Level 6 • Economics

International Economics II

ECO 322 — Semester VI
Course CodeECO 322
TypeB
ECTS6
SemesterVI
Course Description

International Economics II: International trade and finance theories and practice; foreign exchange rates, fiscal instruments and markets; alternative international currency systems and reformation proposals; the economics of currency, and financial instruments in futures markets.

Course Objectives

Comprehending the causes and consequences of international trade for business acting at an international level, specific concepts such as fair trade, sustainable trade, distributional consequences of trade (inequality, structural adjustments, etc.).

Key Concepts
  1. International economics is the field of economics that is concerned with the economic interactions of different nations as well as the economic interactions between nations and international institutions.
Course Outline
WeekTopics
1Money, Interest Rates and Exchange Rates (Chap. 15) --- Money demand for individuals and institutions is primarily determined by interest rates and the need for liquidity, the latter of which is influenced by prices and income. Aggregate money demand is primarily determined by interest rates, the level of average prices, and national income. Page (414-448)
2Money, Interest Rates and Exchange Rates (Continue) (Chap. 15) --- Aggregate demand of real monetary assets depends negatively on the interest rate and positively on real national income. Page (414-448)
3The International Monetary System, 1870-1973 (Chap. 19) --- Internal balance means that an economy enjoys normal output and employment and price stability. Page (579-641)
4The International Monetary System, 1870-1973 (Continue) (Chap.19) --- External balance roughly means a stable level of official international reserves or a current account that is not too positive or too negative. Page (579-641)
5Macroeconomic Policy and Coordination under Floating Exchange Rates (Chap. 14) --- Arguments for flexible exchange rates are that they grant monetary policy autonomy, can stabilize the economy as aggregate demand and output change, and can limit some forms of speculation. Page (378-413)
6Macroeconomic Policy and Coordination under Floating Exchange Rates (Continue) (Chap. 14) --- Arguments against flexible exchange rates are that they cause expenditure switching policies, can make aggregate demand and output more volatile because of uncoordinated policies across countries, and make exchange rates more volatile. Page (378-413)
7Optimum Currency Areas and the European Experience (Chap. 21) --- The EMS was first a system of fixed exchange rates but later developed into a more extensive coordination of economic and monetary policies: an economic and monetary union. Page (681-719)
8Mid-Term Exam
9Optimum Currency Areas and the European Experience (Continue) (Chap. 21) --- An optimum currency area is a union of countries with a high degree of economic integration among goods and services, financial assets, and labor markets. Page (681-719)
10The Global Capital Market: Performance and Policy Problems (Chap. 8) --- Gains from trade of goods and services for other goods and services are described by the theory of comparative advantage.Gains from trade of goods and services for assets are described by the theory of intertemporal trade. Page (198-242)
11The Global Capital Market: Performance and Policy Problems (Continue) (Chap. 8) --- Gains from trade of goods and services for other goods and services are described by the theory of comparative advantage.Gains from trade of goods and services for assets are described by the theory of intertemporal trade. Page (198-242)
12Developing Countries: Growth, Crisis and Reform (Chap. 22) --- Many poor countries have extensive government control of the economy, unsustainable fiscal and monetary policies, lack of financial markets, weak enforcement of economic laws, a large amount of corruption, and low levels of education. Page (720-763)
13Developing Countries: Growth, Crisis and Reform (Continue) (Chap. 22) --- Many poor countries have extensive government control of the economy, unsustainable fiscal and monetary policies, lack of financial markets, weak enforcement of economic laws, a large amount of corruption, and low levels of education. Page (720-763)
14Overview of the term
Learning Outcomes
  1. Application of foreign economic models and theories in order to better understand the causes and consequences of international trade for business acting at a international level.
  2. Knowledge of distributional consequences of trade (inequality, structural adjustments etc.).
  3. Knowledge of the implications of globalization on specific sectoral policies such as agricultural policy, energy policy.
  4. Knowledge of specific concepts such as fair trade, sustainable trade.
Assessment
MethodQty% Each
Midterm Exam(s)130
Case Study130
Final Exam140
Textbooks

International Economics: Theory and Policy, Paul R. Krugman, Maurice Obstfeld, Pearson Addison-Wesley, 12th Ed. 2022

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