2018 Exam Commentary PDF

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Examiners’ commentaries 2018IR3026 International political economyImportant noteThis commentary reflects the examination and assessment arrangements for this course in the academic year 2017–18. The format and structure of the examination may change in future years, and any such changes will be publ...

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Examiners’ commentaries 2018

Examiners’ commentaries 2018 IR3026 International political economy Important note This commentary reflects the examination and assessment arrangements for this course in the academic year 2017–18. The format and structure of the examination may change in future years, and any such changes will be publicised on the virtual learning environment (VLE).

Information about the subject guide and the Essential reading references Unless otherwise stated, all cross-references will be to the latest version of the subject guide (2011) or current version of the online course. You should always attempt to use the most recent edition of any Essential reading textbook, even if the commentary and/or online reading list and/or subject guide refers to an earlier edition. If different editions of Essential reading are listed, please check the VLE for reading supplements – if none are available, please use the contents list and index of the new edition to find the relevant section.

General remarks At the end of the course, and having completed the Essential reading and activities, you should be able to: •

demonstrate an understanding of the processes of global integration and fragmentation in international politics and economics

•

show what the sources are of continuity and change in international political economy

•

demonstrate an appreciation of the history of thought in international political economy

•

distinguish between, and critically evaluate, different theoretical approaches to international political economy

•

explain the different roles of states, international organisations and nonstate actors in the politics of international economic relations

•

show an understanding of the economic challenges facing states in their foreign policy.

Planning your time in the examination It is important that you plan your time carefully in the examination. You should take care to produce the required number of answers: in this case, three out of 10. Good marks in three or fewer answers cannot make up for missing marks, and this is likely to lead to a fail. You will have your own preferences for planning each of the four answers. It is generally advisable to take a few minutes at the beginning to set out the basic structure of the answer. It need not be overly detailed, but should contain the

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main points and subheadings of an answer.

What are the examiners looking for? The examiners are looking for your ability to understand the question as it appears in the examination paper. This means not merely understanding the material to which it refers, but also the suggestions about how to use that material, so that the answer precisely responds to the question as set. You should critically reflect on the core theories and concepts that make up the discipline, and especially those that are referred to in the questions. Since time in the examination is limited, you should be careful to be relevant and resist going off on irrelevant digressions. This requires being disciplined in the use of illustrative material; this may be necessary, but should not be over-extended. Linguistic skills are also necessary; you should have a feeling for the meaning and subtleties of words, as well as an identification of possible ambiguities in the wording. Good answers can use such ambiguity to identify more than one way of answering the question. Doing this attracts good marks. The best-prepared candidates will always be able to respond to the subtleties of a question in the examination hall and will therefore not rely on model answers. This capacity depends on knowing the material and, of course, on having good linguistic and literary skills. The examiners also look for a familiarity with the relevant literature. This may be acquired through wide reading, but can be approached by remembering the people to whom ideas are attributed in the subject guide or in general texts such as: •

Economides, S. and P. Wilson The economic factor in international relations: a brief introduction. (London: I. B. Tauris, 2001) [ISBN 9781860646638].

•

Gilpin, R. Global political economy: understanding the international economic order. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001) [ISBN 9780691086774].

You should always try to read as widely as possible.

Key steps to improvement There is no simple way to improve. Immersing yourself in the literature is a good first step. When reading new articles or books, ask yourself questions and select those chapters that are most relevant. It is always a good idea to keep past examination questions in mind when selecting and studying new reading material. Beyond that is the need to debate and discuss the subject with others, including fellow candidates. Good candidates are avid readers of newspapers and journals, and are familiar with ways of accessing these, if necessary online. This is not always possible, but should be attempted. The internet is one of the most important resources now available to the student of international political economy. But beware, the internet also provides access to materials that are not of proper academic standard. It is always preferable to work with texts published in widely respected journals and book series.

A note on the Examiners’ commentaries The ‘Comments on specific questions’ which accompany these ‘General remarks’ are not intended as indications of model answers, but as suggestions as to how a good answer might be produced. There could be other ways to achieve this, and you are encouraged to come up with your own answers. Remember, the examiners are interested not so much in your personal opinions, but in properly developed and substantiated arguments that relate to the relevant literature and show an awareness of both the theoretical and empirical dimensions of the subject. Most importantly, answer the question and do not simply rely on a rehearsal of bits of knowledge from the subject guide that may, or may not, be relevant to the question.

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Examination revision strategy Many candidates are disappointed to find that their examination performance is poorer than they expected. This may be due to a number of reasons, but one particular failing is ‘question spotting’, that is, confining your examination preparation to a few questions and/or topics which have come up in past papers for the course. This can have serious consequences. We recognise that candidates might not cover all topics in the syllabus in the same depth, but you need to be aware that examiners are free to set questions on any aspect of the syllabus. This means that you need to study enough of the syllabus to enable you to answer the required number of examination questions. The syllabus can be found in the Course information sheet available on the VLE. You should read the syllabus carefully and ensure that you cover sufficient material in preparation for the examination. Examiners will vary the topics and questions from year to year and may well set questions that have not appeared in past papers. Examination papers may legitimately include questions on any topic in the syllabus. So, although past papers can be helpful during your revision, you cannot assume that topics or specific questions that have come up in past examinations will occur again. If you rely on a question-spotting strategy, it is likely you will find yourself in difficulties when you sit the examination. We strongly advise you not to adopt this strategy.

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Examiners’ commentaries 2018

Examiners’ commentaries 2018 IR3026 International political economy – Zone A Important note This commentary reflects the examination and assessment arrangements for this course in the academic year 2017–18. The format and structure of the examination may change in future years, and any such changes will be publicised on the virtual learning environment (VLE).

Information about the subject guide and the Essential reading references Unless otherwise stated, all cross-references will be to the latest version of the subject guide (2011) or current version of the online course. You should always attempt to use the most recent edition of any Essential reading textbook, even if the commentary and/or online reading list and/or subject guide refers to an earlier edition. If different editions of Essential reading are listed, please check the VLE for reading supplements – if none are available, please use the contents list and index of the new edition to find the relevant section.

Comments on specific questions Candidates should answer THREE of the following TEN questions. All questions carry equal marks.

Question 1 ‘Globalisation follows automatically from technological development.’ Discuss. Reading for this question Candidates should look to several chapters in the subject guide for guidance on this question. They can find useful background reading in Chapter 1 on globalisation in historical perspective. They might also want to think about the liberal versus mercantilist debates about the causes and consequences of market integration. They can find this information in Chapters 2 and 3 of the subject guide. Approaching the question It is crucial to recognise that this question is only partly about the role of technology in creating incentives for globalisation. This can be demonstrated with a general understanding of the history of globalisation and the underlying drivers that determine whether the world is undergoing globalisation or fragmentation. The experience of the interwar years is a particularly relevant case. The best answers grappled with the interwar deglobalisation and considered its broader significance to the prompt. One then might want to consider the contemporary experience. Can we say that globalisation has survived the recent financial crisis? What does Brexit and the election of Donald Trump tell us about the ‘automatic’ globalisation of markets? Of course, we do not yet now just how these events will play out. But they also point to the central – or, at least, permissive – role played by politics. 4

Examiners’ commentaries 2018

So a strong answer would link this discussion to more theoretical arguments about what drives economic globalisation; it would also compare and contrast governmental responses in the 1930s and since 2008. But the best answers go beyond this to consider the relationship between politics and economics more generally. They use the empirics to formulate broader theoretical points.

Question 2 What lessons does mercantilism hold for foreign economic policy today? Reading for this question Chapter 2 of the subject guide offers an introduction to the mercantilist tradition. The following introduces the main tenets of mercantilism: •

Economides, S. and P. Wilson The economic factor in international relations: a brief introduction. (London: I. B. Tauris, 2001) [ISBN 9781860646638].

As does: •

Gilpin, R. The political economy of international relations. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987) [ISBN 9780691077321].

Further useful texts on this topic are: •

Ravenhill, J. (ed.) Global political economy. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), 3rd edition [ISBN 9780199570812] Chapter 2.

Approaching the question To answer this question, you need to explain both the essence of the mercantilist tradition and the continued relevance and appeal of mercantilist ideas in contemporary economic policy. A good way to start would be to introduce the key tenets of mercantilism. A brief review of what makes mercantilism a distinctive tradition of international political economy would suffice. This is not the place to go into too much detail about how mercantilism has changed over time. Instead, you should focus on some core insights of mercantilism that have stayed constant over centuries. There are (at least) three broad categories to consider. First, there is the mercantilist understanding of power and wealth, with reference to the idea of global wealth as a fixed sum and global economic competition as a zero sum game. This has enduring relevance in the ‘relative gains problem’ and the challenges of imbalances of payments. Second, mercantilists stress the need for states to intervene in international economic affairs – especially international trade – to maximise their economic gain. Contemporary examples include the use of power (military and economic) to drive hard bargains and steer the terms of trade. For instance, the USA might use the security dependence of allies to press for specific economic policies. Third, there is the importance of the state in directing the economy to promote long-term national economic development. This could involve a discussion of the use of trade protectionism as part of developmental strategies, the role that infant industry protection plays even today and the importance of state intervention when it comes to investment in education and national infrastructure. China, of course, provides famous examples. But so also do the EOI economies of the ‘Asian tigers’. Each of these points is worthy of a response unto itself. The best answers covered all of these points; others covered only some of the points or discussed them superficially.

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Question 3 Are liberals right in thinking that global economic interdependence reduces the risk of international conflict? Reading for this question Chapter 3 of the subject guide provides background on the liberal tradition. Richardson 1995 focuses specifically on the ‘peace-through-trade’ argument advanced by Cobden and other liberal thinkers. Other useful texts on liberal theorists include Heilbroner 2000. Keohane 1989 is particularly useful on the more contemporary versions of liberalism, which emphasise the importance of economic interdependence. Approaching the question This question is about a long-standing argument made by liberals that greater economic interaction and interdependence will reduce the risk of international conflict. There are different versions of this argument that run through the liberal tradition. Perhaps the earliest versions of this appear in the 18th century in the work of the Baron de Montesquieiu, David Hume and Adam Smith. Even stronger versions can be found in the writings of Richard Cobden and other 19th-century liberal thinkers, who advanced the ‘peacethrough-trade’ argument. Post-1945 liberals recognise that interdependence does not automatically prevent war, but still argue that it tends to reduce conflict – particularly in conjunction with international regimes. To answer this question, candidates may wish to start outlining the evolution of liberal thinking on this topic. However, it is important to recognise that this was dealt a major blow (apparently) by the eruption of the First World War, contrary to all liberal logic and rationale. It is thus necessary to consider both this apparent challenge and to trace the evolution of liberal thinking on this after the Second World War. In other words why – and how – does interdependence have this effect? This relates to the idea that interdependence increases the economic costs of conflict and of going to war. It may also make conflict materially impossible. Ultimately, candidates must consider how strong the evidence is for this argument, and what counter arguments can be made against it. For one, there are other liberal explanations for peace, such as the democratic peace. There are also (neo) realist and Marxist critiques. The strongest arguments investigated all of these.

Question 4 Is the concept of ‘class’ useful in studying international political economy today? Reading for this question Chapter 4 of the subject guide and Economides and Wilson 2001 (Chapter 4) offer background on the Marxist tradition in IPE, which made class conflict one of its central concepts. Brewer 1990 is a useful guide to the evolution of Marxist thinking throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. For a more recent example of Marxist thinking applied to contemporary developments in the global economy, which makes some use of the concept of class conflict, see Amin 1997 and Wallerstein 1995. Approaching the question This question requires candidates to apply their knowledge of the Marxist tradition to contemporary phenomena in IPE. The focus is on the specific Marxist concept of class conflict, so the candidate must focus on this specific concept and not simply discuss the Marxist tradition as such. 6

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A good way to start would be to identify class conflict as a Marxist concept and to explain how Marxists use it to analyse capitalist structures and the revolutionary developments that conflict between the main classes generates. This should then be followed with a discussion of how the concept can be applied to international relations, and the ways in which it has been applied in neo-Marxist writings. Perhaps the central issue here is that Marx expected that ‘international politics’ would shift from a system comprised of states and empires to one comprised of global class structures. Of course, that did not happen in his time – and it has not happened yet. The so-called ‘Marxists’ (such as Lenin) and the ‘neoMarxists’ sought to transform Marx’s concept of ‘class’ to apply it to the state system, as it has persisted and developed. It is important, therefore, to move beyond a mere general discussion of classbased analysis to a more focused discussion of what analytical leverage the class conflict can, and cannot, provide for the study of international relations today. Candidates should refer to specific examples from the history of international relations to illustrate the contrasting views on this question. For example, class conflict might illuminate the conflict between developed and developing countries, or between (ex) colonial countries and their (former) colonies. As always, candidates should feel free to form their own judgement on this question.

Question 5 Does international aid promote economic growth and reduce poverty in developing countries? Reading for this question Chapter 7 of the subject guide gives an overview of economic development related topics. Background reading on development and aid can be found in Ravenhill, J. (ed.) Global political economy. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014), fourth edition [ISBN 978-0-19-966601-0], Chapter 13, and Gilpin 2001, Chapter 12. Collier 2008 and Riddell 2008 discuss the role of economic aid as part of broader development strategies. Some of the readings listed under Chapter 4 of the subject guide on dependency theory may also be helpful in addressing the question, as they tend to view aid in a more negative light. Approaching the question This is a straightforward question about whether international aid works in terms of stimulating growth and reducing poverty. There is a lively debate in the literature on this question, with opposing sides arguing that aid is either essential or self-defeating. Candidates may want first to describe the use of development aid in the global fight against poverty before discussing its effectiveness and introducing rival interpretations and viewpoints. Candidates should explain the reasoning behind arguments on both sides of the debate – explaining how aid can work, as some claim, and why it does not always work, as others assert. In trying to resolve this debate, candidates should refer to specific examples of countries or aid programmes that support certain conclusions. A good answer would try to distinguish specific contexts in which aid can or cannot work. In so doing they introduce greater nuance into what is often a heated and polarised debate in the study of economic development.

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Examiners’ commentaries 2018