ECC5871 Political economy: Institutions, order and evidence
Faculty of Business and Economics
ECC5871 Political economy: Institutions, order and evidence is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics. It isn't offered in 2025. It needs ECW2731, ECC2000, ECF5927, ECF2731, ECC5900 or ECB2731.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Not offered
- Assessment
- Exam 50%
- and 1 other task
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ECC5871
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After ECC5871
No unit lists ECC5871 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Overview
This unit is an introduction to contemporary political economy, emphasizing 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 course 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 2025
The 2025 handbook lists no offerings for ECC5871.
Assessment
- Within semester assessment50%
- Examination50%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
understand the interaction between political institutions and markets
- 2
evaluate how formal and informal institutions impact economic activity and outcomes
- 3
critically consume contemporary empirical work in political economy and related disciplines
- 4
critically assess how institutions shape the behaviour of political actors.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials12 hours
- Seminars24 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.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Mr Weijia Li
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ECC5871?
You need ECW2731, ECC2000, ECF5927, ECF2731, ECC5900 or ECB2731 before you enrol.
When is ECC5871 offered?
ECC5871 has no offerings listed in the 2025 handbook.
How much work is ECC5871?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ECC5871 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 50% of the final mark, alongside 1 other task.