Karthik on International Relations

My International Political Economy Research Proposal topic for Professor Jeff Frieden’s class:

Should developing countries peg their currencies in recessionary conditions?

There are several supporting data points available, such as recessions in Asian “Tiger economies”, depressions in the Latin American countries, and the economic policies of BRIC economies under poor economic conditions.

This topic also provides sufficient breadth to address not merely the economic policies, but also the domestic and international policies of various nations under those conditions. Particular case studies would include countries with liberal economies, as well as protectionist regimes, and countries with diverse domestic socio-economic policies (e.g. nations with socialist, communist and Marxist policies). In addition, the paper would also look at the domestic and international political climate of the economies under consideration and the roles that they played in fostering economic policies under recessionary conditions.

Currency was chosen as a specific example for consideration because it provides a quantitative and empirical measure to compare successful policies against the rest.