Political Economy I
A graduate seminar from MIT's Department of Political Science examining how major social science traditions explain the relationship among state, economy, and society. Readings and discussion move through original texts in political liberalism and individualism, neo-classical economics, Marxism, sociological and cultural theories, and neo-institutionalism, testing the assumptions each tradition brings to research on political and economic life. The course is organized around lecture and seminar discussion of primary sources rather than a textbook survey, pushing students to compare how liberal, Marxist, and institutionalist frameworks each account for the same social phenomena. Materials available through MIT OpenCourseWare include the syllabus, readings list, and assignments; there is no certificate. Best suited to students already familiar with core concepts in political science or economics, since the course assumes some background and moves quickly into theoretical comparison rather than introductory material.