29866 - International Economics (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course is aimed at providing students that did not take International Economics in the First-cycle degree/Bachelor with some basic theoretical tools. In the part of the course devoted to international trade the focus is on what are the reasons explaining trade patterns among countries and what are the gains from trade. The most important instruments of trade policy are analyzed, and the costs and benefits of protectionist trade policies are assessed. Moreover, multinational enterprises organizational and production choices are explained, in order to understand their functioning. In the part of the course devoted to international monetary economics, the focus is on the mechanisms that determine the exchange rate between currencies, and on the relationship between exchange rates, money supply and interest rates. The course is entirely taught in Italian.

Course contents

The general traditional model.

The Ricardian model.

The Heckscher-Ohlin model.

Models with increasing returns to scale and imperfect competition.

Trade policy.

Trade policy: arguments in favor of protectionism.

International monetary economics: Money, Interest Rates, and Exchange Rates.

Political economy of international trade: causes and consequences

Readings/Bibliography

"Economia internazionale 1: Teoria e politica del commercio internazionale" Paul R. Krugman, Maurice Obsfeld, e Marc Melitz. Editore: Pearson Education Italia

Lecture notes, papers: Virtuale online platform

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures and discussions in class

Assessment methods

The maximum possible score is 30 cum laude. The grade is graduated as follows:

<18 failed

18-23 sufficient

24-27 good

28-30 very good

30 cum laude excellent

Teaching tools

Lectures slides and material made available in advance on the e-learning web platform.

Office hours

See the website of Guglielmo Barone