APEC 421/621—Globalization
Fall 2006
Welcome
Welcome to the world of Globalization. In some respects this is like studying the universe and everything in it, but we will take some steps to narrow the agenda to a manageable task. During the semester we will read parts of two highly acclaimed books, both written by excellent writers. In addition we will view an online film, read interesting shorter articles and explore globalization through case studies and exercises..
What the course is about
Globalization utilizes basic principles of international economics (comparative advantage, free trade vs. protectionism, exchange rate determination, etc.) to analyze the contemporary problems and issues of the world economy. The course emphasizes application of economic principles to current globalization trends. We will explore the concept of globalization utilizing contemporary problems and issues of the world economy.
Required material
- Friedman, Thomas. The Lexus and the Olive Tree. (The paperback edition, not the hardback version which is different). ISBN 0-385-49934-5.
- Wolf, Martin. Why Globalization Works. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-10252-6 (This is the paperback edition, but it appears the hard cover is identical in content.)
- Commanding Heights. An on-line PBS documentary available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/lo/index.html (Copies of the video will also be on reserve at the library for viewing, or you may prchase the documentary at the above web site.)
Computer requirements
You need to have dedicated access to a computer with a reliable Internet connection. A high speed connection is best, but reliable dial-up connections have worked in the past. Your access to the computer y ou use also needs to be relaible. Experience indicates that using a computer in a public library may not be reliable. This course is deadline driven and as a result you need to be able to control your computer access times. You also need the standard software (e.g., MS Office, web browser, a media viewer, Adobe Acrobat Reader etc.)
How the course is organized
The course will utilize Blackboard, the teaching program Clemson has selected for on-line courses. In particular we will utilize Blackboard's discussion board facility for much of the course. For the typical pattern you will read the assignment (or view in the case of Commanding Heights), prepare equestions or an analysis as assigned, post your work, and then comment on other students' postings. An advantage of this system is that you do not have to logged onto the system at any particular time. That is, this course is organized asynchronously. You may post your analysis and discussions at any time day or night. As with everything, however, there is a catch. This is a deadline-driven approach. For this approach to work postings have to made by the assigned deadline. As a result, there will be substantial penalty for late assignments and these penalties will grow rapidly. This is necessary because a late assignment does not benefit the rest of the class, which has moved on to the next assignment. I have tried to structure this course so that it proceeds at a steady pace.
Through your postings you will need to convince me you have read or, in the case of Commanding Heights, viewed, the material and thought about it. You do not have to agree with all the material. Some students may find what we study this semester to be very controversial. I don’t agree with all of material that will be presented, but if you want to disagree, you need to put forth a logical, civil argument for your viewpoint.
In order for you to make sure you are on track I will be communicating with you personally from time to time. Also, I will post grades in the course grade book. This information will serve as your mid-term grade report. You should also feel free to contact me either via e-mail (gjwells@clemson.edu), telephone (864-650-8316) or by coming by my office (272 Barre Hall).
To get started visit the course web site available in MyCLE. Course information is available in the course content folder of the web site. There you will find a copy of this and other useful information including specific assignments. Be sure to print a copy of the course schedule.
To make the course manageable I have divided the class into groups. To find out which group you are in go to the course web site and access the grade book. Your group is listed under the group entry. Although you are assigned to a group, your performance is based on your work. View the groups as small classes within a larger class.
The course is divided into three main parts that are covered sequentially. Part I is an introduction to globalization. It runs from August 23-September 22. During this portion of the course you will read the first 12 chapters of The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman and post material on the relevant discussion boards. Mr. Friedman is the Foreign Correspondent for the New York Times and has won several Pulitzer Prizes and a National Book Club award. The Lexus and the Olive Tree stands as one of the best general introductions to globalization. It is well written although it becomes somewhat repetitive in the later chapters. As a result, we will only read the first 12 chapters. Hopefully, you will complete the book on your own. You will also view the 6-hour PBS documentary entitled Commanding Heights. The documentary is available on-line and can either be viewed or the transcripts can be read. The documentary is based on a book by the same title written by Daniel Yergin (also a Pulitzer Prize winner) and Joseph Stanislaw. This documentary provides an excellent background of how we got to where we are today in terms of globalization. The documentary is divided into three episodes. There will be assignments for each episode as well as the overall documentary.
Part II of the course is an argument in favor of globalization based on Martin Wolf’s 2004 highly acclaimed book entitled Why Globalization Works. Mr. Wolf is associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times. We will read far too little of this book (chapters 1-11), but that is the unfortunate consequence of having a limited amount of time. (By the way, economists love to consider resource allocation, and perhaps the most limited resource of all is our time.) While Wolf's book is well written, it is a more difficult read than The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Mr. Wolf is an economist and the book is written from the point of view of an economist. Again we will discuss the book via discussion board postings. Part II will run from September 25 through October 20.
Part III will be a departure from the pattern established during Parts I and II. Here you will work on case studies short readings and exercises. . The case studies will be formulated in such a way as to have well defined work load divisions. Currently, I am formulating new case studies for this semester. As a result the case studies may change by the time we get to late October. This portion of the course will run from October 23 until the end of the semester.
Undergraduate Grading
Part I—The Lexus and the Olive Tree assignments 15%
Commanding Heights 15%
Part II—Why Globalization Works assignments 30%
Part III—Case studies 30%
Final 10%
Missed deadlines will be penalized up to 50%
Extra credit—You may earn extra credit by preparing an analysis of chapters 12-14 of Why Globalization Works. This extra credit could range as high as 1/4 of a letter grade. For example, if you have a strong B+ in the course the extra credit could push you to an A-.
Graduate Grading
There will be two extra assignments for graduate students. The first will be an additional case study. The second will be preparing an analysis of Chapters 12-14 of Why Globalization Works. The latter assignment will be due at the end of the semester.
Part I—The Lexus and the Olive Tree assignments 15%
Commanding Heights 15%
Part II—Why Globalization Works assignments (including Chpt. 12-14) 30%
Part III—Case studies (including an additional study) 30%
Final 10%
Missed deadlines will be penalized up to 50%
Instructor—Gary J. Wells
gjwells@clemson.edu
Applied Economics and Statistics
272 Barre Hall
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634
(864) 650-8316
Correspondence
Assignments will be graded as quickly as feasible and e-mails will be answered in a timely fashion. However, do not wait until the last minute to contact me—the earlier the better. Use the above email address to contact me. You can also call me at (864) 650-8316.
MISC.
The University administration asks that students be made aware of the following information. “As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson’s vision of this institution as a ‘high seminary of learning.’ Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form.”
This syllabus is preliminary and is subject to change. The syllabus distributed in class is the official version.
Fall 2006 Course List 
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2006 by Gary J. Wells, Professor, Department of Applied Economics & Statistics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC. 10/26/06