This course provides students with some of the knowledge necessary for working in markets or organizations in the UK and the US that engage in cross-border activities. The main focus of the course is on the political economy of regional relations in the cases of the UK-EU and the US-Latin America.

For example, in the case of the US, regional co-operation in the form of NAFTA  (USMCA) and the extension of this model through bilateral agreements with other Latin American countries, such as Chile, Peru, Colombia and DR-CAFTA, is criticized by some for being too narrowly focused on free trade and investor protection. This contrasts with the EU, where supranational institutions are vested with powers to coordinate a range of economic, social and environmental policy areas. Yet the EU has suffered a series of crises in recent years, and now faces the reality of Brexit.

In this context, the course focusses on the political economy of relevant policy areas, examining the coordination and regulation of, for example, trade and investment, climate change, migration, and development policies in regional arenas.

Emphasis is placed on the importance of critical reflection on the theories and concepts taught, and issues are examined from multiple perspectives, such as those of business, labour, consumers and environmentalists. Finally, the course has a strong emphasis on the accumulation of subject-specific concepts and vocabulary, as well as speaking and writing the English language accurately, fluently, and in a manner appropriate to discussing complex issues at an advanced level.