HIS 3930 U.S.

Political Economy
CRN: 93152 Section: 029 Semesters: Fall 2013 Location: BSN 2200 Meeting Time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:40-11:10 AM Credit Hours: 3 Instructor: Gavin Benke Office: SOC 246 Phone: (813) 974-9375 Email: gbenke@usf.edu Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 12 PM 1:30 PM Course Description From Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes to Milton Friedman, what seems like common sense when it comes to the economy changes over time and is dependent on political, social, and cultural transformation. These concepts are not abstract, but translate into the actions governments take, the types of work people do, and the degree of economic security and certainty they expect. This class will introduce students to the concept of political economy, and explore how the United States political economy has changed in the second half of the twentieth century, particularly after the 1960s. Topics will include deindustrialization, deregulation, neoliberalism, and the rise of the service economy. Course readings will be a mix of theoretical works, recent historical scholarship, and primary documents. The class will be divided into three units. In Unit 1, we will read some of the foundational texts From major thinkers in political economy. This will not only give us a sense of the intellectual tradition of political economy, but also build our own theoretical toolkit for discussing the recent history of political economy in the United States. In Unit 2, we will cover the drastic changes in political economy during the 1970s and 1980s as the era of postwar prosperity in the United States came to an end and new ways of thinking about political economy began to emerge. In Unit 3, we will turn to the 1990s as the developments of the 1970s and 1980s led to globalization. In all of these units, we will place these changes in their cultural, political and social contexts. By the end of this course, students will: Be able to identify major theoretical concepts in political economy, as well as major political economists, placing each in historical context. Become familiar with and be able to critically discuss the major political economy developments in the United States since 1970. Be able to place current economic events and developments in historical perspective.

 Develop critical thinking skills. Class Policies Missed Class: If a student misses more than five class meetings, a students grade will be dropped a full letter grade each additional class he or she misses. Attendance will be taken every day. Arriving to class late is also strongly discouraged. Students who arrive late to class more than three times will receive one absence. Students who arrive later than more than 15 minutes past the start time will be counted as absent for that class. Late Work: Late papers will be marked down a half a letter grade for each day the paper is late, including weekend days. Shorter assignments will be marked down one full point for each day late. As the course title and description suggest, writing is an essential component of this course. Success depends on a students ability to effectively manage these assignments. Students who habitually hand in late work, regardless of its quality, significantly jeopardize their grade. Turning in work late is a bad idea and simply not recommended. Grade Consultations: I am happy to meet with students to discuss grades. However, students must wait at least 24 hours after getting a grade back before contacting me to discuss grades. Technology Policy: This is a small seminar class that relies on class discussions. In my experience, I have found that laptops can pose a barrier to such discussions and are not permitted. Cell phones are a distraction and can disrupt productive class discussions and even prevent them from happening. Cell phones must be turned off during class. If I see you texting, playing a game, checking Facebook or using your cell in any manner, I will mark you as absent for the day you might as well be. Email: I will respond to emails within 24 hours of receiving them. I do not check email after 6 PM. If you email me after this time, do not expect an email from me until the next day. Class Decorum: You will share many of your opinions and responses to course readings with your classmates. Open debate is encouraged and expected, but so is a mature attitude. A welcoming class environment is critical. Be polite and respectful of other peoples opinions and work, particularly when you are offering a critique or disagreeing with a point that is being made. Students with Disabilities: USF provides services and accommodations for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities must register with the office of Students with Disabilities Services. In order for me to

provide accommodations, a student must provide me with a letter from that office. For testing accommodations, a student must notify me within five days of the test. Assignments Unit 1 Response-Review: 20% Midterm Exam: 20% Final Exam: 25% Contextualization of Contemporary Event: 15% Attendance quizzes: 10% Week 14 Responses: 10% Required Texts: All texts are available at the USF Bookstore Harvery, David: A Brief History of Neoliberalism Krippner, Greta, Capitalizing on Crisis Marx, Karl: The Portable Karl Marx Moreton, Bethany: To Serve God and Wal-Mart: The Making of Christian Free Enterprise Rogers, Daniel T. Age of Fracture Smith, Adam, The Wealth of Nations Representative Selections Additionally, there will be readings available on Canvas or through the USF library databases. Reading Schedule Readings should be completed before the start of class. Unit 1: Theoretical Underpinnings Week 1 8/26: Introduction 8/28: Adam Smith: Book One, Chapters I-III Week 2 9/2: Labor Day - No Class 9/4: Adam Smith: Book One, Chapters IV-V Week 3 9/9: Adam Smith: Book One, Chapters VI-VII; Book Four, Chapter II (162-169)

9/11: Karl Marx: From The German Ideology, Volume One Week 4 9/16: Karl Marx: From Capital, Volume 1: Chapter 1: Commodities 9/18: Karl Marx: From Capital, Volume 1: Chapters 27,31,32,33 Week 5 9/23: Joseph Schumpeter: The Process of Creative Destruction, (PRESTO eReserves); The Entrepreneurial Response in Economic History (available on J-STOR) Unit 2: 1970s and 1980s 9/25: Nils Gilman: The Prophet of Post-Fordism: Peter Drucker and the Legitimation of the Corporation (PRESTO eReserves) Week 6 9/30: Juliet Williams: The Road Less Traveled: Reconsidering the Political Writings of Friedrich von Hayek (PRESTO eReserves); Milton Friedman: Social Responsibility of Business **Unit 1 Response Due 10/2: Meg Jacobs: The Conservative Struggle and the Energy Crisis (PRESTO eReserves) Week 7 10/7: Gretta Krippner: Chapter 3 10/9: David Harvey: Chapter 1 Week 8 10/14: David Harvey: Chapter 2 10/16: Bethany Moreton: Chapters 1-4 Week 9 10/21: Bethany Moreton: Chapter 8 10/23: Daniel Rogers: Chapter 2 Week 10 10/28: Gretta Krippner: Chapter 4 10/30: David Harvey: Chapter 3 Unit 3: Globalization and the New Economy Week 11

11/4: Midterm David Harvey: Chapter 4 11/6: Gretta Krippner: Chapter 5 & Conclusion Week 12: 11/11: Veterans Day - No Class 11/13: Daniel Rogers: Chapter 7 Week 13 11/18: TBA **News Contextualization Due 11/20: Bethany Moreton: Chapters 12&13 Week 14 11/25: Instructor Away. No Class - Watch Free to Choose and complete quiz and response 11/27: Instructor Away. No Class Reading/Viewing TBA Response will be due by 5 PM Week 15 12/2: Eric Guthey: New Economy Romanticism, Narratives of Corporate Personhood, and the Antimangerial Impulse (PRESTO eReserves) 12/4: David Harvey: Chapter 6 Final Exam: Wednesday, December 11