It’s a good bet you’ve heard more about tariffs in the last 18 months than at any time since Smoot met Hawley (ca.1930.) But is what you’ve heard and read accurate? Are countries upon which the US imposes tariffs the ones who also pay them? What economic strategies drive their use, and what are their up- and downsides? If the globalization of trade brought them, what other changes have they wrought?
This course looks at the US economy now, especially at controversies about the trade deficit, tariffs, and loss of manufacturing jobs. To grasp the “now” we need grounding in the “before,” so Professor Rassekh gives us 18th-century trade theory alongside crucial 19th century contributions by David Ricardo and John Stuart Mill. He’ll segue to Paul Samuelson, the Nobel-prize-winning American economist who spelled out the intricacies of international trade relations in the 20th century. No previous economics courses are required, just a lively interest in current international trade issues and how economic concepts play out IRW (“in the real world”).
Farhad Rassekh is a professor of economics at the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business. He has taught international and managerial economics, macroeconomic analysis, history of economic thought, and principles of economics. The author of Four Central Theories of the Market Economy (Routledge, 2017) and articles in peer-reviewed journals, his research encompasses international trade, economic growth, and the history of economic thought. He is currently researching the role of institutions in cultivating and fostering innovative ideas.
Thursdays, Jan. 22, 29, Feb. 5 | 10:30 a.m.–noon | KF Room/Harrison Libraries | $60
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