Lecture notes in the S_CPDO course at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam covering the relationship between politics and economics. Topics include mercantilism, classical and neoclassical economics, Keynesianism, neoliberalism, Marxist political economy, and five key roles of the state (market enabler, rule enforcer, regulator, provider, economic manager, and redistributor). Essential for understanding different theoretical approaches to state intervention and useful for exam preparation in political s...