• Identify, analyse and evaluate core concepts, theories, and issues in the study of business and politics.
• Apply concepts and theories introduced in the course to identify, analyse, and evaluate the causes and consequence of business-politics relations in emerging markets.
• Identify, analyse, and evaluate causes and consequences of business-politics relations in a comparative perspective.
• Conduct an independent analysis of cases, data, and empirical evidence on business and politics in emerging markets, using concepts and theories introduced in the course.
• Make a clear, coherent, and well-reasoned analysis based upon concepts and theories introduced in the course, methods from the social sciences, and a comprehensive understanding of the theories and approaches employed in the course.

The course engages with the intersection of business and politics in emerging markets - which are major drivers of economic and political development in the World economy. The course introduces concept and theories that help us understand relations between business and government in emerging markets. The framework of the course will revolve around relations and channels of influence between business and government as the major actors shaping the evolution of states and markets.

The course deals with business-government relations from two perspectives: 1) How governments shape markets through, for instance, regulatory frameworks and how that impacts firm behavior; 2) how firms seek influence on government through corporate political strategies devised to further the interests of firms and their owners. This includes the ways in which money and wealth is channeled into (or out of) politics through legal or illicit means. The framework will be applied to analyses of major challenges facing emerging markets – as well as a wide range of other countries. These challenges include issues like corruption, inequality, natural resource extraction, foreign investment and aid, and sustainable development – all of which are to a large extent shaped by firms and governments – and connections between them. These issues will be examined in the context of the major emerging markets in today’s World economy, like Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (the BRICS countries), as well as other emerging and developing market economies.

The course develops your capacity to analyze the actions, strategies, and outcomes of interactions between business and politics, and applies this to some of the fastest developing economies in the World today. You will learn of analyze and apply strategies that governments and firms use, and how regulations, policies, and practices shapes major societal outcomes in today’s World.

The course is equally relevant for people who want to pursue a career in companies or consultancies with connections to the political world and for people looking to pursue a career in government or international organizations that have ties to firms in – and beyond – emerging markets.