166-203 Australian Political Economy

Note

Available as 166-303 at 3rd-year level.

Availability

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Normally 25 points of first-year Politics; students with only 12.5 points in Politics may apply to the 2nd/3rd-year coordinator.

Contact

Subject Description

A study of the transition in Australia's traditional political economy from protection and 'state socialism' to competition policy and the 'contract state'. Topics covered include liberal and critical theories of political economy relevant to Australian history and practice, the roles of government and markets, the impact of globalisation, current debates over deregulation and privatisation, and institutional restructuring. Students who complete this subject should: have an understanding of liberal and critical theories of political economy that are relevant for understanding Australian history and practice; be familiar with the Australian political economy tradition and current debates over the roles of government and the market; have studied some of the major issues of public policy and economic management facing Australia today have the skills to critically evaluate proposals for restructuring government and adopting market solutions for public purposes.

Assessment

Essay work or equivalent totalling 4000 words, and a 1-hour written class test totalling 1000 words.