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The Political Economy of the State

Module description

In this module you will examine the role of the state in the economy and why this role differs from country to country. The primary focus is on what Iversen and Soskice call ‘advanced capitalist economies’.  Second, you will analyse some issues on contemporary economic and social policy which currently present challenges to the functioning and capacity of these economies, for example challenges relating to welfare provision, the operation of labour markets and the need to decarbonize production. You will address these questions using political economy approaches and also in light of the historical development of different states.  There are no pre-requisites and the relevant concepts will be introduced during the module.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The first aim of the module is to introduce you to the research literature on comparative political economy which aims to analyse the relationship between economic and political change in national economies. Our focus is on the advanced capitalist economies. You will engage in the debate about whether we can observe the convergence of economies on a single ‘model’ of capitalism and will analyse the different outcomes of economic processes and policy in different countries. Second, the module will give you an opportunity to analyse some of the specific economic challenges facing contemporary the advanced capitalist economies and their policy makers.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. demonstrate a strong command over the comparative political economy literature;
• 2. apply these political economy approaches to the analysis of the broad challenges facing modern states;
• 3. produce in-depth analysis of policy issues that currently face states using political economy models and in light of the historical record.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. critically assess the limitations of political economy models;
• 5. effectively and critically use a range of sources and materials commonly employed in political economy research, including historical studies and quantitative data.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. develop structured, coherent and theoretically informed arguments about key dilemmas facing the state;
• 7. write clearly about relevant theories and empirical data.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the precise content might vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:  

• The role of the state in the economy
• Analytical approaches to comparative political economy
• The development and sustainability welfare states
• The operation and regulation of labour markets
• Inequality
• The challenge of decarbonisation
• Various country case studies

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

• Iversen, T and Soskice, D. (2019) Democracy and Prosperity. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
• Clift, B. (2014) Comparative Poltical Economy. States, Markets and Global Capitalism. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
• Gamble, A. (2016) Can Welfare States Survive? Bristol: Polity Press.
• Boix, C (2019) Democratic Capitalism at the Crossroads: Technological Change and the Future of Politics. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
• Hall, P. and Soskice, D. (2001) Varieties of Capitalism. Cambridge: CUP.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Key words search

Politics, Economy, State