Power. How does it operate? How is it determined? Who has it, and why—and who doesn’t have it, and why? The Political Economy program at Lewis & Clark asserts that all power—be it state-power, business-power, collective-power, or individual-power—is primarily shaped by, and operates through, political and economic systems. With this basic premise in mind, our students look beyond the material bases of power to examine how ideas, culture, discourse, gender, race, and identity can affect these systems, and the social environments of the 21st century.

The program is by nature interdisciplinary, as its concerns cover many fields of thought—courses are taught in anthropology, communication, economics, gender studies, history, international affairs, philosophy, political science, sociology, and teacher education. Topics may include the relationship between governments and markets in determining national development; the roles of gender, race, class in shaping an individual's position in society; the impact of economic institutions on environmental policies; the influence of state power on the global economy; and the role of social movements in promoting economic change.

The minor curriculum consists of two core classes and three electives. Core classes, drawn from the departments of economics and international affairs, survey theories of political economy and their application to national and international patterns and developments. Electives fall into three concentrations (Global courses, Regional courses, and Social and Cultural courses) and cover a wide range of topics, from feminist theory to the political economy of food.