POLS0043 International Political Economy

The policy brief provides a brief analytical introduction to a specific policy and its effects, and provides an analysis of alternative options. This assignment should be structured as an advocacy brief, in which the argument is normative in nature, articulating a policy reform or set of reforms that would improve upon the status quo. The argument itself should be solidly grounded in IPE theory and evidence. Its intended audience should be a highranking policy maker or government official.

The aim of this assessment is to enable you to apply what you have studied in this module to real-world policy considerations. This approach rewards frank considerations of policies’ practical implications in light of researchbased evidence.

1. Suppose you are a political risk company. A manufacturer would like to know the political risk associated with investing or trading with partners in two of the following countries: Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Tunisia. Develop a risk analysis and provide recommendations.

2. Choose one of the countries below and argue whether monetary-policy reform should be implemented in the country’s current economic climate. Policy recommendations can include central bank reform (CBI/mandate) and/or adjustment of the exchange-rate mechanism (fixed, floating, intermediate). Proposed reforms can be large or small in scope and should be made with reference to their feasibility and potential political and economic implications.

Chile, Malawi, Philippines, Saudi Arabia

3. For one of the countries below, consider the possible distributional consequences stemming from either FDI and global trade or the Global Financial Crisis and consequent austerity measures. Be sure to consider questions related to discrimination, inequality, and uneven impacts across groups, and propose a politically feasible policy or policy package to address at least some of these effects. Choose one of the following countries:

Argentina, Japan, Latvia, Romania