Student guide Facoltà di Economia A.A. 2010/11

The course analyzes the determinants and consequences of the increasing international integration of markets. It focuses on the gains and losses of liberalizing versus protectionist policies as key information to understand the economic dimension of the current debate on globalization. In so doing, it presents the fundamental models of international trade theory. These highlight the distinction between the efficiency and the equity effects of trade policy. Such distinction is crucial to comprehend the political economy of international trade policy with its drive towards multilateral trade agreements on the one side, and the resistance to them by various pressure groups on the other side. 

The course is organized around the following set of questions:

 

- Introduction to international integration

- What are the causes of international trade in goods?

- What are the determinants of the value chain international  fragmentation?

- What are the gains from trade?

- Which role for national governments in the international arena?

- Which role for supranational organization ?

 

A more detailed syllabus will be distributed at the beginning of the course

 

Evaluation in this course is based on a  written exam at the end of the course.

Krugman, P. R., Obstfeld, M., International Economics, Addison-Wesley, Reading, 2008, 8^th ed.

Additional material will be suggested at the beginning of the course and will be posted on the web page of the course: