The American Political Economy Major

 

OBJECTIVES

 

The objective of the major in political economy is to develop in the student a general knowledge of the interaction between the US government and the economy. It emphasizes the constraints of social and economic structure, political ideology, institutions, and personalities. Knowledge of the consequences of alternative economic proposals is stressed, as is the need for an understanding and appreciation of the historical roots.

 

COURSE OF STUDY FOR THE
AMERICAN POLITICAL ECONOMY MAJOR

 

The major requires a minimum of 16 units of work distributed as follows:

 

A.   Political Science Courses:			6 units
1.	103 -	Western Political Tradition OR	(2 units)
	101 -	What is Politics?	(1 unit)
2.	200 -	American Politics and Government OR	(1 unit)
3.	321 -	Public Policy Making	(2 units)
		AND 1 OR 2 CLASSES FROM THE FOLLOWING:
4.	210 -	The law and Social Justice	(1 unit)
	213 -	Leadership in Theory and Practice	(1 unit)
	270 -	Liberty and Equality	(1 unit)
	292 -	American Political Thought	(1 unit)
	296 -	Politics of the Legal Process	(1 unit)
	315 -	Parties and Voting Behavior	(1 unit)
	316 -	State and Local Politics	(1 unit)
	318 -	The American Presidency	(1 unit)
	320 -	US Congress	(1 unit)
	323 -	Minority Politics	(1 unit)
	344 -	Political Theory: The Problem of Law	(1 unit)
	373 -	Morality of Power	(1 unit)
	380 -	Constitutional Law	(1 unit)
B.   Economics Courses:			6 units
	150 -	Principles of Economics	(2 units)
	207 -	Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory	(1 unit)
	209 -	Intermediate Microeconomic Theory	(1 unit)
		AND 1 OR 2 CLASSES FROM THE FOLLOWING:
	304 -	Legal Environment of Business	(1 unit)
	311 -	Monetary Theory and Policy	(1 unit)
	324 -	Business and Society	(1 unit)
	330 -	Public Finance	(1 unit)
	333 -	History of Economic Thought	(1 unit)
	335 -	Environmental Economics	(1 unit)
	336 -	Economics of Labor	(1 unit)
	350 -	The Regional Economics of Western America	(1 unit)
	390 -	ADVANCED TOPICS WHEN APPROPRIATE (e.g. Sports Economics or Money Banking and Financial Markets)	(1 unit)
	404 -	Natural Resource Economics	(1 unit)
	413 -	Economic Analyses of Law	(1 unit)
C.   American History			2 units
D.   Statistics			1 unit
	EC 200 -	Methods 1/Statistics Prerequisite: EC 150 (or EC 151 and EC 152) No credit if taken after BY 220 or MA 117 or MA 217	1 unit
		OR
	MA 117 -	Probability and Statistics No credit if taken after MA 217, MA 417, BY 220, or EC 200	1 unit
		OR
	BY 220 -	Biostatistics and Experimental Design Prerequisite: At least 1 biology course or consent of instructor. No credit if taken after EC 200 or MA 117	1 unit
E.   Capstone Research Experience			1 or 2 units
	PS 404 -	Tutorial in American Politics	1 unit
		OR
	PS 450 -	Political Science Distinction Thesis Prerequisites: high GPA and Department approved proposal	2 units
		OR
	EC 497 -	Senior Thesis in American Political Economy (1 unit in each of the two Departments) Prerequisites: EC 207, EC 209, Statistics (from step D above), consent of department and senior standing	2 units

 

Distinction in American Political Economy may be awarded to students whose GPA (within the major) is within the upper 20 percent and who have completed and received a grade of A in Senior Thesis done in either the Economics Department or the Political Science Department.

 

Students majoring in American Political Economy are, of course, required to meet all college requirements.

 

Advisors for the American Political Economy Major:

Professor Ester Redmount, Economics

Professor Andy Dunham, Political Science