Fall 2023

International Trade and Globalization

Director: Jeff Pliskin, Associate Professor of Economics
Phone: 315-859-4143
Email: jpliskin@hamilton.edu

• Open to all majors
• Prereq:  Econ 100 and 166
• One course counts towards the Economics concentration or minor

College 395 Seminar in Global Processes:  Globalization, International Trade, and Global Finance

Critical examination of international economic policy disputes as well as exploring the role of national sovereignty in a world where economies are globally integrated. Issues that will be discussed include immigration, international labor standards, international environmental standards and global warming, whether trade deficits are a problem, how the FED’s recent increase in the federal funds rate affects other countries and should the FED take these effects into account, and the role of international institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The class is organized around policy briefs prepared by think tanks and government agencies, Harvard Kennedy School case studies, videos of conferences and panel discussions organized by think tanks, and class discussion.

College 396 Independent Study

Students will write a substantive paper based upon research supervised by the director of the Program in New York City. The research should integrate some of the material covered in the academic courses with some of the on-the-ground events and ideally your internship experiences.

College 397 Internship

Work experience with a firm, federal, state, or local government department or agency, international organization, nonprofit, or an advocacy group appropriate to the theme of the course. Weekly electronic journal entries chronicling and reflecting upon the work experience required. Approximately 32 hours per week over 4 days (M, T, TR, and F). Internships can be paid or unpaid.  Graded CR/NC.

College 398 Global Trade Relations

Examination of international trade in goods and services, immigration, foreign direct investment, and selected international trade policy tools and disputes.  Topics include why nations trade, what goods and services a nation trades, global supply chains and offshoring, the gains and losses from international trade, immigration, foreign direct investment and multinationals, trade policy tools such as tariffs and quotas, protection of intellectual property, international labor standards, international environmental standards, and the trade war with China. Applications of these topics to firms located in New York City and residents of New York City will include the role of immigrants in the local economy, intellectual property rights and the local publishing and entertainment industries, international trade and local firms in financial services, multinational corporations located in New York City, the City as a destination for foreign tourists, and New York City firms and global supply chains.  Prerequisite 100 and 166.  Counts towards the concentration in economics.