S13 - POLS004.01 - International Politics (W)

Topic outline

• Select topic General

  General

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  Greeting Seekers!

  
  

  Welcome to the Moodle site for Intro to International Relations (PS4). Here is where you will find your syllabus, many of your required readings, and handouts for class assignments. 

  
  

  Looking forward to meeting you on Monday. 

  Lauren Farmer

  • Select activity News forum

    

    News forum
  • Select activity Syllabus

    

    Syllabus File
  • Select activity Revised Spring Schedule

    

    Revised Spring Schedule File
  • Select activity Long paper draft guide

    

    Long paper draft guide File
  • Select activity Study Guide for Final Exam

    

    Study Guide for Final Exam File
• Select topic Topic 1

  Topic 1
  Introductions
  
  In this first week, we will introduce ourselves to each other, and to the study of international relations. First, we'll get a crash course in American diplomacy on the ground with John Brady Kiesling. Second, we will jump into some fundamentals of political science research. How do political science and history overlap, and how are they different? What are the different strengths and weaknesses of statistical tools (like large data sets) and qualitative methods (like case studies and process tracing)?
  

  • Select activity Kiesling: Diplomacy Lessons

    

    Kiesling: Diplomacy Lessons File
  • Select activity Ngaire Woods "Uses of Theory"

    

    Ngaire Woods "Uses of Theory" File
  • Select activity Brady: Data set vs. Causal processes

    

    Brady: Data set vs. Causal processes File
  • Select activity Arthur Conan Doyle: Silver Blaze

    

    Arthur Conan Doyle: Silver Blaze File
• Select topic Topic 2

  Topic 2
  Grand Debates in International Relations:
  
  This section will take us through the "grand debates" in international relations, from realism to liberalism, Marxism to constructivism. We will learn about the various "lenses" most commonly used for looking at international events.
  

  • Select activity One World, Many Theories

    

    One World, Many Theories File
  • Select activity One World, Rival Theories

    

    One World, Rival Theories File
  • Select activity Waltz, The Anarchic Structure

    

    Waltz, The Anarchic Structure File
  • Select activity Keohane and Nye: Power and Interdependence

    

    Keohane and Nye: Power and Interdependence File
  • Select activity Doyle: Liberalism and World Politics

    

    Doyle: Liberalism and World Politics File
  • Select activity Carr Realism and Idealism

    

    Carr Realism and Idealism File
  • Select activity Marx and Engels: The Communist Manifesto

    

    Marx and Engels: The Communist Manifesto File
  • Select activity Let Women Fight

    

    Let Women Fight File
  • Select activity Feminist Objection to Women in Combat

    

    Feminist Objection to Women in Combat URL
• Select topic Topic 3

  Topic 3
  Olympics Readings

  
  

  As we wrap up our tour through the various theories of international relations, let's apply them to the real world. 

  
  

  How would a realist, a liberal, a Marxist, a feminist, and/or a constructivist interpret the Olympics as an international event?

  • Select activity China's Olympic Nightmare

    

    China's Olympic Nightmare File
  • Select activity Soccer vs. McWorld

    

    Soccer vs. McWorld URL
  • Select activity Think Again: The Olympics

    

    Think Again: The Olympics URL
  • Select activity Going for Gold

    

    Going for Gold URL
  • Select activity Victors and Spoils

    

    Victors and Spoils URL
• Select topic Topic 4

  Topic 4
  Conventional Warfare

  
  

  These readings will inform our discussion of conventional warfare, or traditional warfare. We will be combining theory with case studies of the two World Wars, examining how conventional wars begin and how they are resolved. 

  • Select activity Levy "Domestic Politics and War"

    

    Levy "Domestic Politics and War" File
  • Select activity Williamson "Origins of WWI"

    

    Williamson "Origins of WWI" File
  • Select activity Sagan "1914 Revisited"

    

    Sagan "1914 Revisited" URL
  • Select activity Sagan "Origins of the Pacific War"

    

    Sagan "Origins of the Pacific War" File
  • Select activity Nye "Failure of Collective Security"

    

    Nye "Failure of Collective Security" File
• Select topic Topic 5

  Topic 5
  The Nuclear Debate

  
  

  A central debate of modern international relations, the nuclear debate raises issues about security, weapons of mass destruction, and proliferation. Would the world be safer with more nuclear weapons in it? Would it be more dangerous? Or does this debate overlook more important issues like loose nukes?

  • Select activity Mueller, "Essential Irrelevance of Nuclear Weapons"

    

    Mueller, "Essential Irrelevance of Nuclear Weapons" File
  • Select activity Sagan "Nuclear Instability in South Asia"

    

    Sagan "Nuclear Instability in South Asia" File
  • Select activity Schell "Folly of Arms Control"

    

    Schell "Folly of Arms Control" File
  • Select activity Perkovich and Lefeber "Loose Nukes"

    

    Perkovich and Lefeber "Loose Nukes" File
  • Select activity Lefever "Loose Nukes: Reality v. Utopia"

    

    Lefever "Loose Nukes: Reality v. Utopia" File
  • Select activity Posen "Nuclear Iran"

    

    Posen "Nuclear Iran" File
• Select topic Topic 6

  Topic 6
  Terrorism: The Changing Face of War?

  
  

  These readings will take us through a more recent development in warfare: terrorism. Is terrorism the future of war? Is it a weapon of the weak? Can we draw parallels between conventional wars and this new face of warfare?

  • Select activity Boot "al-Qaeda's Prognosis"

    

    Boot "al-Qaeda's Prognosis" File
  • Select activity Farrall, "How al-Qaeda Works"

    

    Farrall, "How al-Qaeda Works" File
  • Select activity Zakaria, "Why do They Hate Us?"

    

    Zakaria, "Why do They Hate Us?" File
  • Select activity Gaddis, "Grand Strategy"

    

    Gaddis, "Grand Strategy" File
  • Select activity Byman, "U.S. Counterterrorism: Taxonomy"

    

    Byman, "U.S. Counterterrorism: Taxonomy" File
  • Select activity Bergen "Picking up the Pieces"

    

    Bergen "Picking up the Pieces" File
  • Select activity Betts "The Soft Underbelly of Primacy"

    

    Betts "The Soft Underbelly of Primacy" File
• Select topic Topic 7

  Topic 7
  Weapons of Mass Destruction

  
  

  WMDs, particularly biological weapons and chemical weapons, bridge our discussions on nuclear weapons and terrorism. One the one hand, most international actors with WMDs are states; on the other hand, the threat of terrorist groups acquiring and using biological or chemical weapons has increased in recent years. 

  • Select activity Sellestrom and Norqvist "Developing BTW"

    

    Sellestrom and Norqvist "Developing BTW" File
  • Select activity State Actors and WMDs

    

    State Actors and WMDs File
  • Select activity UN Security Council Resolution 1540

    

    UN Security Council Resolution 1540 File
  • Select activity CFR Brief "Chemical Weapons in Syria"

    

    CFR Brief "Chemical Weapons in Syria" URL
  • Select activity Non-State Actors and WMDs

    

    Non-State Actors and WMDs File
  • Select activity Falkenrath "Confronting Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Terrorism"

    

    Falkenrath "Confronting Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Terrorism" File
  • Select activity Olson, "Once and Future Threat?"

    

    Olson, "Once and Future Threat?" File
• Select topic Topic 8

  Topic 8
  International Organizations and International Law

  
  

  This week, we will look at international organizations, specifically the United Nations, and ask whether collective security organizations are useful or problematic for international relations. Do international institutions hold promise for building a more peaceful and just world, or do they give false hope? What about international law? Does law merely reflect the power structure, or can it actually bind the powerful as well as the weak?

  • Select activity Berdal "UNSC - Ineffective but Indispensable"

    

    Berdal "UNSC - Ineffective but Indispensable" File
  • Select activity Mearsheimer "False Promise"

    

    Mearsheimer "False Promise" File
  • Select activity Goldsmith and Posner "Limits of International Law"

    

    Goldsmith and Posner "Limits of International Law" File
  • Select activity Keohane and Martin "Promise of Institutionalist Theory"

    

    Keohane and Martin "Promise of Institutionalist Theory" File
  • Select activity Koh "Why do Nations Obey IL?"

    

    Koh "Why do Nations Obey IL?" File
  • Select activity von Stein, "Do Treaties Constrain or Screen?"

    

    von Stein, "Do Treaties Constrain or Screen?" File
  • Select activity Ratner "Trials of Global Norms"

    

    Ratner "Trials of Global Norms" File
• Select topic Topic 9

  Topic 9
  Our study of political economy will incorporate traditional political economy theory with very contemporary issues: the Eurozone crisis and the ongoing debate over globalization. 

  
  

  Note: for Wednesday's discussion on the Eurozone crisis, I strongly recommend browsing around Foreign Policy magazine, Foreign Affairs journal, cfr.org, and other responsible sites like The Economist for more background reading. The Eurozone crisis is a complex problem that has been brewing for some time, and we won't have the time to cover the problem from roots to present day, so do a little background research in your (non-existent) spare time. 

  • Select activity Friedman, Lexus and Olive Tree, Ch 1

    

    Friedman, Lexus and Olive Tree, Ch 1 File
  • Select activity The Economist: Europe Staring into the Abyss

    

    The Economist: Europe Staring into the Abyss URL
  • Select activity Rakove, Europe's Floundering Fathers

    

    Rakove, Europe's Floundering Fathers File
  • Select activity Dueling Globalizations

    

    Dueling Globalizations File
  • Select activity Held and McGrew "Globalization/Anti-Globalization"

    

    Held and McGrew "Globalization/Anti-Globalization" File
  • Select activity Spence "Impact of Globalization"

    

    Spence "Impact of Globalization" File
  • Select activity Rodrik, "Sense and Nonsense"

    

    Rodrik, "Sense and Nonsense" File
• Select topic Topic 10

  Topic 10
  Democratization and Its Discontents

  
  

  Also known as the coolest topic ever, because Lauren says so. This week, we'll build on our general discussions about the democratic peace, and really examine what democratization and liberalization mean in theory, and in practice. As you'll see, sometimes the two can be worlds apart. We will spend Wednesday examining the Arab Spring, as an example of democratization in progress, in greater depth. We'll wrap up the week by looking (very briefly) at some states and leaders who try to implement partial democracy, or illiberal democracy. 

  • Select activity Layne, Kant or Can't

    

    Layne, Kant or Can't File
  • Select activity Ajami, Arab Spring at One

    

    Ajami, Arab Spring at One File
  • Select activity Anderson, Demystifying the Arab Spring

    

    Anderson, Demystifying the Arab Spring File
  • Select activity Bellin, Lessons from the Revolutions

    

    Bellin, Lessons from the Revolutions File
  • Select activity Zakaria, Rise of Illiberal Democracy

    

    Zakaria, Rise of Illiberal Democracy File
  • Select activity Plattner: Liberalism and Democracy

    

    Plattner: Liberalism and Democracy File
  • Select activity Snyder, "Beyond Electoral Authoritarianism"

    

    Snyder, "Beyond Electoral Authoritarianism" File
• Select topic Topic 11

  Topic 11
  Failed States, Civil Wars, Humanitarian Interventions?
  
  What are some the root causes of civil wars and ethnic violence? Why do states collapse, and does their collapse truly threaten international peace and security?
  
  When, and why, do states intervene or not intervene in the civil wars, ethnic strife, and humanitarian disasters of other countries? Do human rights matter?
  

  • Select activity Rotberg, "Failed States, Collapsed States..."

    

    Rotberg, "Failed States, Collapsed States..." File
  • Select activity Posen, "The Security Dilemma and Ethnic Conflict"

    

    Posen, "The Security Dilemma and Ethnic Conflict" File
  • Select activity Foreign Policy's Failed States Index

    

    Foreign Policy's Failed States Index URL
  • Select activity Power, "Bystanders to Genocide"

    

    Power, "Bystanders to Genocide" File
  • Select activity Fortna, "Does Peacekeeping Work?"

    

    Fortna, "Does Peacekeeping Work?" File
• Select topic Topic 12

  Topic 12
  Resource Scarcity and Food Politics
  
  For this unit, we begin by reaching back to Thomas Malthus. What is the Malthusian trap? Have we escaped the Malthusian trap through science and the Green Revolution? If we have escaped, why does Malthus and threats of the coming anarchy still haunt us?
  
  What are the broad consequences (positive and negative) of the Green Revolution on food politics worldwide?
  

  • Select activity Kaplan "The Great Disturbers"

    

    Kaplan "The Great Disturbers" File
  • Select activity Kaplan, "The Coming Anarchy"

    

    Kaplan, "The Coming Anarchy" File
  • Select activity Cooley "The War Over Water"

    

    Cooley "The War Over Water" File
  • Select activity Patel, Stuffed and Starved, Ch4

    

    Patel, Stuffed and Starved, Ch4 File
  • Select activity Patel, Stuffed and Starved, Ch6

    

    Patel, Stuffed and Starved, Ch6 File
  • Select activity Think Again: The Green Revolution

    

    Think Again: The Green Revolution URL
  • Select activity Patel "Can the World Feed 10 Billion People?"

    

    Patel "Can the World Feed 10 Billion People?" URL
  • Select activity Bennett and Maxwell: Food Aid Brief

    

    Bennett and Maxwell: Food Aid Brief File
  • Select activity Paarlberg, Starved for Science

    

    Paarlberg, Starved for Science File
• Select topic Topic 13

  Topic 13
  The Global Commons
  
  What are the obstacles to saving the global commons, and can we overcome those obstacles? We'll divide this discussion into two broad topics. 

  
  

  First, the environment. Is the environment, particularly the degradation of the environment, a matter of international security? 

  
  

  Second, global health. Is global health a matter of international security? After several pandemics (influenza in 1918, AIDS in the 1980's and 1990's through the present) and more than one global health scare, are we any better prepared to cope with a truly global disease?
  
  
  

  • Select activity Dyson "The Question of Global Warming"

    

    Dyson "The Question of Global Warming" URL
  • Select activity Levy "Is the Environment a National Security Issue?"

    

    Levy "Is the Environment a National Security Issue?" File
  • Select activity Schelling "What Makes Greenhouse Sense?"

    

    Schelling "What Makes Greenhouse Sense?" File
  • Select activity Lomborg "Environmental Alarmism"

    

    Lomborg "Environmental Alarmism" File
  • Select activity Garret, "Challenging Global Health"

    

    Garret, "Challenging Global Health" File
  • Select activity Foreign Affairs "Roundtable Response to Garrett's Challenges of Global Health"

    

    Foreign Affairs "Roundtable Response to Garrett's Challenges of Global Health" URL
  • Select activity The Lancet "Toward a Common Definition"

    

    The Lancet "Toward a Common Definition" File
  • Select activity The Lancet "Globalization and Global Health"

    

    The Lancet "Globalization and Global Health" File
• Select topic Topic 14

  Topic 14
  The Future of International Relations
  
  This final section will take us through a series of interlocking questions. First, what are some competing ideas, or visions, of the future of IR? Have we reached the end of history, or something else?
  
  Second, are we approaching the end of Pax Americana?
  
  Third, as we look to the future, who (if anyone) will "own" this new world? Does the future belong to any one state or ideal?
  

  • Select activity Fukuyama: The End of History

    

    Fukuyama: The End of History File
  • Select activity Huntington: Clash of Civilizations

    

    Huntington: Clash of Civilizations File
  • Select activity Kupchan "Life After Pax Americana"

    

    Kupchan "Life After Pax Americana" File
  • Select activity Kagan "Power and Weakness"

    

    Kagan "Power and Weakness" File
  • Select activity Brooks and Wohlforth "American Primacy in Perspective"

    

    Brooks and Wohlforth "American Primacy in Perspective" File
  • Select activity Haass: The NonPolar Age

    

    Haass: The NonPolar Age File
  • Select activity Zakaria "The Rise of the Rest"

    

    Zakaria "The Rise of the Rest" File