DSPO 25A47 - The Anglo-Saxon Economic Model. An Interdisciplinary Evaluation

The course will introduce students at Second and Third Year undergraduate level to the ‘Anglo-Saxon' economic model as it exists in the UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and to a lesser extent in countries such as India, Singapore and Hong Kong tied historically to the UK. It will adopt a social sciences/inquiry-led approach, based on varying theoretical approaches to assessing how and why Anglo-Saxon countries have developed their economies in the way they have done. Case studies will be primarily from the UK and USA, and the reading and sources will largely be based on these two countries. In the case of the UK, extensive reference shall be made to the UK's relationship with the European Union (EU) and the role of the EU/UK in nurturing/promoting ideas associated with the Anglo-Saxon economic model, such as, in the case of the EU, the UK-led promotion of the Single Market (1986+). I intend to explore how the Single Market may have laid some of the foundations for the eventual electoral fall-out of Brexit in 2016. The first three lectures will explore what the Anglo-Saxon economic model is, with the next three assessing why this economic model has emerged and is branded/stereotyped in this way. The next five lectures shall examine the effects of the Anglo-Saxon model on : macro-economic stability ; equality and equality of opportunity ; infrastructure ; public sector investment ; and the environment. The final lecture shall be a plenary. The learning objectives are to : Understand what the Anglo-Saxon economic model is and how it differs from other economic models ; Understand the political economy/history of this model and how it emerged as a distinctive strategy for the management of a country's economy and society ; Understand the effects of this model on six societal themes

Roger LEWIS

Séminaire

English

Some pre-knowledge of economics/political science/political theory and the economics/politics of the European Union would be advantageous.

Spring 2021-2022

Assessment will be by a source evaluation question after Lecture 5 (35%), and a traditional essay question (c. 2,500 words) due at Lecture 11 (50%). I will offer some insight in a lecture as to how an essay is written in the traditional British/Oxford way as an insight into how assessment takes place in a leading British university. The non-written component of assessment would be course participation (15%), which may involve engagement in informal presentations throughout the 12 sessions.