International Trade/Business

     In this course of International Trade/Business I learned about international commerce and the importance of MNCs in the global market place.  The text for this course was entitled, "Global Political Economy: Understanding the International Economic Order" by Robert Gilpin.  A very efficacious ancillary text suggested by the professor was, "A History of Knowledge" by Charles Van Doren.  The before-mentioned text was that which was my primary reference for my final paper found on this page.  The final chapter from the subsequent text was my secondary resource.  

     I chose to write my final paper on The Political Economy of Regional Integration because geographic situation has a huge impact on global commerce.  As Adam Smith pointed out, it would be better that an Italian were to produce wine in his humid climate given to wine-making than that he were to try to produce the same conditions on the island of Britain at an exorbitantly greater cost.  Placement makes a difference.

    I have learned a lot about international agreements; how they function, and how they affect nations' markets and internal politics.  One very important note is the difference between a market-driven economy and a policy-driven one.  I point out this dichotomy in my paper, but wish to establish my premise here.  Many political decisions affect a nation's economy, but market-centered decisions differ vastly from those with a more political agenda.

    In short, this course in International Trade/Business taught me a lot about the global political economy and really stretched me to think upon the political and economic decisions that are made here in the United States.  I believe that all too often Americans tend to go about their days seemingly "unaffected" by politics, but it's important to pay attention to what's happening on capital hill because it may directly affect one's paycheck!