PSCI 120-01:
INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Fall Semester, 2011
MWF, 10:00-10:50, in Kauke 143
Professor: Matthew Krain
Office: Kauke 104; x2469
Office Hours: Monday, 11-12; Wednesday, 3-4; Thursday,
1-2, and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course serves as an introduction to the study of
international relations. As such,
it is appropriate for both majors and non-majors, and for first year students
through seniors. Background in the subject is not necessary. We will cover numerous subjects of
interest in global politics including: a brief history of international
relations, its relation to our current era in global politics, foreign policy,
cooperation and conflict, arms races, arms control, international and internal
war, ethnic conflict and nationalism, terrorism, international law and
organizations, globalization and the world political economy, global
environmental problems and other trans-boundary issues. The goal of the course is to provide
students with the intellectual tools necessary to analyze developments in
international relations critically and creatively.
EDUCATIONAL
OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- think critically about the international system and its effects on
state and non-state actors.
- demonstrate knowledge and understanding of various analytical
tools, including key concepts and theories in international
relations.
- demonstrate knowledge of substantive information about key
political actors, institutions, issues and events in the international
system, and how they are interrelated.
- apply the analytical skills learned in class to understand and explain
global political phenomena or international relations-related events in a
given country or region.
READINGS
We will primarily be using the following reading
materials:
-
Joshua S.
Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse (2012). International
Relations. Brief 6th Edition. New
York: Pearson Longman (ISBN 978-0-205-05958-4)
*
NOTE:
You can rent an on-line version of the textbook for 180 days at a reduced price
at: http://www.coursesmart.com/9780205082193?__professorview=false
-
Donald M. Snow
(2012). Cases In International Relations.
5th Edition. New York: Pearson Longman (ISBN 978-0-205-00582-6)
* NOTE:
You can rent an on-line version of the textbook for 180 days at a reduced price
at: http://www.coursesmart.com/9780205084012?__professorview=false
Supplementary readings will be available on the World-Wide-Web, on our class web page, at: http://www3.wooster.edu/polisci/mkrain/iir11.html, or on electronic reserve through the library (http://eres.library.denison.edu/eres/coursepass.aspx?cid=3877, password = "irintro")
We
will also be viewing a film depicting the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis: Thirteen Days. It will be on reserve and
available to be viewed in the library's Audio-Visual laboratory. I will also do
an evening showing of the film prior to the class in which we will discuss and
analyze the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Finally,
you are expected to keep up with news around the world. This will require you
to get your news from multiple reputable sources that have substantial global
coverage. Two particularly noteworthy and reliable sources that you can access
online are The New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com
and the BBC World Service at http://www.bbc.co.uk.
All readings MUST be completed by the class session
for which they are assigned. They will be necessary background for lectures and
discussion, and you will be held responsible for them, both in class and on
exams.
GRADING
The grades will be assigned as follows:
20%: Exam #1
20%: Exam #2
30%: Exam #3 (Final)
10% (5% each): Short Papers (2)
20%: Participation and Professionalism
As stated in The College of
Wooster Catalogue, letter grades are defined as:
"A range" indicates an
outstanding performance in which there has been distinguished achievement in
all phases of the course
"B range" indicates a
good performance in which there has been a high level of achievement in some
phases of the course
"C range" indicates an
adequate performance in which a basic understanding of the subject has been
demonstrated
"D range" indicates a
minimal performance in which despite recognizable deficiencies there is enough
to merit credit
F or NC indicates
unsatisfactory performance
There will be three exams during the semester. The
first exam will focus specifically on the first part of the semester. The
second exam will focus on primarily on the second section, but may include
elements that are cumulative. The final exam will be cumulative, although much
of it will draw heavily from the material covered in the last section of the
class. Exams will be some combination of multiple choice, short answer, and
essay questions, and may include questions related to global geography of
regions that we discuss in class, or that are highly relevant to current world
events. You can explore http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/
to help familiarize yourself with global geography. ON EXAMS, AS WITH ANY OTHER
ASSIGNMENTS IN THIS CLASS, CHEATING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED, AND WILL RESULT IN
AUTOMATIC FAILURE FOR THE COURSE!
SHORT PAPERS
There are no typical 'semester papers' for this class.
Instead, you will be required to submit two short written assignments. Detailed
instructions for these assignments will be handed out in class on an
assignment-to-assignment basis. Until then, here is a brief description of each
assignment:
1. Policy Paper
on Issues Raised in Readings and Class (due day of issue discussion)
You will be responsible for one short (3-6 page)
policy paper over the course of the semester. Each opportunity to write policy
papers will be associated with a set of readings and in-class discussion about
a particular policy issue or case. Students will be the primary instigators of
discussion and debate over these issues during the associated class session.
The policy paper is due at the beginning of the class session with which it is
associated. Each policy paper should state the problem or situation, summarize
the policy options, recommend some action be taken, and explain the reasons for
the recommendation. When writing the policy paper you may want to think of
yourself as a consultant writing a memo to your client that outlines the
situation and what action should be taken to address that situation. A good policy
brief is clear and concise, and demonstrates knowledge of the policy problem,
intelligently discusses options available, and makes a persuasive case for
which policy option is best. Further details will be distributed and/or
discussed by the instructor in class.
2.
Working Paper for Simulation: Refugees, Displaced
Peoples, and Forced Migration (Due October 31st, 2011)
Working
papers are short (2-3 page) documents that outline a country's position on a
given problem, and suggest appropriate policy proposals. Each student will choose a country that
they will represent at the mini-conference that we will hold on the issue of refugees,
displaced peoples, and forced migration. Students will then be required to
complete working papers for their country on that issue, in advance of the
mini-conference, for distribution to the entire class. Students will also use
these working papers as jumping-off points for their participation in the
mini-conference.
NOTE: You
are required to use the following style manual for all papers in this class: American Political Science
Association (2006). The Style Manual for
Political Science. Washington, DC: APSA. http://www.ipsonet.org/data/files/APSAStyleManual2006.pdf
Participation is encouraged and required in this class. Due to the
short period of time we will have in which to cover a great deal of material,
your input and feedback is essential to the smooth and efficient running of the
class. To that end, be sure to have read the materials pertaining to that day's
discussion BEFORE that class period! My hope is that the classroom will contain
an atmosphere in which ideas and opinions will be welcomed and addressed. Discussion may have to be curtailed,
however, in the interests of covering the material.
In this class, however, you will be graded on more
than just participation. You are beginning your life as both adults and social
scientists, and as such you are expected to act in a professional manner.
Therefore this component of your grade is a grade for your degree of
professionalism. "Professionalism" includes participation, but also refers to
factors such as attendance, promptness, courtesy to the instructor and fellow
students, overall improvement, and other intangibles, to be evaluated and
assigned at the discretion of the instructor.
NOTES
Note #1:
Please turn off cell phones and other electronic devices before class begins as a courtesy to others. If you bring a laptop
computer to class, it should be used for note-taking only.
Note
#2: Assignments are due at the
beginning of class on the due date. Any missed assignment or unexcused exam
absence is subject to an automatic failing grade for the course (in other words,
you cannot pass the class unless you do all of the work!). Late written
assignments will be graded down one full letter grade for each day late. A
paper handed in five minutes after the deadline is considered a day late. If
you anticipate missing an exam or a paper deadline, consult with the instructor
as soon as possible.
Note
#3: Students are encouraged to study
together and assist one another in learning the material. It is assumed that
you have done your own work, and that you conduct yourself according to the
expectations laid out in the Wooster Ethic and the Code of Academic Integrity,
as enumerated in the Scot's Key (http://www.wooster.edu/Student-Life/Dean-of-Students/The-Scots-Key).
Students are reminded that they are obliged to understand, to uphold, and to
comply with the Code of Academic Integrity and the Wooster Ethic at the College
of Wooster. Students who have questions or concerns about these policies (after
having read them again) should make an appointment to see me to discuss them;
indeed, I welcome this discussion and encourage students to see me in advance
of any assignment about which they have doubts or questions. PLEASE NOTE THAT
ANY VIOLATION OF THE WOOSTER ETHIC AND/OR THE CODE OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY MEANS
THE STUDENT'S IMMEDIATE FAILURE IN THE COURSE, AS WELL AS POSSIBLE SUBSEQUENT
ACADEMIC DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
Note
#4: Students are encouraged to
discuss assignments with me during office hours. However, students seeking to
change their grade on an assignment or essay portion of an exam should be
advised that I reserve the right to alter your grade in either direction (i.e.-
if new problems are found during the re-grade the grade would go down).
Note
#5: I am happy to assist you in any
way, but cannot do so retroactively. Thus, it is your responsibility to inform
me ahead of time about factors that are likely to interfere with your
performance in the class. Measures for students with disabilities, non-native
writers of English and other special issues will be taken in compliance with
the college's policies.
SCHEDULE
OF TOPICS AND READINGS
I.
Introduction to International Relations
8/29: An Introduction to Introduction
to International Relations
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, "Careers In International Relations" (pp. 392-395)
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, "Map: World States and Territories" (pp. 396-397)
8/31: What Does Our International System Look Like? What Challenges Do We
Face?
-
Barber, Benjamin
R. 1992. "Jihad vs. McWorld." Atlantic
Monthly. March. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1992/03/jihad-vs-mcworld/3882/
9/2, 9/5: The Historical Development of the International System from 1500 until
Today
-
Snow, Chapter 1: "Sovereignty:
The Legality and Impact of Invading Iraq"
9/7: Competing Theories of International Relations – Realism
9/9: Competing Theories of
International Relations – Liberalism
LAST
DAY TO ADD A COURSE (9/9)
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Global Challenges in 2030 – Michael W. Doyle, "Democratizing
World Politics" (pp. 16-17)
9/12: Competing Theories of
International Relations – Critical
Alternatives
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Chapter 3 (pp. 86-104)
II.
Foreign Policy: National Actors and International Interactions
* * *
Thursday, September 15th – FILM: Thirteen Days * * *
9/14, 9/16, 9/19, 9/21: Foreign Policy
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Chapter 3 (pp. 78-86)
-
Chicago Council on Global
Affairs. 2010. Global Views 2010
– Constrained Internationalism: Adapting to New Realities. September
16, 2010. http://www.thechicagocouncil.org/Files/Studies_Publications/POS/POS2010/Global_Views_2010.aspx
[NOTE: on 9/12, students will be
assigned chapters to report back on to the class]
-
Pew Global
Attitudes Project Web site. http://pewglobal.org/
-
Snow, Chapter 7: "Pivotal
States: Confronting and Accommodating Iran"
9/23: REVIEW for
EXAM #1
9/26: EXAM #1
III.
Global Conflict, Local Security and the Use of Force in International Relations
9/28, 9/30, 10/3: Diplomacy: Negotiation, Bargaining, and
Power Politics
-
McCain. Roger.
2003. "What is Game Theory?" & "The Prisoners' Dilemma." Excerpts from Game Theory: A Non-Technical Introduction to
the Analysis of Strategy. South-Western College Publishers. http://faculty.lebow.drexel.edu/McCainR/top/eco/game/game.html
10/5: BRIEFING IN ADVANCE OF WORKING PAPER AND SIMULATION
-
United Nations Population Division. 2009. International Migrant Stock
Data. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. http://esa.un.org/migration/
-United Nations High Commiissioner for Refugees. 2011. "History of UNHCR". United Nations High Commiissioner for Refugees.http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646cbc.html
10/7, 10/10: Weapons:
Arms, Arms Races and Arms Control
LAST
DAY TO DROP A COURSE (10/7)
- Goldstein & Pevehouse, Chapter 4 (pp. 136-145;
149-159)
-
Snow, Chapter 6: "Proliferation:
The Case of North Korea"
10/12, 10/14: War: Armed Conflict Within or Between
States
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Chapter 4 (pp. 107-136)
-
Snow, Chapter 5: "Asymmetrical
Warfare: The Case of Afghanistan"
-
Anderson, Jon
Lee. 2006. "The Battle for Lebanon." The
New Yorker. August 7 & 14, 2006.
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/07/060807fa_fact
10/19, 10/21: Terrorism and Failed States
-
Goldstein & Pevehouse,
Chapter 4 (pp. 145-149)
-
Snow, Chapter 16:
"Terrorism: The Changing Global Threat"
- Snow, Chapter 15: "Failed and Failing States: The Case of Pakistan"
-
Traub, James. 2001. "Think Again: Failed States" Foreign Policy. July/August 2001. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/06/20/think_again_failed_states
10/24: REVIEW for EXAM #2
10/26: EXAM #2
IV.
Global Governance: The Potential for Order and Cooperation in the International
System
10/28: International Law and Order
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Chapter 6 (pp. 207-209; 240-255)
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Global Challenges in 2030 – Charli Carpenter, "Securing the
Seas" (pp. 10-11).
-
Snow, Chapter 3: "Limits
on International Cooperation: War Crimes, The International Criminal Court, and
Torture"
10/31, 11/2: International Organizations: IGO's and
NGO's
WORKING PAPER FOR SIMULATION DUE AT
START OF CLASS ON 10/31
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Chapter 6 (pp. 209-240)
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Global Challenges in 2030 – Andrew Moravcsik, "Affirming
Democracy in International Organizations" (pp. 12-13).
-
Snow, Chapter 8: "Peacekeeping:
Humanitarian Disaster and International Responses to Darfur"
11/4, 11/7, 11/9: GLOBAL PROBLEMS SUMMIT SIMULATION:
REFUGEES, DISPLACED PEOPLES, AND
FORCED MIGRATION
-
Loescher, Gil.
2009. "Human Rights and Forced Migration" in Human Rights: Politics and Practice, edited by Michael Goodhart. NY:
Oxford Univ. Press, pp. 239-259. [E-Reserve]
-
Crisp, Jeff.
2010. "Refugees, Persons of Concern, and People on the Move: The Broadening
Boundaries of UNHCR" Refuge 26, 1: 73-76. http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/refuge/article/view/30611/28121
-
UN News Centre.
2010. "Top UN Refugee Official Calls for Better Protection for Displaced
People." United Nations. December 8,
2010. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36990&Cr=refugees&Cr1=
-
UNHCR. 2011. UNCHR Global Appeal 2011 (update): Finding
Durable Solutions. http://www.unhcr.org/4cd9191e9.html
-
UNHCR. 2011. "World Refugee Day: UNHCR Report Finds 80 per cent of
World's Refugees in Developing Countries." UNHCR. June 20, 2011. http://www.unhcr.org/4dfb66ef9.html
-
WATCH VIDEO: UNHCR. 2011. Global
Trends Report 2010. http://unhcr.org/v-4dff6b8d6
11/11: SIMULATION DEBRIEFING
-
Snow, Chapter 14:
"International Migration: The U.S.-Mexican Border"
V.
The Political Economy of Globalization: Interdependence and Trans-boundary
Issues
11/14, 11/16: International Political Economy: Trade
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Chapter 5 (pp. 163-186)
-
Snow, Chapter 9: "Free
Trade: From ITO to WTO and Beyond"
-
O'Rourke,
Kevin. 2008. "The Politics of Globalization." The International Economy 22,
2: 36-40. http://www.international-economy.com/Summer2008archive.htm
11/18, 11/21: International Political Economy: Money and
Business
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Chapter 5 (pp. 187-202)
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Global Challenges in 2030 – John Gerrard Ruggie, "Governing
Transnational Corporations" (pp. 8-9).
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Global Challenges in 2030 – Daniel W. Drezner, "Regulating
Global Complexity" (pp. 14-15).
-
Sinn,
Hans-Werner. 2008. "Why Banking Crises Happen." The International Economy 22,
2: 60-61. http://www.international-economy.com/Summer2008archive.htm
11/28: The North-South Gap: Theory and Reality
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Chapter 7 (pp. 259-278)
11/30: Bridging The North-South Gap? Growth and Development
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Chapter 7 (pp. 278-305)
12/2, 12/5, 12/7: Transboundary Issues: Energy and the Environment
-
Goldstein &
Pevehouse, Chapter 8 (pp. 308-344)
-
Snow, Chapter 2:
"Resource Scarcity: Oil, The Lubricant That Corrodes"
-
Snow, Chapter 13:
"Global Warming: Facing the Problem After Copenhagen"
12/9: REVIEW for FINAL EXAM
12/13: FINAL EXAM at 9:00 a.m.