Foundations Of Political Economy
- Social Sciences
- 200 level
- 3 credit units
- 184 pages
- 25 units
This course provides students of political science with a comprehensive knowledge of Political Economy. It examines the basic concepts, evolution, and scope of political economy, as well as perspectives including liberalism, Marxism, and neo-Marxism. The course analyzes modes of production, primitive accumulation of capital, globalisation, and the political economy of Nigeria. Students will gain a working knowledge of political economy and its application to real-world issues.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 150 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of POL223, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
- UNIT 1 UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENTPage 54
- UNIT 2 MODERNISATION PERSPECTIVES ON DEVELOPMENTPage 61
- UNIT 3 DEPENDENCY PERSPECTIVE ON DEVELOPMENTPage 66
- UNIT 4: PAUL BARAN’ ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC BACKWARDNESS AND ECONOMIC GROWTHPage 72
- UNIT 5: ANDRE GUNDER FRANK’S ANALYSIS OF DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND SAMIR AMIN POSTULATION ON UNEQUAL DEVELOPMENTPage 80
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
POL223 · UNIT 1 UNDERSTANDING THE SUBJECT MATTER OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
This is a theory course but you will get the best out of it if you cultivate the habit of relating it to political issues in domestic and international arenas.
What you should be able to do
- Understand the nexus between politics and economics.
- Analyze different perspectives in political economy.
- Appraise primitive accumulation of capital.
- Examine the political economy of Nigeria.
- Analyze modes of production.
- Understand the concepts of development and underdevelopment.
What it prepares you for
- Policy Analyst
- Economist
- Political Scientist
- Development Consultant
- Researcher
- Government
- International Organizations
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- Research Institutions
- Consulting Firms
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 3: The Concepts of Development and Underdevelopment
Unit 4: Paul Baran's Analysis of Economic Backwardness and Economic Growth
Paul Baran's analysis requires understanding of complex economic surplus concepts and their impact on development.
- Module 3: The Concepts of Development and Underdevelopment
Unit 5: Andre Gunder Frank's Analysis of Development of Underdevelopment and Samir Amin theory of Unequal Development
Andre Gunder Frank's analysis involves grasping the historical context of dependency theory and its application to Latin American economies.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 31 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: The Basics of Political Economy
Unit 1: Understanding the Subject Matter of Political Economy · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: Understanding the Subject Matter of Political Economy.. Define political economy and its significance.. Discuss the rationale for studying political economy..
- Week 2Module 1: The Basics of Political Economy
Unit 2: Evolution and Scope of Political Economy · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Evolution and Scope of Political Economy.. Discuss the evolution of political economy from ancient philosophy to modern interdisciplinary studies.. Explain the scope of modern political economy, including its sub-areas and applicability..
- Week 3Module 1: The Basics of Political Economy
Unit 3: Perspectives on Political Economy · 2 hours
Read Unit 3: Perspectives in Political Economy.. Explain the concepts of classical, Marxian, and neo-classical political economy.. Highlight the main arguments and limitations of each perspective..
- Week 4Module 1: The Basics of Political Economy
Unit 4: Basic Concepts in Political Economy · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Basic Concepts in Political Economy.. Explain basic concepts such as labor, social class, means of production, bourgeoisie, and proletariat.. Discuss the contemporary relevance of these concepts..
- Week 5Module 1: The Basics of Political Economy
Unit 5: Primitive Accumulation of Capital · 2 hours
Read Unit 5: Primitive Accumulation of Capital.. Explain the meaning of primitive accumulation of capital.. State the implications of primitive accumulation on class and power structures..
- Week 6Module 2: Analysis of the Modes of Production
Unit 1: Primitive Communalism · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: Primitive Communalism.. Discuss the nature and main features of the primitive communal era.. Understand the circumstances that led to its decline..
- Week 7Module 2: Analysis of the Modes of Production
Unit 2: Slave-owning Mode of Production · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Slave-owning Mode of Production.. Identify the nature of the slave-owning mode of production.. Discuss the functioning of the slave-owning mode of production..
- Week 8Module 2: Analysis of the Modes of Production
Unit 3: Feudalism · 2 hours
Read Unit 3: Feudalism.. Identify feudalism as an epoch in the evolution of the capitalist mode of production.. Know the basic features of feudalism..
- Week 9Module 2: Analysis of the Modes of Production
Unit 4: Capitalism · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Capitalism.. Explain the capitalist mode of production.. Explain the conditions necessary for the collapse of the capitalist mode of production..
- Week 10Module 2: Analysis of the Modes of Production
Unit 5: Socialist Mode of Production · 2 hours
Read Unit 5: Socialist Mode of Production.. Discuss the nature of a socialist society.. Explain the basic features of communism..
- Week 11Module 3: The Concepts of Development and Underdevelopment
Unit 1: Understanding the Concept of Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: Understanding the Concept of Development.. Explain the meaning of development.. Discuss the features of a developed society..
Unit 2: Modernisation Perspective on Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Modernisation Perspective on Development.. Identify the main thrust of the modernisation perspectives on development..
- Week 12Module 3: The Concepts of Development and Underdevelopment
Unit 3: Dependency Perspective on Development · 3 hours
Read Unit 3: Dependency Perspective on Development.. Identify the main arguments of the dependency school on development and underdevelopment.. Discuss the contemporary utility of the arguments of the dependency and underdevelopment school of thought..
- Week 13Module 3: The Concepts of Development and Underdevelopment
Unit 4: Paul Baran's Analysis of Economic Backwardness and Economic Growth · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Paul Baran's Analysis of Economic Backwardness and Economic Growth.. State the major ideas of Paul Baran on economic backwardness and economic growth.. Discuss the concepts of economic backwardness and economic growth..
Unit 5: Andre Gunder Frank's Analysis of Development of Underdevelopment and Samir Amin theory of Unequal Development · 2 hours
Read Unit 5: Andre Gunder Frank's Analysis of Development of Underdevelopment and Samir Amin Postulation on Unequal Development.. Explain the ideas of Andre Gunder Frank on the development of underdevelopment in the LDCs.. Explain the basic teachings of Samir Amin on unequal development and economic growth..
Preparing for the exam
- Review the key concepts and definitions from each unit.
- Create diagrams illustrating the relationships between different modes of production.
- Compare and contrast the perspectives of classical, Marxian, and neo-classical political economy.
- Analyze case studies of countries and their development paths in relation to dependency theory.
- Practice answering essay questions on the political economy of Nigeria, focusing on specific sectors.
- Create timelines of key events in the evolution of political economy and their impact on global trends.
Questions students ask about this course
What is POL223 about?
This course provides students of political science with a comprehensive knowledge of Political Economy. It examines the basic concepts, evolution, and scope of political economy, as well as perspectives including liberalism, Marxism, and neo-Marxism. The course analyzes modes of production, primitive accumulation of capital, globalisation, and the political economy of Nigeria. Students will gain a working knowledge of political economy and its application to real-world issues.
How many units does POL223 have?
POL223, Foundations Of Political Economy, has 25 units across 5 modules, over 184 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is POL223?
POL223 carries 3 credit units, at 200 level in Social Sciences.
Is POL223 hard?
POL223 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical work.
How long does POL223 take to study?
About 150 hours of study, spread across its 25 units.
How is POL223 assessed?
POL223 is assessed by assignments and final examination.
What can I do with POL223?
Policy Analyst, Economist, Political Scientist, Development Consultant and Researcher.