GV907-7-AU-CO:
Comparative Political Economy
2025/26
Government
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 02 October 2025
Friday 12 December 2025
15
11 August 2025
Requisites for this module
(none)
GV947
(none)
(none)
GV947
MA L20612 Political Economy,
MA L206EB Political Economy,
MA L206EK Political Economy,
MRESL20624 Political Economy,
MSC L20612 Political Economy,
MSC L206EB Political Economy,
MSC L206EK Political Economy,
MSC L16512 Quantitative International Development
This is a graduate course on comparative political economy. The course is divided into different themes addressing how domestic politics affect domestic economics, as well as the reverse: how domestic and economics affect domestic politics. For example, we will cover how domestic politics affect areas like industrial/labour policy, fiscal/debt policy, and social/regional transfers. We also examine how domestic and economics affect areas like voting preferences and electoral behaviour, party systems and political stability, redistribution and the welfare state. The class emphasizes core theoretical insights, using them to delve into traditional and more recent theoretical and empirical debates.
The aims of this module are:
- To introduce students to contemporary scholarly research on political economy topics.
- To introduce students to key models in political science and their substantive applications.
- To stimulate students to form original ideas for promising research projects in the area of contemporary political economy.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Read, understand, and evaluate scholarly work published in the leading journals.
- Understand evaluation methods for particular research questions, research designs, and variables.
- Measure variables of interest and conduct empirical analyses using various statistical methods.
- Address their own research topics with an eye towards scholarly publication.
- Theorize, generate empirically testable hypotheses, and report on and discuss results of quantitative and qualitative analyses.
Students in this module will have opportunities to improve the following employability-related skills:
- Demonstrate familiarity and competence with data sources and methods commonly used in political science and political economy.
- Develop a plan to answer a research question in a systematic and/or intellectually rigorous manner.
- Practice small-group deliberation.
- Publicly present/discuss research and respond to feedback.
The module is the core module for students on the MA/MSC/MRes in Political Economy and can be taken as an option by students on other Masters courses in the Department of Government.
The module will be delivered via:
- One two-hour class per week.
The module will run over 10 weeks.
.
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Bueno de Mesquita, B. (2003) The logic of political survival. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
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Milgrom, P.R., North, D.C. and Weingast*, B.R. (1990) 'The Role, of Institutions in the Revival of Trade: The Law Merchant, Private Judges, and the Champaign Fairs',
Economics & Politics, 2(1), pp. 1–23. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0343.1990.tb00020.x.
-
Ostrom, Elinor (no date) 'Collective Action and the Evolution of Social Norms',
Journal of Economic Perspectives, 14(3), pp. 137–158. Available at:
https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1257/jep.14.3.137.
-
Acemoglu, D. and Robinson, J.A. (2006) Economic origins of dictatorship and democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
-
Carles Boix (2003) 'Endogenous Democratization',
World Politics, 55(4), pp. 517–549. Available at:
https://muse-jhu-edu.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/article/49855.
-
Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson (1199) 'Why Did the West Extend the Franchise? Democracy, Inequality, and Growth in Historical Perspective',
The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 115(4), pp. 1167–1199. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/2586922?sid=primo.
-
Svolik, M.W. (2013) 'Learning to Love Democracy: Electoral Accountability and the Success of Democracy',
American Journal of Political Science, 57(3), pp. 685–702. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12005.
-
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita & Alastair Smith (2009) 'Political Survival and Endogenous Institutional Change',
Comparative Political Studies, 42(2). Available at:
http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?public=false&handle=hein.journals/compls42&id=162.
-
Meltzer, Allan H. and Richard, Scott F. (1981) 'A Rational Theory of the Size of Government',
Journal of Political Economy, 89(5), pp. 914–927. Available at:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1830813.
-
Alesina, Alberto (no date) 'Intergenerational Mobility and Preferences for Redistribution',
American Economic Review, 108(2), pp. 521–54. Available at:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/26527913.
-
Alisha C. Holland (no date) 'Diminished Expectations Redistributive Preferences in Truncated Welfare States',
World Politics, 70(4). Available at:
http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?public=false&handle=hein.journals/wpot70&id=593.
-
Hacker, J.S. and Pierson, P. (2010) 'Winner-Take-All Politics: Public Policy, Political Organization, and the Precipitous Rise of Top Incomes in the United States',
Politics & Society, 38(2), pp. 152–204. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0032329210365042.
-
Ferejohn, John (1986) 'Incumbent Performance and Electoral Control',
Public Choice, 50(1/3), pp. 5–25. Available at:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/30024650.
-
Stantcheva, S. (2021) 'Understanding Tax Policy: How do People Reason?',
The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 136(4), pp. 2309–2369. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjab033.
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Ansolabehere, S., Meredith, M. and Snowberg, E. (2014) 'Mecro-Economic Voting: Local Information and Micro-Perceptions of the Macro-Economy',
Economics & Politics, 26(3), pp. 380–410. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1111/ecpo.12040.
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MARK ANDREAS KAYSER, MICHAEL PERESS (2012) 'Benchmarking across Borders: Electoral Accountability and the Necessity of Comparison',
The American Political Science Review, 106(3), pp. 661–684. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/23275439?sid=primo.
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Gene M. Grossman, Elhanan Helpman (1994) 'Protection for Sale',
American Economic Review, 84(4), pp. 833–850. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/2118033.
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Maria Popova (2010) 'Political Competition as an Obstacle to Judicial Independence: Evidence From Russia and Ukraine',
Comparative Political Studies, 43(10). Available at:
http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?public=false&handle=hein.journals/compls43&id=1172.
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Strong, C. and Yayi, C.L. (2023) 'The political affiliation of central bankers and government debt: Evidence from Africa',
International Review of Economics & Finance, 85, pp. 603–620. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iref.2023.02.016.
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Mattozzi, A. and Merlo, A. (2008) 'Political careers or career politicians?',
Journal of Public Economics, 92(3–4), pp. 597–608. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2007.10.006.
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Baerg, N.R., Gray, J. and Willisch, J. (2021) 'Opportunistic, not Optimal Delegation: The Political Origins of Central Bank Independence',
Comparative Political Studies, 54(6), pp. 956–988. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414020957679.
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Cesi Cruz, Julien Labonne, Pablo Querubín (3037) 'Politician Family Networks and Electoral Outcomes: Evidence from the Philippines',
American Economic Review, 107(10), pp. 3006–3037. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/44871776?sid=primo.
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Esarey, J. and Schwindt-Bayer, L.A. (2018) 'Women's Representation, Accountability and Corruption in Democracies',
British Journal of Political Science, 48(3), pp. 659–690. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123416000478.
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Persson, A., Rothstein, B. and Teorell, J. (2013) 'Why Anticorruption Reforms Fail—Systemic Corruption as a Collective Action Problem',
Governance, 26(3), pp. 449–471. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0491.2012.01604.x.
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Figueroa, V. (2021) 'Political Corruption Cycles: High-Frequency Evidence from Argentina's Notebooks Scandal',
Comparative Political Studies, 54(3–4), pp. 482–517. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414020938102.
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Lant Pritchett (1997) 'Divergence, Big Time',
The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 11(3), pp. 3–17. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/2138181?sid=primo.
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Laura Alfaro, Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan, Vadym Volosovych (2008) 'Why Doesn't Capital Flow from Rich to Poor Countries? An Empirical Investigation',
The Review of Economics and Statistics, 90(2), pp. 347–368. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/40043150?sid=primo.
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Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, James A. Robinson (1401) 'The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation',
American Economic Review, 91(5), pp. 1369–1401. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/2677930?sid=primo.
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Acemoglu, D., Johnson, S. and Robinson, J.A. (2005) 'Institutions as a Fundamental Cause of Long-Run Growth', in
Handbook of Economic Growth. Elsevier, pp. 385–472. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1574-0684(05)01006-3.
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Stelios Michalopoulos, Elias Papaioannou (2014) 'National Institutions and Subnational Development in Africa',
The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 129(1), pp. 151–214. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/26372546?sid=primo.
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Edward L. Glaeser, Rafael La Porta, Florencio Lopez-De-Silanes, Andrei Shleifer (2004) 'Do Institutions Cause Growth?',
Journal of Economic Growth, 9(3), pp. 271–303. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/40215873?sid=primo.
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Edward Miguel (2004) 'Tribe or Nation? Nation Building and Public Goods in Kenya versus Tanzania',
World Politics, 56(3), pp. 327–362. Available at:
https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/25054263?sid=primo.
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TAJIMA, Y., SAMPHANTHARAK, K. and OSTWALD, K. (2018) 'Ethnic Segregation and Public Goods: Evidence from Indonesia',
American Political Science Review, 112(3), pp. 637–653. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055418000138.
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CRUZ, C., LABONNE, J. and QUERUBÍN, P. (2020) 'Social Network Structures and the Politics of Public Goods Provision: Evidence from the Philippines',
American Political Science Review, 114(2), pp. 486–501. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055419000789.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Critical Writing Assignment |
28/10/2025 |
30% |
| Coursework |
Response Paper |
09/12/2025 |
30% |
| Coursework |
Power Point Presentation |
23/12/2025 |
40% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Martin Steinwand, email: martin.steinwand@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Martin Steinwand
Module Supervisor: Dr Martin Steinwand, martin.steinwand@essex.ac.uk / Student Administrator: govpgquery@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
Yes
Dr Kyriaki Nanou
Durham University
Associate Professor in European politics
Available via Moodle
Of 2 hours, 2 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
Government
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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