Elliot Posner, Monday/Wednesday, 12:30 – 1:45

This course explores the great (and ongoing) financial crisis that began in the United States in 2007 and, as of December 2012, was alive and wreaking havoc in the European Union. Students will first become familiar with perspectives on finance from political science, economics, history, anthropology and sociology. They will then read about past financial crises; assess the contemporary one; consider competing explanations for its origins and dynamics; and contemplate the complications for the U.S., Europe and other parts of the world and the effects on international economic and security relations. The course will be run as a seminar with occasional mini-lectures. Attendance and participation are mandatory. There are no prerequisites. First-year students are welcome.