Die Anmeldung endete am 07.4.2026 um 23:59 Uhr

The seminar provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical and ideational foundation of the (global) political economy. Many developments in the global economy, such as markets, globalization, inflation or inequalities, are often portrayed as natural phenomena and economic policy decisions as inevitable responses to economic pressures, leaving little room for alternatives. One of the many insights to be gained from the study of political economy is that “the economy” and “politics” cannot be understood as separate and independent spheres, but as mutually dependent, i.e. the economy is fundamentally embedded in social and political structures. Another key insight from the constructivist tradition within political economy relates to the social construction of the global economy and the importance of shared ideas in shaping the interactions between the economic and political spheres. The goal of the seminar is to uncover precisely those ideas that constitutes the foundation of both the academic field of political economy and the functioning of the global economy. To this end, the seminar is divided into three parts. The first part introduces the academic field of political economy and its theoretical diversity, before taking a closer look at the constructivist perspective. The second part delves into the theoretical roots of political economy as developed by four schools of thought before 1945: classical economic liberalism, neo-mercantilism, Marxism and Keynesianism. The last part explores contemporary ideas that shape the global political economy, most notably neo-liberalism and how it is connected to the austerity imperative, patriarchal structures, as well as libertarian and authoritarian trends. The seminar concludes by discussing alternative models such as the EU's technocratic Keynesianism and China's state capitalism.

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