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Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

The political economy of transatlantic relations

Year 2 | Elective course (GRAD-E1385 , 6 credits)
Module: 5. Finance & Trade Concentration Elective | 6. Portfolio Elective
Instructors: Stormy-Annika Mildner

Abstract

The European Union and the United States are deeply connected through a centuries-long common history, through shared values and interests, robust economic ties, and countless shared personal experiences. While the relationship certainly always had its ups and downs, the four years under U.S. President Donald Trump were particularly rocky, however. With an eye on Germany’s large trade surplus, Trump accused the country of unfair trade practices. New trade conflicts emerged – such as on new U.S. national security tariffs on steel and aluminum – and old ones escalated – such as the Airbus-Boeing dispute.

Hopes were thus high that the election of Joe Biden would mark a turning point in the relationship. At the same time, some skepticism remained. According to a survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) from January 2021, a majority of Europeans were happy about the election victory, but 32 percent said that the Americans could no longer be trusted after the four years of President Trump. Almost eleven months after Joe Bide took office, we have a better understanding. Both sides have shown good faith and – at least temporarily – eased some conflicts. But others remain.

We start our class with learning about the decision-making structures and institutions on both sides, taking a closer look at EU and U.S. trade policy-making before moving to the history of transatlantic trade relations. The second block of this class will be devoted to current issues in transatlantic economic relations. We will analyse the newly founded Trade and Technology Councils as well as old and new trade conflicts. We will then discuss the EU-U.S.-China triangle before learning about investment screening and export control in the EU and the United States. Last but not least, we will look at the transatlantic relationship and the WTO.

This course is for 2nd year MIA and MPP students only.

 

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Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy Master of Data Science for Public Policy

The political economy of world trade

Year 2 | Elective course (E1229 , 6 credits)
Module: 5. Finance & Trade Concentration Elective | 6. Portfolio Elective | 7. Portfolio Elective
Instructors: Stormy-Annika Mildner

Abstract

For decades, trade has been an important driver for economic growth and well-being as well as job creation. Over the past decades, it helped to lift billions of people out of poverty worldwide, and, in some cases, promoted political freedom along with economic freedom. However, these times seem to be over. Great power politics, a competition of ideas and systems, cold and hot conflicts as well as wars threaten to divide the world into new blocks – large autocracies on one side and liberal democracies on the other. Trade is more and more seen from a security lens: as source of national vulnerabilities on one hand side, and as coercive, strategic instrument on the other. This will massively impact trade flows, accelerating the re-regionalization and re-nationalization of value chains, which started a few years ago and gained momentum during the Covid-19 pandemic, also fueled by the power competition between the United States and China. At the same time, the WTO, which is already fragile, is threatened to be weakened even further – at a time when a strong institution is more important than ever.


Following up on the introductory economics classes of the first semester, “The Political Economy of World Trade” aims at providing a hands-on approach to the analysis of international trade relations. This course has a strong policy orientation, using current issues and challenges in trade policy-making as the starting point of each session. Economic research and theoretical elements will be studied to come to concrete policy options. Our class features five sections: 1. drivers of world trade; 2. the political economy of trade policy-making; 3. the multilateral trading system; 4. preferential trade agreements, 5. a critical look at trade.


We start our class with an introduction to trade theory, asking why countries trade. We then venture into empirics, identifying the drivers of trade. In this context, we will analyze global and regional trade patterns. We will also learn about the effects of trade/trade liberalization on economic growth and development. The second section of our class is devoted to the political economy of trade policy-making. We will study different theories and explanatory approaches and apply these to U.S., EU and Chinese trade policy-making. Subsequently, in the third section of our class, we will study the WTO and analyze its legitimacy and effectiveness. We will learn about the WTO’s Doha Development Round and explain why negotiations have failed. Furthermore, we will study WTO dispute settlement, its legitimacy and effectiveness. In the fourth section of our class, we will take a close look at preferential trade agreements and study whether PTAs are a stepping stone or a stumbling block for the multilateral trading system.  Last but not least, we will take a look at the effects of trade on growth and development as well as trade and sustainability.

This course is for 2nd year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.

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Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

The politics of global regulation

Year 2 | Elective course (E1348 , 6 credits)
Module: 5. Finance & Trade Concentration Elective | 5. Policy Analysis Concentration Elective | 6. Portfolio Elective
Instructors: Dr. Adam Chalmers

Abstract

This course provides an advanced introduction to the key debates, issues and concepts in the study and practice of regulation. Regulation has not only become an increasingly preferred policy instrument of governments, but it is also widely used by industries themselves. In the course, we assess the rise of the regulatory state, the different approaches to regulation, the regulatory instruments that are used and the actors that are involved in the process. We will also focus on a few selected areas of regulation, including data protection, peer-to-peer platforms, global health and pharmaceuticals, financial services, environmental regulation and competition policy. This course examines the various explanations for the introduction of, and changes in, regulatory policies, instruments and institutions. The course brings together insights from different disciplines including political science, law, sociology and economics. The course has a broad focus, including the global south and both national and international regulation.

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Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

The politics of memory

Year 2 | Elective course (E1246 , 6 credits)
Module: 6. Portfolio Elective | 5. Security & Sustainability Concentration Elective
Instructors: Dr. Volker Stanzel

Abstract

Wars, civil wars and violent conflicts in and between communities and states cause immense collective and individual physical and psychological suffering. They also leave lasting scars in the minds of both vicitims and aggressors. Societies that wish to build a peaceful future for their members need to deal with such scars. For that purpose, reconciliation between past enemies may be necessary - or not. As the present international situation shows, reconciliation is not easy to achieve but even in complex circumstances it is not impossible. Wherever we look - the wars in the Middle East, interracial conflicts in the United States, or post-Apartheit South Africa - we find different cases of collective memories of suffering translated into politics decades or even centuries later. Memory is shaped by past events; but it also responds to present modes of thinking. It therefore may be a cause as well as a tool of politics, it may mediate identities of communities as well as of individuals and it may positively or negatively impact the future relationship between comuunities and/or nations. The course is designed for students with a strong interest in social sciences as an approach to the human condition in general and an interest in how politics is shaped by policymakers as well as by the influence of factors beyond politicians' control such as pre-formed mind frames, traditions of thought and attitudes transmitted through societal influences.

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Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

The politics of terrorism

Year 2 | Elective course (E1254 , 6 credits)
Module: 5. Security & Sustainability Concentration Elective | 6. Portfolio Elective
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Julian Wucherpfennig

Abstract

This course offers an introduction to the logic of terrorism. Terrorism has long been a common feature of world politics, enabling small groups of individuals to have a disproportionate influence on the politics of both developed and underdeveloped countries. How does terrorism work? The central goal of the course is to encourage students to think of terrorist activity not as the work of the mad but of self-interested and calculating political actors. As such, the course emphasises the principled interaction between terrorist organisations and the state, rather than the particular individuals involved. It explores some of the fundamental questions of terrorism: Why do collective non-state actors resort to terrorist activity, why do terrorist groups adopt certain tactics such as suicide bombing, how do terrorist groups organise themselves and which counterterrorism strategies are effective?

This course is for 2nd year MIA and MPP students only.

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Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

Urban bureaucracy and policy in the age of political turbulence

Year 2 | Elective course (E1372 , 6 credits)
Module: 5. Management & Organisation Concentration Elective | 6. Portfolio Elective
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Kai Wegrich

Abstract

The city is an increasingly relevant – and contested – venue for policymaking. Key policy issues, such as housing, mobility, social inclusion, migration and crime are played out in the urban context. Pressing problems – such as rent overload, gentrification, homelessness, pollution and access to public services and transportation – cluster in urban areas. In the past, urban and local policymaking were considered apolitical jobs for ‘urban mechanics’ fixing things. Societal change, political polarisation and identity politics have increased the level of contestation and conflict. Digitalisation and the rise of platform businesses – such as Airbnb, Uber and many delivery services – have contributed to these changes. New actors and activists populate urban politics in response to such developments. In mobility policy, for example, pro-bike advocates are pitched against car users. With local bureaucracy being caught in the middle of such conflicts, it has to deal with adversaries in urban policy conflicts and, at times, it becomes a (partisan) actor itself. Local bureaucracies work under challenging conditions: Limited resources, diverse populations and the combining of front line and policy work with direct exposure to politics. How do bureaucracies respond and adapt to these challenges? How do capacities and expertise develop under such conditions and what kind of innovations are proliferated in the “age of turbulence”?

In this course, we explore how new politics shape (urban) bureaucracy and policy in the fields of housing, transport and policing. We will explore how urban bureaucracies adapt to changing political, societal and economic conditions. The course brings you to the “coalface” of policy implementation, where policy (and power) hits the street. You will engage in small-scale field research that explores the responses of urban bureaucracies to new types of challenges in terms of enforcement, service delivery and planning (i.e. classic functions of local bureaucracies). The course encourages field work on cities in any world region to allow for a comparative perspective.

This course is for 2nd year MIA and MPP students only.

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Master of International Affairs Master of Public Policy

Welfare states in transition

Year 2 | Elective course (E1362 , 6 credits)
Module: 5. Management & Organisation Concentration Elective | 6. Portfolio Elective
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Anke Hassel

Abstract

This course is jointly taught with Sciences Po Paris, under the framework of CIVICA, the European University of the Social Sciences. Students from both universities will be enrolled.

Welfare states in advanced industrial democracies have faced transformative change over the last three decades. As economies have moved from manufacturing to service sector jobs, the role of financial services has risen, and the knowledge economy has started to embrace automation and digital tools, the role of work and the protection of citizens has started to change. In this course, we will look at these transformative changes through the perspective of the political economy. We will show and analyse how closely the welfare state is intertwined with the economic system of particular countries and how governments have used the potential of the welfare state to reboost growth and job creation. We will first investigate these relationships from a conceptual and theoretical angle. In the second part of the course, we will focus on four key policy fields of the welfare state: wages and employment, skills, housing and pensions. Students will become experts in the literature of the advanced welfare state and comparative political economy, and dive deeper into one policy field and research it using comparative case studies. The course provides an analytical insight into the different ways as to how capitalist political economies are organised today. It also provides students with an in-depth understanding of the institutions governing political economies.

The course is divided into two parts: the first part introduces the concept of institutional analysis, covering the theories of the political economy of the welfare state and giving an overview of different types of adjustment. In the second part, we go deeper into policy fields such as skills, labour markets, housing and pensions.

This course is for 2nd year MIA and MPP students only.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs

Non-profit organisations: Management and policy

(E1316 , 6 credits)
Instructors: Prof. Helmut K. Anheier, PhD

Abstract

The increased importance of non-profit organisations – as service providers, vehicles of developmental or humanitarian assistance, as policy advocates and social innovators and as instruments of government reform and privatisation – has moved this set of institutions closer to the centre of policy agendas. The course provides students with a conceptual and historical background, examines the various theories that have been proposed, looks at aspects of organisational performance and impact and for the most part, deals with management models as well as policy and regulatory frameworks. The course is interdisciplinary and comparative in the sense that we will examine civil society, non-profit organisations and philanthropy from theoretical and empirical perspectives.

The course uses a variety of instructional formats including lectures, seminar-type discussions, in-class exercises and student presentations. Letter grading is based on attendance, three brief assignments and a final paper.

This course is for 2nd year MIA and MPP students only.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Advanced economics: Concepts and policy applications

Semester 1 | Core course (GRAD-C7adv , 6 credits)
Module: 3. Economics I | 2. Economics I
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Christian Traxler

Abstract

This class is tailored to students with some prior knowledge and/or training in economics. The course will cover a selected set of policy relevant topics in applied microeconomics. In doing so, we will cover conceptual foundations – in particular, empirical methods used in establishing causal relationships – and apply these to a rich set of policy domains. Starting from evidence on income inequality, the first part of the class (Session 1-8) discusses redistributive policies, in particular income taxation, welfare programmes (or universal basic income) and minimum wages. We will empirically explore (and quantify) responses to these policies and analyse welfare implications. The last third of the course (Sessions 9-12) discusses corrective policies in the context of externalities. Next to traditional environmental externalities (and conventional, Pigouvian responses such as CO2 taxation) we will also explore the correction of “internalities” (e.g., in the context of sugar taxation).

Note that the course will be centred on micro-policies which affect individual and household decision making. We will not cover Macroeconomic questions and hardly discuss the choices of firms.

This course is for 1st year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.

 

 

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Economics I

Semester 1 | Core course (C7 , 6 credits)
Module: 3. Economics I | 2. Economics I
Instructors: Ciril Bosch-Rosa

Abstract

The course offers an introduction to some of the key concepts used by economists, with a focus on microeconomic analysis. The main topics covered include consumer and producer behavior, competitive markets, as well as market failure and the need for governmental intervention. We will also go over some advanced topics such as game theory and how information and uncertainty complicate the optimal functioning of markets. The goal of the course is for students to learn how economists think and it is built around three components. The first of these is the theory and ideas that economists use to structure their thinking. The second component is policy applications and debates where this theory will be applied and put to test, while the third is evidence from empirical studies to highlight principles of applied research design.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs

Statistics I: Inference and regression

Semester 1 | Core course (C5 , 6 credits)
Module: 2. Statistics I
Instructors: Prof. Mark Kayser, PhD

Abstract

This course offers an introduction to quantitative research methods for public policy. By the end of the semester, students should have a better acquaintance with quantitative methods conducive to empirical policy research and the ability to understand and critique the techniques employed by others. No prior knowledge of statistics is assumed and we will make every effort to address concepts both quantitatively and theoretically. Additionally, every student will attend a weekly lab session run by a teaching assistant in which concepts will be reinforced, where possible, through hands-on application using R. The goal of this course is not only to produce sophisticated consumers of quantitative research but to provide the necessary skills for students to conduct their own research. As such, we eschew the conventional stopping point for an introductory statistics course and spend several weeks on multiple regression. Almost no phenomena in the social world result from singular causality, so a useful applied course must train students in assessing multiple causality. We do so.

This course is for 1st year MIA and MPP students only.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Creating innovative solutions in professional teams

Year 1 | Skills course (PDC1051 , 1 credits)
Module: 4. Skills Workshop | 5. Professional Development
Instructors: Angela Kea

Abstract

Whether it’s a new strategy, a complex issue or a sudden shift in your team’s goal, exploring how to think differently, be agile and generate ideas will help you develop innovative solutions. This PDC is designed to introduce students to a range of collaborative communication tools and processes including human-centred design and serious games. Whether you’re interested in start-ups, innovation or public policy organisations, understanding methods for developing creative confidence in professional teams is an essential element of digital leadership.

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