This seminar explores key theoretical debates in American political economy and public policy. The seminar will begin with an examination of competing theoretical perspectives (public choice, institutionalism, and class theories). It will turn to a consideration of competing forms of economic governance and the role of the state and public policy in shaping the evolution of governance regimes and the larger political economy. We will then consider some of the unique features of the U.S. political economy that have long-term consequences for performance and regime stability. Over the course of the semester, we will have the opportunity to examine the role of ideas in the economic policy process, the role of tax expenditures in the U.S. welfare state, the problem of inequality, the long-term liability crisis, and the factors that shaped the recent financial collapse. |