UnitLevel 3Undergraduate

ECC3871 Political economy: Institutions, order, and evidence

Faculty of Business and Economics

ECC3871 Political economy: Institutions, order, and evidence is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics, offered in 2024 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It needs ECC2000, ECB2731, ECF2731 or ECW2731.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2024
Semester 1
Clayton
Assessment
Exam 50%
and 1 other task
Workload
144 hours
per semester

This is the 2024 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Requisites

Enrolment rules

To be successful in this unit, background knowledge and application of maths is required at the equivalent of VCE Year 12 Higher level. You may have satisfied this by completing relevant prerequisite unit/s, or you have covered relevant topics in your final years of secondary study. You should self-assess your maths competency prior to enrolling in this unit.

Overview

This unit is an introduction to contemporary political economy, emphasising core theoretical concepts and controversies and empirical evaluation. Before political science or economics, there was political economy. This unit studies the interaction between the economy and political institutions: the formal laws, norms, conventions, and rules that shape economic activity. Special attention will be paid to canonical ideas of how these institutions impact the allocation and distribution of resources and economic development. This unit combines both theory and evidence. You will be exposed to concepts of empirical research design, comparative inquiry, and causality. Topics covered: the theory and empirics of voting; violence and political order; governance and collective action; elites and theories of the state; institutions and growth; institutional change and path dependence.

Offerings in 2024

Teaching periodCampusMode
First semesterClaytonFlexible

Assessment

  • Within semester assessment
    50%
  • Examination
    50%

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    understand the interaction between political institutions and markets

  2. 2

    evaluate how formal and informal institutions impact economic activity and outcomes

  3. 3

    critically consume contemporary empirical work in political economy and related disciplines

  4. 4

    critically assess how institutions shape the behaviour of political actors.

Workload and teaching

  • Seminars24 hours
  • Tutorials12 hours
  • Teaching approachActive learning

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.

This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.

Where it fits

ECC3871 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2024 handbook.

Contacts

Chief Examiners
Mr Weijia Li

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for ECC3871?

You need ECC2000, ECB2731, ECF2731 or ECW2731 before you enrol. Enrolment rules also apply.

When is ECC3871 offered?

In 2024, ECC3871 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.

How much work is ECC3871?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does ECC3871 have an exam?

Yes. The exam is worth 50% of the final mark, alongside 1 other task.

Which majors and minors include ECC3871?

ECC3871 is part of Economic analysis and Economics.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
3
Study level
Undergraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Business and Economics
Organisational unit
Department of Economics
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 4
Study abroad
Available
Handbook years
2024202520262027