By Clint Peinhardt

Greetings! I’d like to introduce myself and my classes. My name is Clint Peinhardt, and I am a Professor of Political Science, Public Policy and Political Economy at the University of Texas at Dallas in the United States. This spring, I will be teaching at WU as a visiting Fulbright Scholar. I’ll offer two sections of Sustainable Economics (ZuWi_VA) in the first session, and one in the second. Both classes are based on longer courses that I teach back in Texas.

In both sessions, I’ll be offering a class on the political economy of international trade. This class will examine a little of the economics of international trade, such as who wins and loses from a tariff, plus a lot of the politics of international trade. Given my background, I will be covering trade policy in the United States, including recent developments, but we will also examine how other countries have used trade policy to generate wealth. We will also consider hot topics like China’s stranglehold on critical minerals and new trade deals like the one between the EU and Mercosur in Latin America.

In the first session, I’ll also be offering a class on the political economy of multinational corporations (MNCs). In this class, we’ll focus a little on the economics of such firms but more on the rise of MNCs as political actors. As such, we’ll investigate their impact on labor markets, human rights, the environment, and other issues in international relations.

In both classes, we’ll be using an open-access textbook that was largely written by students at my home university. I am excited about broadening the perspective to include case studies and other short pieces by students at WU, so I hope that you will join me in helping to shape a book that can help teach these topics to students all around the world.

For students passionate about international affairs, geopolitics, or public policy, these courses offer insight into how the global economy both constrains and enables political decision-making. It’s also an excellent foundation for master’s programs or careers in international organizations, government, MNCs, or NGOs. I look forward to interacting with all of you at WU this semester, and I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about Vienna, Austria, and the European Union from you.

Sign up for our mailing list for regular updates from the Institute. You can find the subscription form here: Subscribe to the newsletter.