Why has climate change proven to be such a challenging issue for global governance? How will climate disruptions and decarbonization transform countries’ economies and politics? Which groups will win or lose from these transitions, and how are they shaping climate governance today? This course will address these questions in an advanced survey of the political economy of climate change. We will explore cutting-edge research in climate politics and critically analyze various theoretical concepts and models, assess the advantages and drawbacks of different empirical approaches, and draw connections to core debates in international political economy. Students will gain familiarity with the frontier of climate politics scholarship, learn how to constructively critique academic work, and develop skills in designing and executing rigorous political economy research.

This course is open to both graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Graduate students will write a proposal for an original piece of climate politics research; undergraduates will write a climate policy analysis.