Economic issues are central to the world in which we live. Economists hold very different views about the cause of these issues, how the economic system works and how it could work differently to improve outcomes for society. This unit explores the principal schools of economic thought - Classical, Marxian, Institutional, Neoclassical and Keynesian - and considers how different economic theories explain the nature of the economic system in which we live, shape views about policies implemented by governments, and advocate different policy solutions to persistent economic and social problems.

This unit explores global economic integration, especially the renewed 'globalisation' from the 1980s. It considers changing historical patterns and different explanatory theories. It analyses debates about whether globalisation has been for the better or worse and who have been the winners and the losers. The Unit concurrently explores the forms of, and debates about, the regulation of economic activity on a global scale, addressing the development and changing roles of states and international agencies.

This unit of study examines the economic theory that emerged with the formation and development of capitalism. It explores the key theoretical focuses of political economy, classical, neo-classical and general equilibrium theories, before proceeding to analyze the economics of Keynes and post-Keynesian theory, and reflecting on contemporary macroeconomic debates, including production, the distribution of income and economic growth.

This unit examines the ways in which economic activity is 'embedded' within a broader social structure. Institutions including those of capital, labour, the family and the state are studied. The unit considers the conflict, contradiction and cohesion inherent in the relationships between these institutions and processes of capital accumulation.

Some of the most contentious issues in political economy concern the role of the state in relation to contemporary economic problems. This unit of study examines particular economic policies, how they are shaped by competing theories, interests and ideologies, and how they operate in practice. Emphasis is placed on the Australian experience. Attention is also given to how economic policy is shaped by international economic conditions.

This unit of study examines the economic theory that emerged with the formation and development of capitalism. It explores the key theoretical focuses of political economy, classical, neo-classical and general equilibrium theories, before proceeding to analyze the economics of Keynes and post-Keynesian theory, and reflecting on contemporary macroeconomic debates, including production, the distribution of income and economic growth.

This unit examines the ways in which economic activity is 'embedded' within a broader social structure. Institutions including those of capital, labour, the family and the state are studied. The unit considers the conflict, contradiction and cohesion inherent in the relationships between these institutions and processes of capital accumulation.

Some of the most contentious issues in political economy concern the role of the state in relation to contemporary economic problems. This unit of study examines particular economic policies, how they are shaped by competing theories, interests and ideologies, and how they operate in practice. Emphasis is placed on the Australian experience. Attention is also given to how economic policy is shaped by international economic conditions.

This unit examines the development of the capitalist world economy. The unit examines different theoretical perspective for understanding this development, and situates it within a long-term historical context. Key issues examined include: the post-World War II boom, the formation of the international monetary system and its crisis following the end of the long boom, the global role of the United States and the formation of growth poles in Europe and Asia and the global crisis of the early 21st century.

Although our current era is characterized by the unprecedented legitimacy of equality as an ideal and as a political norm, it is marked by vast social and economic inequalities. This unit seeks to explain this paradoxical situation. It introduces students to some of the central theoretical questions; investigates the historical development of inequality within and between countries; and examines some of the key mechanisms through which inequality is produced in modern societies. It concludes by considering possible alternatives and responses.

This unit of study examines the changing character and organisation of work associated with the shifting dynamics of globalisation. The organisation of work is explored in terms of the interplay of formal and informal sectors of contemporary capitalist economies and waged and non-waged labour, and the place of key institutions, including the state, capital, unions and households, in shaping patterns of capital accumulation.

Neoliberalism is a key concept in contemporary debates about the forces reshaping the global economy. This unit introduces students to the history, theories and practices of neoliberalism. The unit begins with a focus on neoliberal ideas. It then examines institutional transformations in the neoliberal era, and changes to the economy and processes of capital accumulation. Students are exposed to competing scholarly interpretations of neoliberalism, before turning to an examination of neoliberalism and the global financial crisis.

This unit is about the political economy of development. Students are introduced to contemporary debates about the meaning and measurement of poverty and development in emerging economies such as India and China. Students will learn to evaluate the socio-economic dynamics of poverty and current approaches to development policy, including new models of development finance and aid, the use of social policy as a development tool and the critical role that gender, climate change and technology play in the development experience.

This unit of study introduces students to some of the big debates in the social sciences, through an exploration of the meaning and limits of class concepts in social theory. Structure and agency, fact and interpretation, the politics of theory, and the nature of the Good Society are all considered. The unit is both an enrichment program adding breadth to the range of issues you study in Pass units of study, and an advanced program adding depth to your analytical and writing skills in Political Economy, in preparation for a third year studies and for a final honours year.

This unit of study examines how economic interactions with the environment are conceptualised, and the nature of environmental problems, their emergence and how they are 'managed' within capitalism. Different conceptions of the economic-environment relation are explored largely through the lectures which introduce theories of environmental economics, ecological economics and radical critiques of human interactions with ecological systems. Tutorials examine concrete economic-environment problems along with the public policies and business management practices implemented in response.

This unit studies human rights in development. International debates about human rights and democratic legitimacy are linked to structural economic arguments and to cultural and structural debates over the process of socioeconomic change. This introduces the competing arguments over rights, the distinction between formal and effective rights and the social struggles that have created them. The approach of economic liberalism, emphasising property rights and the role of competition as an arbiter of equal opportunities in society, is discussed. The unit also includes international studies of indigenous rights and labour rights, the globalisation of capital and citizenship, and structural and cultural arguments over the nature of socio-economic change.

Capitalism is organised through the circulation and pursuit of money. The financial system is neither a parasite on nor a veil over the 'real economy', but its organiser and disciplinarian. It also breaks down from time to time, sometimes spectacularly. This unit explores money and finance from a political economy perspective. It covers the evolution of money from the gold standard to the present, the institutions, instrument and markets of modern finance, with a special focus on financial innovation and its challenges. It introduces mainstream and critical theories of finance, and applies them to understanding real world structures and events.

This is an intensive 3 week integrated program of classes and field visits on the political economy of development and environmental management in India. The course provides students with a cross-disciplinary international learning experience in which they develop familiarity with an important Asian regional economy and the cultural competency to do research in this context.

This unit examines gender in the global context. Gender is an important social relation that shapes the political economies of developed and developing countries. The unit focuses on gender relations as a subject of economic thought and analysis. It explores the ways in which contemporary gendered patterns of employment, production, distribution and exchange have been shaped historically and institutionally.

This unit surveys historical and contemporary theories that explain sources of instability in capitalist economies - both cyclical and non-cyclical. Students will be trained to use techniques to detect cycles, trends, volatility and turning points. Students will complete a project which evaluates sources of instability, emphasizing the social, political and institutional features of an economy that may influence its severity, and discusses the challenges for policymakers to softening the ill-effects of economic downturns and create conditions for recovery.

This unit of study looks at the various theoretical frameworks within which political economic analysis is constructed. It compares the methodologies of the principal schools of economic thought with particular emphasis on the non-neoclassical approaches to the study of economic issues. Students considering Honours are strongly advised to undertake this unit as it provides the preparation necessary for the Honours year.

This unit prepares students for independent research in Political Economy. It focuses on methodology and the philosophy of social science, and covers quantitative and qualitative methods as well as practical aspects of developing and carrying out a research project.

This unit is designed for third year students to undertake a project that allows them to work with one of the University's industry and community partners. Students will work in teams on a real-world problem provided by the partner. This experience will allow students to apply their academic skills and disciplinary knowledge to a real-world issue in an authentic and meaningful way.

Interdisciplinarity is a key skill in fostering agility in life and work. This unit provides learning experiences that build students' skills, knowledge and understanding of the application of their disciplinary background to interdisciplinary contexts. In this unit, students will work in teams and develop interdisciplinarity skills through problem-based learning projects responding to 'real world problems'.

This is an advanced unit in the theoretical foundations of political economy. The unit explores some of the main schools of critical scholarship and how they can be deployed in our research practice to illuminate contemporary issues in political economy.

This is an advanced unit that considers the relationship between theory and practical research questions. The unit draws on contemporary theoretical innovations and explores how they contribute to research in political economy and public policy.

This unit is designed to support the development of a student research theses. The unit will include a number of thesis development workshops including an orientation to the honours year, writing a literature review and Research in Progress presentations to a departmental forum. These activities are designed to supplement the regular student-supervisor relationship and thesis writing undertaken in Semester 1.

This unit requires students complete an original piece of sustained research in political economy. Students are provided expert supervision by a member of the Department who will guide the research and writing process.