Political economy

Political economy—sometimes referred to as comparative economy—is a branch of political science and economics that studies economic systems (such as markets and national economies) and how they are governed by political systems, including laws, institutions, and governments.
The discipline analyzes phenomena such as labour markets, international trade, growth, the distribution of wealth, and economic inequality, as well as the ways in which these are shaped by political institutions, legal frameworks, and public policy. Emerging in the 18th century, political economy is regarded as the precursor to the modern discipline of economics.

Extends: [Political economy](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Political economy), [Schools of economic thought](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Schools of economic thought), [Economic systems](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Economic systems), [Critique of political economy](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Critique of political economy)