University of the West of England

MODULE SPECIFICATION

(Revised November 2002)                   

 

Code:   UPEN4M-15-M              Title:    Defence and Peace Economics               Version:           1

 

Level:  M                                 UWE credit rating:       15                                 ECTS credit rating: 7.5

 

Module type:    Standard

 

Owning Faculty: HLSS                         Field:   Economics       

 

Valid from:       September 2004                        Discontinued from:

 

Pre-requisites:                        None

 

Co-requisites:                           None

 

Excluded combinations:          None

 

Learning outcomes:    

 

At the end of the module, you should:

 

·         Have an understanding of theories of the determinants of military spending and a critical perspective on the empirical literature to an advanced level. (Components A & B)

·         Have an understanding of theories of the economic effects of military spending and a critical perspective on the empirical literature to an advanced level. (Components A & B)

·         Have an understanding of the restructuring of the defence industry that has taken place since the end of the Cold War to an advanced level. (Components A & B)

·         Have a critical understanding of the debates over the economics of the arms. (Components A & B)

·         Have a critical understanding of the economics of disarmament and conversion (Components A & B)

 

 

Syllabus outline:

 

·       Introduction: Historical context

·       Arms races, alliances, and demand for military spending

·       Military Procurement: theories, evidence, and policies

·       Defence employment

·       Defence industrial base

·       Military expenditure, growth and development

·       The Economics of the Arms Trade

·       Arms control, Disarmament and Conversion

·       Non-conventional Security Threats

 

 

Teaching and learning methods:

 

Lectures and seminars will complement each other. Seminars are a vital part of the teaching programme in which students will be encouraged to actively participate. The content of the lectures will provide the necessary background knowledge for the focus of discussion in seminars. Analysis presented in the lecture will be augmented through the discussion of important journal articles in the subsequent seminar.

 

 

Indicative sources:      

 

Sandler, Todd and Keith Hartley, 1995, The Economics of Defense (Cambridge Surveys of                          Economic Literature), Cambridge University Press.

Gleditsch, Nils Petter, Adne Cappelen, Olav Bjerkholt, Ron Smith and Paul Dunne (eds), 1996,

                                    The Peace Dividend, Contributions to Economic Analysis Series, North                             Holland.

Brauer, Jurgen and Paul Dunne (eds), 2002, Arming the South: The Economics of Military Expenditures, Arms Production and Trade in Developing Countries. Palgrave.

Hartley, Keith and Todd Sandler, 1995, Handbook of Defence Economics, North Holland.

 

 Students will be expected to draw upon current journal articles from:

 

Defence and Peace Economics

Journal of Conflict Resolution

Journal of Peace Research

The ECAAR Review

 

 

Assessment

 

Weighting between components A and B (standard modules only)   A: 60%  B: 40%

 

ATTEMPT 1

 

First Assessment Opportunity

Component A

Description of each element                                                                Element weighting

1.  Unseen exam, 3 hours                                                                                   60%

 

Component B

Description of each element                                                                Element weighting

1.  Individual coursework assignment of up to 2000 words                          40%

 

 

Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes is not required)

Component A

Description of each element                                                                Element weighting

1.  Unseen exam, 3 hours                                                                                   60%

 

Component B

Description of each element                                                                Element weighting

1.  Individual coursework assignment of up to 2000 words                          40%

 

SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT: Attendance at taught classes is not required.

 

Specification confirmed by  ……………………Module approved at VARSC 13.05.04.

 

Date ……………………………

(Associate Dean/Programme Director)