International Relations Syllabus
|
International Relations PS Spring Semester 2009
Classroom: HU 131 |
William Primosch, MA Email: william.primosch@montgomerycollege.edu Tel: |
COURSE
OBJECTIVES
--Familiarize
students with the basic structure & concepts of International Relations
--Explain fundamental theories of International Relations
--Introduce
the important actors and institutions in International Relations
--Explore key issues in International Relations today
--Enhance students’ ability for critical thinking on global issues and their
interconnection
In this introductory course, we will use readings, group discussions and video
documentaries to explore a selected number of issues that are particularly
important for International Relations today.
By the end of the course, students will gain a fuller appreciation of
the impact of global issues on their personal lives and a better understanding
of the complexities and challenges that the
I
will communicate with all students in the class via the
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Any students with disabilities or any
other special needs that are authorized special accommodations should make an
appointment to discuss them with me as soon as possible. Please note that you
must see the Disability Support Services (Room CB 122) to receive authorization
for special accommodations.
VETERANS
If you are a veteran or on active or reserve status and are interested in information regarding opportunities, programs and/or services, please visit the Combat2College website at www.montgomerycollege.edu/combat2colleg/ and/or contact a Veterans Club faculty sponsor on your campus.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1.
Mid-term Exam
(25% of final grade)
2.
Final Exam (35%)
3.
Country Report (10%)
4.
Course Paper (20%)
5.
Class Participation (10%)
Exams: The two exams may consist of the following format:
multiple-choice questions; short Identification answers; and short and
medium-length essay questions. Students who have a legitimate reason for taking
an exam at another time should discuss this with me in advance.
Country Report: Each student will select
one important country in international relations from a list I will provide and
seek to gain a better understanding during the course of its history, political
and economic development, and national interests. As part of your course
requirements, you must write a country report (a minimum of two pages double
spaced) that answers specific questions about the country. The questions are attached to the syllabus.
Students will have an opportunity to earn extra credit in class
discussions and on exams for country knowledge. The country report is due on Feb.
19.
Course Paper: In addition to the country report, you will be
required to write a research paper that examines a particular international or
foreign policy issue in depth and applies principles and concepts discussed in
the course. The paper is also intended to help you develop professional writing
skills. Twenty percent of the essay
grade, therefore, will be based on whether you use correct spelling,
grammar, punctuation and sentence structure.
Your essay should be a minimum of 4-5 double-spaced typewritten pages
in length and include a bibliography of references. Papers are due
no later than April 30. Papers submitted after the deadline will receive a
significant grade penalty unless students have received prior approval because
of a compelling reason. See the Course Paper Guidelines for additional
information and suggestions on topics.
Class Participation Note
that this is a significant part of your final grade. Your class participation grade will be
based on your weekly attendance and active participation in class
discussions.
Grading Scale: A = 90-100
B = 80-89 C = 70-79
D = 60-69 F
< 60
REQUIRED
Textbook: Essentials of
International Relations, 4th Edition, by Karen A. Mingst (W.W. Norton & Company: 2008)
Selected articles and
documents: Articles on specific
subjects and source documents, such as the UN Charter, will be provided to
supplement the textbook.
Daily newspaper reading: Students should seek to read daily the
international sections of the New York Times, Financial Times or
Washington Post, with a focus on articles related to course subjects and
their country of interest. Class discussions will draw from current events.
GROUND RULES FOR COURSE
PAPER, TESTS
Jan. 29-May 14, 2009
Thursday,
Feb. 19
Country report due
Thursday, March 12 Mid-Term Exam 6:30-7:45 pm
Thursday, April 2 Speaker on Contemporary Chinese Politics
(planned)
Thursday, April 23 Class Exercise on International Trade—Part I
8:10-9:10 pm
Thursday, April 30 Course paper due
Class Exercise on International Trade—Part II 8:10-9:10 pm
Thursday, May 7 Last class day
Thursday, May 14 Final Exam
Note scheduled exam time is 7:15-9:15 pm
Weekly
Topics and
Thursday, January 29 The Foundations of
Contemporary International Relations
Class
Course Introduction and Requirements
Segment 1
International Relations—Relevance, Approaches and Key Concepts
Segment 2 – A Historical
Overview of International Relations: The
Early Foundation of the International System and Great Power Rivalries (1648-1945)
Week 2--Thursday, February 5 From a Bipolar to a Unipolar IR
System (1945-2008)
Class
Segment 3—The Post-World War II Transformation of International
Relations—From a Multipolar to Bipolar World (1945-1991
Segment 4—Contemporary International Relations—The Mix of Unipolar and Multilateral Politics (1991 to Present)
Week 3--Thursday, February 12 Contrasting IR Theories—Realism
and Liberalism
Class Readings: Mingst p. 59-68 and p. 82-91; Excerpts from
Immanuel Kant’s 1795 “Essay on Perpetual Peace”; and Forward to Politics
Among Nations, Seventh Edition, Section on “Realism and the Perennial Presence
of Conflict,” p. xviii-xxi (latter readings to be provided)
Segment 5-- Realism—The “Lust for Power” and the Balance
of Power Strategy
Segment 6 —Liberal Theory of International Relations—Institutions and Dialogue
Week 4--Thursday, February 19 The Power of Ideas in IR and Levels
of Analysis
Country Report due
Class Readings: Mingst, p. 57-59, 99-106 and 130-136; excerpt
from Vladimir Lenin’s “What Is to be Done?” essay on communist revolution; and
excerpt from “The Future of Political
Islam” p. 56-60 (beginning with “The Silent Muslim Majority” section) by Graham
E. Fuller in March/April 2002 issue of Foreign Affairs (latter readings
to be provided)
Segment 7 - Constructivist Theory of International Relations—The
Power of Ideas
Segment
8—Radicalism: Marxism/Leninism
and Revolutionary Ideologies—A Waning Force in International Relations
Segment 9--“Levels of Analysis” in Explaining
Behavior and Outcomes in International Relations
Segment 10--The Influence of Religion and Culture in International Relations: Islam
and Islamic Movements
Week 5--Thursday, February 26 State and Non-State Actors in International Relations
Class
Segment 12--Role of the State and Other Actors in International
Relations
Segment 13--Assessing State Power and the Role
of “Hard” and “Soft” Power
Segment 14—Challenges to the Integrity of the State—Civil War, Ethno-nationalism and Transnational Crime
Week 6--Thursday, March
5
How Foreign
Policy Is Made and Foreign Policy Issues
Facing the New Obama Administration
Segment 15—Models of Foreign Policy Decisionmaking
Segment 16—Role of the
Individual in Foreign Policy and Other Factors Affecting Foreign Policy
Decisions
Segment 16a—
Segment 17—Key Foreign
Policy Issues Facing the New Administration
Mid-term exam review
Segment 24—
Class
Class
No class. Spring break.
Week 9--Thursday, March
26 War
and Weapons of Mass Destruction
Readings: Mingst, p. 209-45; Principles of a “Just War”
and Conduct of a “Just War”; reading on Weapons of Mass Destruction;
excerpts from “Nuclear Weapons” and “Ballistic Missiles and Delivery Systems”
in International Relations, 4th Edition, by Joshua Goldstein
and Jon Pevehouse, p. 202-207 (latter readings to be provided).
Segment 18—A “Just War” –Durability of Historical Concept
Segment 19—Causes of War and Military Conflicts Since 1991: Ethnic and
Religious Conflicts, Civil Wars, Secessions, Border Disputes and Terrorism
Segment 20 The Special Challenge of Weapons of Mass
Destruction and Nonproliferation
Week 10--Thursday, April
2
Class
Segment 11—
Segment 11A—Speaker on
Contemporary Chinese Politics (planned)
Week
11--Thursday, April 9 International and Regional
Organizations
Segment 21—Overview of
Intergovernmental and Nongovernmental Organizations
Segment 22—The United
Nations—The UN Charter, Role of the Security Council and
Challenge of UN Peacekeeping in
Conflict Zones
Segment 23--Regional
Organizations & the European Union Model of Regional Integration
Week 12--Thursday, April
16 International Law and War
Crimes
Class
Segment 25—Nature,
Origin and Evolution of International Law
Segment 26—Human Rights,
War Crimes, International Tribunals & Geneva Conventions
Class Readings: Mingst, p. 249-253 and
259-260; World Trade Organization (WTO)
60th Anniversary Press Release;
Segment 27 The Historical
Evolution of International Trade and Theoretical Concepts
Segment 28 Globalization and the International Trading
System Today
Segment 29—Part I—Class
Exercise on International Trade Negotiations—Small Group Discussions
Class Readings: Mingst, p.
247-257; “Conclusion: The View from
Lahore” in The Elusive Quest for Growth by William Easterly, p. 285-291;
and “Reforming the World Bank” and “Reforming the WTO” in Globalization and
Its Discontents by Joseph Stiglitz, p. 241-246; and materials on Chinese,
Indian and Korean economies to be provided
(latter readings to be provided)
Segment 30—North-South Economic Divide and Its Causes
Segment 31—Approaches to
Closing the Economic Gap—Aid, Trade and Investment, Internal Policy Changes and
Calls for “Revolution”
Segment 32—Part II-
Class Exercise on Trade Negotiations— Panel Discussions
Class Paper Due
Readings: Mingst, p. 288-306;
“Global-Scale Environmental Challenges” in Global Environmental Challenges by
J. Speth and P. Haas, p. 12-19; and
(latter to be provided)
Segment 32—Interdependence and the Environment
Segment 33-The Challenge
of Negotiating Agreements to Protect the Environment
Segment 31—Population Growth, Migration and Disease/AIDS and
Their Impact on International Relations
Final Exam review
Week 16—Thursday, May 14
Final Exam
Note: Scheduled exam
time is 7:15-9:15 p.m.
International Relations
PS 203 (Thursday Evening Class)
Spring 2009
Class Paper Guidelines
A short, analytical paper is
required for the course. The paper should be 4 to 5 double-spaced typewritten pages. The purpose of the paper is
to examine a particular international issue in more depth and show your ability
to apply concepts in International Relations that you have learned in the
course. The assignment is also intended to help you develop writing skills
that will be important for your future academic and professional success.
Students learning English as a second language are encouraged to seek
assistance from the Montgomery College Writing Center.
The deadline for submission of the paper is our class on Thursday, April
30. Attached is a sample format with
editing tips. Twenty percent of your grade on the paper will be based on whether it has correct
spelling, punctuation, grammar and sentence structure.
Students may select any topic
covered by the course syllabus for their paper. For example, you may find it
interesting to focus on the country you have selected to follow in the course
and examine a particular aspect of its foreign policy or relationship with a
single country or group of countries (e.g., with the United States or the
European Union). Alternatively, you may
want to examine a current issue in international relations relating to
security, trade, the environment or migration.
Another possible area for examination might be issues relating to
multilateral institutions, such as the United Nations, World Trade Organization
or World Bank. You might explore how
effectively these organizations are addressing a key issue in international
relations (e.g., peacekeeping in war-torn countries or inequalities in economic
development) and how countries might have different national perspectives on
the organization’s goals and activities. Finally, you might also want to
analyze how the theories of international relations we discussed in class apply
to particular issues and countries and to what extent they explain behavior,
for example, by describing the actions of
nations on an international problem.
Possible
information sources for the paper include: your textbook, encyclopedias,
newspaper and journal articles, books on the topic, speeches of foreign government
officials and the websites of foreign affairs agencies (e.g., State Department,
U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, and a country’s embassy and foreign
ministry). The White House website (www.whitehouse.gov)
also contains a wide range of foreign policy documents and presidential
statements that may be useful for topics involving the United States. Wikipedia
is often a good source for general background information. It is not,
however, an acceptable authoritative source to base your analysis and
assessments. I will gladly recommend sources if you are having problems finding
good ones.
The key
point is to show that you understand the basic facts and are providing a well
reasoned analysis of the issue. I do not expect extensive original research but
you should use independent sources and include them in the paper’s
bibliography. Your sources should be
listed in the bibliography using the proper format. (See below) Keep in mind that this is a research and
analytical paper and not an opinion essay.
Thus, you should avoid statements such as “I believe that…” or “The
government should …” or “I would recommend that….”
Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will
result in an automatic failing grade for the assignment. Plagiarism includes copying word-for-word
text from other sources to use in your paper without quotation marks or
footnotes and submitting the writing of others as your own. Most instructors
can easily detect plagiarism.
·
Current
issues in an important military alliance/relationship, e.g., NATO, U.S.-Japan,
U.S.-South Korea, U.S.-Israel, China-Pakistan, Russia-Venezuela.
·
The success or failure of a UN
Peacekeeping mission in a particular country
·
The differing perspectives of your
selected country on negotiating free trade agreements to eliminate tariffs and
trade protection (e.g., U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement or Free Trade
Agreement of the Americas)
·
An analysis of trade and investment
relations of your selected country with one or more countries (e.g., United
States) and how this affects the foreign policy goals and actions of that
country
·
The impact of the U.S. invasion of
Iraq on relations with your selected country (or another key country)
·
Examination of a key issue in
U.S.-China or U.S.-Russia relations
·
Assessment of the success or failure
of an international environmental agreement. Challenges countries face in
implementing the Kyoto Climate Change convention.
·
How a country or region (e.g.,
European Union) is managing either the inflow or outflow of illegal immigrants?
·
Issues related to Iran’s efforts to
acquire nuclear weapons
·
A current issue in the U.S.-Russian
effort to control nuclear weapons. U.S.
and global initiatives to promote nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and other
weapons of mass destruction.
·
U.S. cooperation with key partners
to prevent international terrorism
·
U.S./international efforts to stop
ethnic conflict in a country (e.g., Darfur, Sudan, or Congo) and challenges
involved in these efforts
·
Current state of international
negotiations to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons technology
·
U.S. and international efforts to
address the spread of AIDS in a particular region (e.g., Africa). The impact of AIDS and other diseases on
regional economic and political stability (e.g., Africa)
·
Examination
of an international war crimes tribunal (e.g., Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda,
Liberia) and challenges of prosecuting military officers and government
officials for “war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.”
·
Efforts by
the World Bank to tackle a particular problem of economic development in the
developing world.
·
The
foreign policy position of the European Union on a key foreign policy issue (e.g.,
Iran, Russia, Arab-Israeli conflict)
Sample
Research Paper Cover Page
TITLE OF
PAPER
BY
International
Relations PS 203
Thursday
Class
Date
FORMAT FOR
YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(In
alphabetical order by last name of author. Use this exact format—
Use this style with books
Goldstein, John (2007). Modern economic development, 8th
Ed. New York: Macmillan.
Use this style with articles
Huntington, Samuel (1988). The U.S.—Decline or renewal. Foreign
Affairs. 67(2),76-92. (Last numbers
are the volume of the journal and page numbers)
NOTE: Wikipedia is not an acceptable bibliographic
source for a research paper.
Sample
Research Paper Cover Page
TITLE OF
PAPER
BY
Introduction
to Political Science
PS 105
Thursday
Class
Date
FORMAT FOR
YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(In
alphabetical order by last name of author. Use this exact format—
Use this style with books
Goldstein, Joshua (2007). International relations, 8th
Ed. New York: Pearson Longman.
Use this style with articles
Huntington, Samuel (1988). The U.S.—Decline or renewal. Foreign
Affairs. 67(2),76-92. (Last numbers
are the volume of the journal and page numbers)
NOTE: Wikipedia is not an acceptable bibliographic
source for a research paper.
Contact me well before the due date to discuss your ideas if you are having difficulty selecting a specific topic and writing your analysis.