It was political economy day in my Intro to Comparative Politics course, and I like to use it as a day to give them real world examples of the abstract concepts the books cover. So, when discussing mercantilism and parastatals (companies partially owned by state governments), I like giving them the example of Russia’s Gazprom, and how the relationship between the company and the state proves beneficial to both. And wouldn’t you know it, the BBC has an article yesterday mentioning how Gazprom’s energy bill is proving a bit of a bargaining chip in Russia trying to “persuade” Ukraine to join their customs union.
I love when I can find news stories to show students that you are actually teaching them something that matters in real life.
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