Globalisation and Free Trade

This course will examine free trade and globalisation in the context of the current political environment. It will begin by looking at attacks on free trade from politicians and religious leaders. It will then examine how globalisation has benefited many countries – often reducing poverty and inequality considerably - whilst explaining why protectionist interests are still so prominent in politics. We will recognise the economic, political and cultural concerns that Christians might have about globalisation and free trade and seek to understand how we can respond to these concerns. The contemporary debates will be placed in the context of different historical episodes of globalisation.

Recommended Reading:

Douglas Irwin, Free Trade Under Fire, fifth edition, Princeton University Press.

Ryan Bourne, Economics in One Virus, chapters 11 and 13, Cato Institute: https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/sponsor-ebook-page/economics-in-one-virus.pdf.

Scott Lincicome and Alfredo Oregon, The (Updated) Case for Free Trade, Cato Policy Analysis: https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/2022-04/PA-925_2.pdf.

"Leading Economists Turn Again Free Trade," https://prosperousamerica.org/economic-view-leading-economists-turn-against-free-trade-a-flawed-game/.

Philip Booth, “The Universal Church and Globalisation,” chapter in Booth and Alves ed. Catholic Social Thought the Market and Public Policy, St. Mary’s University Press. This chapter is available from: https://catholicsocialthought.org.uk/course_unit/the-universal-church-and-globalisation/.