Political Economy

College of Letters and Science
Group Major Office, International and Area Studies: 101 Stephens Hall, (510) 642-4466

Chair: Shannon Stimson, PhD (Department of Political Science)
Program Website: Political Economy

Program in Political Economy (formerly Program in Political Economy of Industrial Societies)

Political Economy eligibility is changing! New PE eligibility requirements begin in Fall 2014.

All students who declare Political Economy in the Fall 2014 semester (on or after August 21, 2014) must meet the new eligibility requirements, listed below:

• Must have a cumulative UC Berkeley grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 or higher

AND

• Must have completed IAS 45 with a grade of B- or higher on the 1st attempt.

Students who do not earn a B- or higher in IAS 45 in their first attempt will not be eligible to declare the Political Economy major beginning in Fall 2014, regardless of the semester in which IAS 45 was taken.

All other eligibility requirements will remain the same.

Note: applications to declare will not be accepted from August 14, 2014 to September 15, 2014.

Questions? Please come in to the IAS office to speak with an advisor.

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Political Economy

Political Economy (PE) examines the relationship between politics and economics in modern societies and focuses on problems of both domestic and international policy. Based on the assumption that political-economic relationships are affected by any number of factors, such as society, culture, geography, and demographics, the curriculum is both multi- and interdisciplinary in scope. The focus of the major is on contemporary issues, although a strong historical perspective is also emphasized. Students may also study planning and problem solving, environmental issues, resource distribution, and the challenges of institutional adaptation, and changing political systems.

The major is designed to provide a broad-based liberal arts background, as well as the intellectual skills appropriate for careers in either the public or private sector. Additionally, the major offers an excellent background for students planning postgraduate careers in social science disciplines and professional schools.

Some of the questions that the major addresses include:

• The tension between rising consumer demand versus the need to minimize resource depletion and pollution
• The different priorities served by capitalist, and socialist and traditionalist varieties of political economy
• The different priorities served by democratic and authoritarian political systems
• How international interdependence may undermine the efforts of national governments to cope with unemployment, inflation, trade and payment deficits, health, housing, and welfare problems, and other issues associated with industrialized societies
• The importance of organizational structures for policy-making in both the public and private sectors

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The Group Major

Declaring a major in PE follows guidelines established by the College of Letters and Science. Students wishing to declare PE:

1. Must have completed IAS 45 with a grade of C or better (IAS 45 may be repeated only once to achieve a grade of C or better), or received a score of 5 on the AP World History exam (DARS report showing AP scores required)
2. Must have completed Econ 1, 2, or C3 (also cross-listed as EEP 1) with a grade of C or better (may be repeated only once to achieve a grade of C or better), or completed the equivalent at another college, or received AP scores of four or five on both the micro-economics and macro-economics exams (DARS report showing AP scores required);
3. Must not be in their final semester of undergraduate work
4. Are encouraged—but not required—to have completed at least two semesters of college-level foreign language or the equivalent
5. Attend a major declaration workshop
6. Meet with an advisor to submit the PE Application materials

Students are reminded that no coursework for the major may be taken on a passed/not passed basis, and no course may be used to satisfy more than one major requirement.

Double Majors

Double majors must be approved by the dean of the College of Letters and Science and cannot use more than two upper division courses to satisfy requirements in both majors.

Courses Outside L&S

No more than three courses outside the College of Letters and Science may be used to fulfill group major requirements.

Study Abroad: The use of coursework taken at institutions outside the United States to fulfill major requirements is restricted to the equivalent of three semester-length upper division courses. Courses taken to fulfill the foreign language requirement for the group major are not included in this restriction.

Transfer Courses

A maximum of three upper division courses taken at other institutions (including those of the Education Abroad Program of the University of California) may be transferred into the major. These courses will be accepted only as three of the ten required upper division courses (regardless of unit value) and must be validated by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and approved by an IAS adviser. Courses used to fulfill foreign language and lower division requirements are not included in this restriction but must be approved by an adviser.

Honors Program

To graduate with honors from the group major in PE, students must enroll in the two-semester honors seminar, IAS H102 (fall only) and PE H195 (spring only), and must obtain GPAs of 3.6 in the major and 3.5 in overall university coursework. The honors seminar (PE H195) is taken in addition to a student's regular coursework for fulfilling requirements for the major and culminates in the writing of a senior thesis. To qualify for PE H195, students must be recommended by the IAS H102 instructor. The thesis is read by the PE H195 instructor and at least one other faculty member who is selected by the student in consultation with the thesis instructor. Eligibility for participating in the honors program is determined by the IAS office.

Note: There is no guarantee that students accepted into the honors program will graduate with honors. Honors recommendations are made after graduation and are based on a number of factors including (but not limited to) major GPA, grades received for IAS H102 and PE H195, and faculty adviser recommendations.

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Course Plan

There is considerable flexibility within PE for students to construct programs appropriate to their intellectual interests and the global areas they wish to stress in their studies. There are, however, minimal core course requirements that each student must meet. These requirements are designed to provide all PE students with a common background of knowledge and common intellectual reference points.

The program consists of three tiers of coursework and a foreign language requirement:

1. Three lower division courses provide necessary historical, quantitative, and economic skills essential for upper division coursework and for future career and educational options
2. Six upper division core courses provide detailed background for studying modern political economies
3. Four courses provide in-depth study in the student's chosen issue or problem

In addition to the requirements outlined above, all PE majors must demonstrate proficiency in a single modern foreign language, other than English, equivalent to four college-level semesters.

Foreign Language Requirement: There are a variety of  ways that students can fulfill the four-semester language requirement for PE, depending on their background and ability:

• Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) test: An AP score of 5 or an International Baccalaureate (IB) score of 7 (higher level) will complete this requirement. An AP score of four will place a student into the fourth-semester college level course. A score of three will place a student into the third-semester college level course. Documentation of AP scores must be provided.
• Through coursework: A combination of college, summer program, or college-level study abroad programs could satisfy the language requirement. At a minimum, students must complete the fourth semester of a language with a grade of C- or better. The first, second, and third level of language may be taken on a passed/not passed basis; the fourth semester must be taken for a letter grade. Language courses need not be taken at UC Berkeley; courses taken at a community college or any accredited school or university are acceptable.Transcripts and must be provided. A one-semester upper-division course taken abroad in the target language may satisfy the foreign language requirement. See an adviser in the IAS office concerning language study abroad.
• With a proficiency examination: Some, but not all, language departments on campus offer proficiency testing for students with advanced skills in that language. Please note that if a particular language is not taught on the Berkeley campus, then students are not able to test in that language. A student would then need to choose one of the other methods for fulfilling the foreign language requirement. Please speak with a PE advisor about proficiency testing.
• Completion of high school in a non-English language: Students who were educated in a non-English language through the completion of high school or the equivalent may wish to satisfy this requirement with that experience. Students must provide a transcript or diploma proving that they have been educated in this language at least through the completion of high school or the equivalent.

Lower Division

There are three required courses at the lower division level. Lower division requirements may be satisfied by:

1. Successfully completing the appropriate course or its equivalent;
2. Providing evidence of AP credit; or
3. With prior consent from an IAS adviser, satisfactorily completing an upper division equivalent. Please consult with the IAS office for current information.

Required Courses: Economics 1 or 2 or CS 3, IAS 45, Statistics 2 or 20 or 21.

Upper Division

There are nine required upper division courses spread among three major divisions: conceptual tools, including intermediate economics (two courses) and theory (two courses); historical context (one course); and concentration in the major (four courses).

Note: In fulfilling the upper division major requirements, students should keep in mind that no more than three courses outside the College of Letters and Science may be used in their major programs and no course used to complete major requirements may be taken on a passed/not passed basis.

I. Conceptual Tools

A. Intermediate Economics (two courses: one macro and one micro):

• Microeconomics. Choose one from the following: Econ 100A, 101A, IAS 106, UGBA 101A, EEP 100;
• Macroeconomics. Choose one from the following: Econ 100B, 101B, IAS 107, UGBA 101B.

(Students may choose from two different macro/micro series, e.g., IAS 106 Micro and Econ 100B Macro, as long as one micro and one macro course are taken.  IAS 106 and 107 do not require a calculus background and are not equivalent to economics courses offered by the Economics Department and the Business School. Anyone intending to take additional upper-division Economics or Business courses should enroll in the appropriate macro and micro economics series.)

B. Theory (two courses: one classical and one modern):

• Classical Theory (one course): PE 100, Classical Theories of Political Economy (PE 100 must be taken before PE 101);
• Modern Theory (one course): PE 101, Contemporary Theories of Political Economy (Prerequisite: PE 100).

II. Historical Context

Choose one course from the following: CRP 112; Economics 113, 115; History 124A, 124B, 125B, 131B, 158C, 162B; PE 160; Poli Sci 122A; UGBA C172

III. Concentration

Four courses. Important to note: Within the Concentration, only 2 courses may be taken from the same department.

The PE Concentration is the theoretical focal point in the major. It is meant to give students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of political economy around an area of particular interest to them. The Concentration is perhaps the greatest benefit of the Political Economy major because it allows students to apply the theoretical and methodological knowledge they have gained to a topic about which they feel particularly drawn or curious. Students spend four courses focusing on this material, so it is important for students to be thoughtful and develop a topic about which they enjoy learning.

To get started on the Concentration, students should think about an existing or potential issue or question in political economy. Then they should choose four courses that will inform or increase their understanding about that issue. These courses should all relate to the topic as well as to one another. Students are encouraged to be imaginative in defining a Concentration. A Concentration issue is formulated by the student with the assistance of a PE advisor who can help to explain, clarify, or perhaps challenge that issue. Students having a difficult time formulating a Concentration should think about the classes they have taken which they enjoyed the most and consider what topics they learned about in those courses. Also, topics covered in IAS 45, PE 100, and PE 101 are a good place to start.

• Some sample Concentration topics include, but most certainly are not limited to:
• Public Policy & Socioeconomic Inequality in the U.S.
• Political Economy of China
• Environmental Policy in Post-Industrial Societies
• Development and Resource Distribution

Departments and Disciplines to consider when searching for concentration courses:

IAS (which includes courses in AS, DS, IAS, LAS, MES, PACS, and PE) has many course offerings which could fit a variety of concentrations, so students should start within IAS when searching for concentration courses.

In addition to courses offered by IAS, students might consider looking in the following departments or disciplines for classes relevant to their concentration topic:

• Political Science
• Economics
• Sociology
• Geography
• History
• Public Policy
• Environmental Economics and Policy
• Public Health
• Gender & Women’s Studies
• Legal Studies
• Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
• Demography
• City and Regional Planning

Note: Courses from the departments and disciplines listed above are not guaranteed approval for a concentration, nor are students limited to the above list – this is just a good starting point.

When choosing Concentration courses, students should be mindful of the following:

• No more than two courses from the same department may count toward the Concentration
• Only courses that are demonstrably relevant to the Concentration topic will be approved. Therefore, it is not advisable for a student to take courses they hope to count for their concentration prior to getting declared. There is no guarantee they will be accepted for the major.
• Up to three courses taken abroad may count, provided they conform to the Concentration topic. A syllabus in English must be provided. (See page 8 of this handbook for more information about using study abroad courses to fulfill major requirements.)
• All courses, including those taken abroad, must be upper-division, 3 units or more, and taken for a letter grade.

Getting a Concentration approved

To have a Concentration approved, students must submit a two-paragraph description of the particular issue they would like to study. Students must also submit a list of their four proposed courses along with a brief explanation (one to two sentences each) of how each course relates to their proposed Concentration. Please use the form provided online. Concentration proposals must be submitted in person to a PE advisor along with the complete PE application. Students may be asked to provide syllabi for certain courses.

Please note that if an advisor determines a Concentration proposal needs to be developed further, it will not be submitted for review by the IAS Faculty Committee until revisions have been made. For this reason, it is best not to delay speaking with a PE advisor about Concentration topic ideas. Concentration proposals are reviewed by the IAS Faculty Committee and students are notified by email if their Concentration has been accepted or is being returned for revisions.

Note: Any subsequent changes to already approved Concentration topics and/or courses must be submitted to a PE advisor for review and approval by the IAS Faculty Committee prior to altering the Concentration.

Major Rules:

• No more than three upper-division courses may be taken outside of the College of Letters and Science, including courses taken at other universities, EAP, and Study Abroad.
• With the exception of Economics, no more than 3 upper-division courses may be taken from the same department. A total of four upper-division courses from the Economics Department may count, including intermediate micro and macro.
• Within the Concentration, only two courses may be taken from the same department.
• A cross-listed course will not always count in the department through which a student is enrolled. It will count in what is known to be the originating department of the course. Students who intend to enroll in a cross-listed course and to apply the course toward an upper-division major requirement should see a PE advisor prior to enrolling.
• Courses cannot be double-counted within the major (for example, students may not use 1 course to fulfill both a Concentration course requirement and the Historical Context course requirement).
• All courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade. The one exception is foreign language: only the fourth-semester level class must be taken for a letter grade. The first, second, and third semester language classes may be taken Pass/Not Pass.

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Minor in Political Economy

PE offers a Minor in European Studies, which is open to all undergraduates except PE majors. Applications for the minor and a list of approved courses are available from the IAS Office. To apply for the minor, students must have completed one course in the minor with a grade of B or better, and must have an overall GPA of 2.0. The completed PE minor application and a “Completion of L&S Minor” form must be submitted to the IAS Office at 101 Stephens Hall no later than the last day of instruction of the semester immediately preceding the student’s final semester. The “Completion of L&S Minor” form can be found on the L&S website here .

To complete the minor, students must take six upper-division courses, including PE 100 and 101. The remaining four courses must be concentrated in two out of three specified fields (two courses per field):

• Politics
• Business and Economics
• Culture and Society

Note: The following college requirements apply to the PE minor program:

1. At least three of the upper-division courses must be taken at Berkeley
2. All courses satisfying minor requirements must be taken for a letter grade
3. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all coursework used to satisfy the minor requirements
4. No more than one course may overlap with the student’s major program

* contingent on adviser approval of section topic