Undergraduate Courses

The George Washington University has a wealth of courses related to international economic policy at the undergraduate level. All economics courses listed below presume that students have current knowledge of introductory economics principles courses (Econ 1011: Principles of Microeconomics and Econ 1012: Principles of Macroeconomics). Where applicable, syllabi have been posted.

Econ 2151: Economic Development.: Theories and empirical studies of the economic problems of developing countries.; Economic Development: Theories and empirical studies of the economic problems of developing countries.

Econ 2180: Survey of International Economics.

Theories and policy analysis of international trade and international finance/macroeconomics.

ECON 6280: Survey of International Economics; Introductory international trade and finance, primarily for students in the Elliott School. Topics include the economic effects of trade liberalization and protection, exchange rate determination, and macroeconomic policies in an open economy.

ECON 2180: Survey of International Economics; Basic concepts of international trade and international finance, with emphasis on policy issues.

Econ 2181: Survey of International Trade.

Focus on the origins and effects of international commerce among nations. Particular attention on trade policy, the World Trade Organization, and free trade agreements.

ECON 6283: Survey of International Trade Theory and Policy; For graduate students in fields other than economics. Survey of international economics and policy; application of comparative advantage and other arguments for trade; impact of trade on a domestic economy; new arguments for protectionism; and regional trading blocs.

ECON 2181: International Trade Theory and Policy; The basis for international trade and the effect of trade on consumers, producers, and workers; causes and effects of the international movement of factors including foreign direct investment, outsourcing, and migration; and the impacts of trade policies and trade agreements.

Econ 2182: Survey of International Macroeconomics.

Analysis of international financial flows, including determination of foreign exchange rates, macroeconomic policy in an open economy and the effects of balance of payments on economic conditions.

ECON 6284: Survey of International Macroeconomics and Finance Theory and Policy. For graduate students in fields other than economics. Open economy macroeconomics; international finance; balance of payments accounting; exchange markets; alternative models of balance of payments determination and adjustment; behavior of flexible exchange rate systems.

ECON 2182: International Macroeconomic Theory and Policy; Topics include the balance of payments, the determination of exchange rates and prices in open economies, the interaction of the exchange rate and domestic economic activity, international financial markets, and exchange rate and financial crises

ECON 6269: Economy of China I.: Analysis of organization, operation, policies, and problems. Development of the economy since 1949.
IAFF 6318: Korea-Japan Relations: Content coming soon.

IAFF 2090: Latin America: Problems and Promise:: An interdisciplinary course in Latin American studies designed to introduce undergraduates to the diverse, rich, and complex history, politics, economy, culture, and society of Latin America.

IAFF 3191W: Latin American Populism in Global Context:: Theoretical frameworks for thinking about classical and contemporary examples of Latin American populism in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries; examining these theories and interpretations as they pertain to the origins, process, and outcomes of selected cases.
IAFF 6358: Govts & Poltics-Latin America: Content coming soon.

Econ 2195: Economics of the WTO: This course will look at the theory and practice of the WTO during its first 10+ years of operation. The course will begin with a broad overview of the WTO and its history. We will then move into a more detailed examination of each of the sub agreements, including Agriculture, Services, Textiles, intellectual property, administered protection allowances, etc. One method we will use is to study various dispute cases that have been brought before the WTO on each of these issues. Thus, students will leave the course with a good deal of knowledge about many dispute settlement cases during the past 10 years. Finally we will also discuss the Doha round, its agenda, and prospects for the future. Basic economic analysis will be introduced, as needed, as we discuss each of these issues.
Note: this class will fulfill a WID requirement.

Econ 2123 Introduction to Econometrics / STAT 2123: construction and testing of economic models: regression theory, parameter estimation, and statistical techniques applicable to economic models.

IAFF 6164: Environmental Security: The relationship between conflict, environmental degradation, and natural resources, including how the environment, climate change, and natural resources influence national security. Theoretical security concepts and use of multidisciplinary academic literature to consider how environmental security can be integrated into future U.S. defense and foreign policy strategies and decisions.

Econ 2158: Industrial Organization: Industrial Organization is a subfield of microeconomics devoted to the study of firms and markets, focusing in particular on how firms acquire market power, how firms use this power once acquired, and how competing firms interact strategically. The development of non-cooperative game theory over the past several decades has provided new, formal tools to study these issues and has led to an explosion of interest in industrial organization. Many of the lectures will be theoretical, but there will also be discussions of policy issues and empirical methods.

Econ 3161: Public Finance:: Expenditure Programs. Economic analysis of government spending and social regulation program; public goods, externalities, income transfer and social insurance programs, and benefit-cost analysis of government programs

ECON 3162: Public Finance: Taxation:: Economic analysis of taxes. Topics include individual and corporate income taxes, payroll taxes, sales and excise taxes, property and wealth taxes, design of tax systems, and effects of taxation on labor and capital markets.