PSCI 278
The Politics of Capitalism
Last Offered n/a
Division II
This course is not offered in the current catalog

Must we choose between “socialism or barbarism?” A century after Rosa Luxemburg’s challenge, it is clear that socialism did not win. Does this mean that we have descended to barbarism? Tracing the path of capitalist development in the rich democracies suggests a range of responses. Some states have developed robust institutions that provide for citizens’ basic needs and check the power of business; others leave the poor threatened by starvation and workers exposed to exploitation. How and why has capitalism evolved in different forms in different countries? This course addresses the politics of capitalism by examining the struggles between social groups that lead to variation in distributional outcomes and economic performance. The course concludes by investigating these struggles in light of contemporary challenges, in particular, transnational governance and technological change.