

  • Early Monetary History (Ch. 15) and The International Monetary System (Ch. 16)

    Niall Ferguson, The Ascent of Money on youtube
    The Economist, 27.08.2016, Two out of three ain’t bad
    The Economist, 1.10.2016, The good, the bad and the ugly
    Martin, F., 2014. Money: The unauthorized biography. Vintage.

Session 13 (22.05.)

  • Immigration (Ch. 18)

Session 14 (29.05.)

  • Immigration Policy (Ch. 19)
  • Review

Session 15 (05.06.)

  • Final

Topics and reading assignments are subject to changes.

Homework

You are encouraged to hand in the solution to the problem sets jointly in groups of up to two students. Every member of the group should be able to explain their solution if asked to do so.

You will find the homework problems and other material for download in this dropbox folder. [Click Here!]

If you do not have a Dropbox account yet: Get one for free!