Chris Adolph

Political Economy from Great Recession through Pandemic

POLS 409 & 589 / ECON 409

We consider contemporary comparative political economy and macroeconomics of advanced industrial societies through the lens of the past two decades, punctuated by the long recession kicked off by speculative bubbles and financial crisis, the sharp recession and subsequent inflationary growth that followed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the radical disruption unleashed by the second Trump administration. In the background of these events, massive technological change and widening inequality has renewed debate on the appropriate role of government in managing the business cycle and addressing systemic disparities. Emerging from the tumult of the early 21st century, the rich economies of the US and Europe face deep questions about the future of work in an era of automation, globalization in a time of xenophobia, and the survival of democracy and the rule of law. We tackle three key questions through discussion of a mixture of popular and academic readings: What happened during the Great Recession, what political economic changes followed in its wake, and how is the experience and aftermath of the pandemic reshaping these trends?

POLS 409 & 589 / ECON 409

Political Economy from Great Recession through Pandemic

Offered every other year at the
University of Washington

Syllabus

Readings

Spring 2025

Class meets:
MW 4:30 pm–6:20 pm
Savery Hall 162

Lectures Click on lecture titles to view slides or the buttons to download them as PDFs.

Day 1

Course Introduction

Day 2

Contours of Change

Student Assignments

Reaction Papers

Due on Pre-arranged Dates

For three pre-arranged class meetings, students will turn in a 2–3 page “reaction paper” addressing that day’s readings. To receive full credit, this paper must be more than a summary of arguments from the readings. A good reaction paper can take several forms: you might choose to critique one or more readings closely, to compare and contrast the arguments and findings of several readings, or to place the readings in a broader context, including earlier readings in the course. Reaction papers are due via Canvas at the beginning of class; late papers will not be accepted.

Final Paper

Due 10 June 2025, 3 pm

Our tentative plan is for students in POLS/ECON 409 will write a longer (approximately 10–12 page) paper drawing on the course readings to answer an assigned question. Papers that clearly develop an argument and support that argument with well-sourced and explained evidence will receive the highest marks. Papers that fail to make a clear argument, that provide only weak, poorly explained, or poorly sourced evidence, or that suffer from serious deficits in writing will be marked down accordingly. Note that I reserve the right to replace this assignment with an in-class final exam on the final day of class. Please see syllabus for details of the final assignment for POLS 589 students.