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Course Information: Introduction to International
Political Economy (PS and EC 375) - Colorado College
Professors Gould and Suveges
Examination of classic and modern conceptions of political
economy, emphasizing theory and its application to states
and among states in the international arena.
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Type: Paper
Mock conference
Group project
Level: 300
Block Plan Context:
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Important Features of the Assignment:
- This assignment allows students to research and then depict
a real international conference.
- This assignment includes both writing and oral presentation
elements.
- Beginning resources are provided, but students are expected
to go beyond these helps.
- This assignment allows students to present both their
own work and that of their group.
- Students read all other student papers, which can make
for a very high student-set bar regarding quality of work.
- Students are forced to take the perspective of someone
else whose interests they may not share, and argue persuasively
for the other's position.
- The block plan allows for a full day conference at the
end of the course, perhaps off campus or in a setting other
than the classroom.
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Description of Assignment:
Class size limits the number of countries involved and how
many delegates will represent each country. Note that the
foreign ministers/trade representatives will also be committee
delegates.
The four committees are:
- Agriculture
- Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
- Investment ("The Singapore Issues")
- Textiles and Clothing; Anti-Dumping Measures
The following roles will accompany these committee assignments:
- Mexico: Foreign Minister (chair of the meeting) and one
delegate (ombudsmen)
- US Trade Representative and three delegates (one on each
committee)
- EU Trade Commissioner and three delegates (one on each
committee)
- Chinese Trade Minister and three delegates (one on each
committee)
- Brazilian Trade Minister and two delegates (Ag, TRIPS,
and Tex/Cloth)
- Jamaican Trade Minister and one delegate (Ag and Tex/Cloth)
- Burkino-Faso Trade Minister and one delegate (Ag and TRIPS)
- South African Trade Minister and one delegate (TRIPS and
Tex/Cloth)
- Indian Trade Minister and two delegates (TRIPS, Invest
and Tex/Cloth)
Country delegations will meet after class on the first Friday
of the clock for a brief organizational meeting. Each delegation
will collectively decide who is to represent their country
in their assigned committees. Exchange phone numbers and e-mail
addresses. Set up a schedule to meet several times prior to
the deadlines.
Your Paper: You will prepare an individual position
paper detailing your country's specific positions and concerns
pertaining to your specific committee issue area (6-8 pages).
Your sources must be precisely documented. Paraphrase or quote;
and always footnote! Full bibliographic information
is essential - including EXACT website addresses. Failure
to provide this information will result in your having to
rewrite the paper over block break.
Country Delegation Executive Summary: Each country
delegation will collectively prepare a very short overall
position paper highlighting their major concerns, basically
a synthesis of the individual delegates' position papers.
No more than 1 page! - use bullet points.
We will penalize individuals for late position
papers and delegations for late executive summaries.
Issues to research and analyze before you write your position
papers:
- What is the background in your committee issue-area? How
was it addressed by the failed Cancun negotiation?
- What are the most pressing trade-related issues your country
currently faces in each of these committee areas? On what
are you willing and not willing to compromise? What concessions
are you willing to make?
- Who are your potential negotiating partners and adversaries?
What are their likely positions? What coalitions can you
form? How will this affect your bargaining power?
To get you started, we recommend a thorough and careful reading
of the following, followed by a visit to the WTO website (www.wto.org).
Other sources to help you get started:
WTO: www.wto.org
CIA World Fact Book: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
Library of Congress' Global Gateway: http://international.loc.gov/intldl/intldlhome.html
WebEc - Economic Resources on the Web: http://www.helsinki.fi/WebEc
Economist: www.economist.com
Christian Science Monitor: www.csmonitor.com
Financial Times: Cancun In-Depth:
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/Page/GenericPage&c=Page&cid=1059479529573
Council on Foreign Relations: http://www.cfr.org/reg_issues.php?id=1|||1
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: http://www.ceip.org
Institute for International Economics: www.iie.com
Center for Global Development: http://www.cgdev.org/nv/features_trade.html
Center for International Development - Global Trade Negotiations:
http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidtrade
ActionAid: http://www.actionaid.org
Trade Observatory (WTO Watch): http://www.tradeobservatory.org/pages/home.cfm
Third World Network: http://www.twnside.org.sg/
Cato Institute Center for Trade Policy Studies: www.freetrade.org
- Also remember that your countries have embassies, trade
ministries, etc. that have websites, as well as many of
the regional trade groups.
Conference - Fourth Tuesday of the Block
at CC Cabin
Schedule
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Meet at Worner
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8:15 |
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Leave Worner for drive to CC Cabin
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8:20 |
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I. Morning Plenary Session:
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A. Welcome - Chairman |
9:30-9:35 |
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Conference host's brief visionary statement; rules of
order. |
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B. Country Delegations Positions |
9:35-10:25 |
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Each country delegation head presents her/his delegation's
position. In Mexico's case, it should be the delegate,
not the foreign minister. (5 min. each) |
II. Closed Committee Meetings |
10:30-11:30 |
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The committees meet separately. Choose a committee head.
Begin negotiating countries' positions towards a draft
committee agreement on the particular issues on the
table. Draft a brief preliminary statement of the committee
position for the afternoon plenary meeting. Use Mexican
delegation to communicate with other committees in attempt
to design broader cross issue bargains and coalitions |
III. Lunch |
11:30-12:30 |
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Lunch by country delegations. Use this time to review
the morning's developments. Reevaluate priorities and
potential compromises. Devise strategies for afternoon
sessions. |
IV. Closed Committee meetings |
12:30-12:45 |
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Revisit morning statement |
IV. Afternoon Plenary Session |
12:50-1:40 |
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The committee heads present their committee positions
(or lack thereof). (5 min. each)
Bargaining, discussion and debate; Mexico moderates
(30 minutes)
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V. Committee Vote |
1:40-2:10 |
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The committees reconvene to seek agreement, or agreement
to disagree, or prepare rival positions. |
VI. Final Plenary Session and Vote |
2:10-3:00 |
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At the final plenary session, the committee heads
will present their final decisions. (5 min. each)
The heads of the delegations will then vote on whether
to adopt the committee recommendations. This will
represent the 'outcome' of our conference.
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