International political economy

International Political Economy ( IPE ) (English: International Political Economy - IPE) is a branch of International Relations, the particular deals with the political aspects of international economic relations. In the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia it is seen more as an interdisciplinary field of research that combines especially approaches of political science and other social sciences with those of the political economy. As for Asia, the discussion mainly to the " developmental state " has turned.

In Germany, have made every effort within the German Association of Political Science in particular Christoph Scherrer, A. Stefan screen, Susanne Lütz, Andreas Busch and Philip Genschel to the reception of American research approaches.

Different theoretical approaches

Robert Gilpin presented three rival approaches to: 1 Realism, Liberalism 2, 3 Marxism. Jeffrey peace and David Lake IPE defined as "the interplay of economics and politics in the world arena ." John Ravenhill finally has doubts that the so outdated in this discipline between theoretical approaches is still useful because abzeichne a consensus on issues, theoretical framework and methods. However, the increase in pluralism of approaches contradict this view; the discipline may be more appropriate than a "global conversation " construed.

As IPE is driven, and depends heavily on the academic tradition in question of location and there perceived political problem situation. This differ in particular the U.S. and the British conception of IPE: While some positivism and empiricism of the so-called " hard facts" as well as a theoretical and methodological consensus view as a scientific ideal, see British scientist pluralism and diversity of methods rather than a good thing to. While writers such as Gilpin and M. Mandelbaum praise hegemony as leadership in the U.S., British authors understand hegemony as defined by Antonio Gramsci and make them more likely to question and Asian writers such as Walden Bello speak of neo- imperialism. The discipline thus as in continued development should be seen located.

In the comparison of U.S. and British approaches must not be overlooked that in the United States themselves are divergent approaches at home.

Realism

The realistic approach to IPE is based on three things: the state, the national interest, as well as an environment that is presented as anarchy. Unlike Marxism or liberalism, the state is presented as an autonomous actor who fights in an anarchic environment for its survival and its power interests because he has to be concerned for his safety constantly. As early representatives of this approach Hans Morgenthau (1951 ), George F. Kennan (1951) and Stephen D. Krasner (1978 ) are listed. Influential under the label "neo- realism" was then Kenneth Waltz with his Theory of International Politics ( 1979).

Rationalism

The rationalist approach is based on the assumption that actors act instrumental to pursue their prioritized preferences. It looks at how different players react as governments, states or companies to the global trends of changing distributions and make new arrangements. The formation of the change and the consequences of such institutional change is trying to explain in connection to Oliver Williamson contract theory. Influential were here including the work of Robert O. Keohane.

Constructivism

With " constructivism " is an approach should come, which can be attributed to Charles P. Kindleberger, Karl Polanyi and Susan Strange. This approach accentuates, based on the material given incentives for acting rationally actuators that the social constitution of the sense of the statement of the political and social events is of fundamental importance. Because the actions of the actors can only be understood if one takes their particular situ -tion interpretations, constructions of identity and action-guiding theories of knowledge. So neither that, what does a state when his security interest, nor what a market of results zeitigt given as mere material fact. Their respective meaning is constructed by the relevant actors at each particular way; Consequently, both the foreign policy and the market processes " institutionally embedded ".

Research Topics

The main interest of scientists working in this field focuses on issues of globalization, in particular the capital and financial markets. The basic question is how it has already been asked by Harold Lasswell: Who gets what, and in what way? Here, the dissolved between politics and business because of the currently observable trends in a differentiated way, the conventional in the field of international relations, distinctions between national internal and external policies and.

A special focus is on the international field in the regime, ie international agreements on specific regulations for a particular area economic or political action, such as the currency regime of Bretton Woods. Following Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari Saskia Sassen also uses the concept of "assemblage".

The globalization of liberalization integrated global financial markets has increased the monetary instability, what Susan Strange has brought as casino capitalism on the term. This problem perspective is restored by Wesley Widmaier a constructivist approach, on Keynes.

Courses

Anglo-Saxon universities and international research centers such as the European University Institute in Florence have set up the program in International Political Economics ( IPE). As an interdisciplinary research and study field it unites beyond approaches from different disciplines and schools, as political science, economics, sociology, history and cultural studies. One of the first academic training centers with this course was the London School of Economics, which was introduced at the initiative of Susan Strange, Professor of International Relations, IPE, the first graduate programs in 1984. In German -speaking countries there are in the Kassel Master Global Political Economy ( GPE ).