Political
Science
Problems
of International Relations/ POLS 285-3
Fall 2005
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Class time |
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Tuesday & Thursday 9:30 - 10: 45 AM, 461 Dusable |
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Instructor |
: |
Laman Rzayeva |
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Office address |
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476 Dusable |
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Office phone |
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753-1818 |
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Office hours |
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Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:00 – 12:00 AM |
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E-mail |
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Course description:
Welcome to the ever-changing field of international relations. The world
changed dramatically during the previous decade. The Soviet Union was replaced
by fifteen new states; the ideological and military divide that once dominated
analysis of international relations dissipated. Democracy and capitalism spread
to dozens of new states. The communications revolution eroded states’ ability
to control of information and ideas. Even the homogenous Third World, now
called the Global South, has lost meaning in the new millennium. New issues
such as terrorism, AIDS, proliferation of WMD, and the Green house effect have
risen to the top of the global agenda. Keeping pace with this changing world
requires new tools and new theoretical approaches.
This course has three
primary objectives. First, as an introductory course it strives to provide
students with a basic understanding of the theories and tools commonly used for
analyzing and explaining international relations. Because international
relations remains a divide field, students will be introduced to a number of
competing world views including realism, liberal idealism, behavioralism and
neoliberalism. Students will also learn about a number of associated approaches
to the study of international relations. Each of these approaches emphasizes a
different determinant of international relations. Each of these approaches
emphasizes a different determinant of international relations (e.g.,
perception, rationality or group behavior). Finally, students will learn the
basic terms and concepts used in international relations.
The second objective of the
course is to use the theories and tools learned in the first section to analyze
some of the most serious problems now facing the world. This semester special
attention will be given to terrorism, the use of military intervention, nuclear
proliferation and trade conflict. With each of these units students will be
asked to read a short case that presents a specific international decision that
was made to deal with the issue. Students will be required to remake these
decisions in class as part of a small group case discussion or a class
simulation. Other issues will be discussed as they arise on the pages of the
newspapers which will be discussed in the class.
The third objective is to
help students develop their abilities to think and argue logically both orally
and in writing. In addition to the tremendous significance of the issues
discussed in class, the greatest benefit the course may provide to individual
students is to give them numerous opportunities to logically consider
international issues and to present their ideas. Toward this end the course
employs a number of highly participatory teaching methods including: class
discussions, news discussions and case debates.
This course is an
introductory course and presumes no background knowledge in the study of
international relations or political science in general. However, the course
does require students to read the course materials when assigned and to
participate regularly in various class exercises and discussions.
Required Readings:
1.The main text for the course is:
Charles W. Kegley, Jr. and Eugene R. Wittkopf, World Politics: Trends and Transformation, 10th edn., New York:
Thomson & Wadsworth, 2005. Copies of the text are available for purchase at
the University and Village Common bookstores. Students are strongly
encouraged to purchase the main text. Readings from the text are assigned in
the Class Schedule (see below).
Students are required to
read each of cases "prior to" the day that the case is scheduled to
be discussed in the Class Schedule. The majority of the cases are also
available at the bookstores. Some cases are not available in the
bookstore! While copyright laws prohibit the combining of these cases
into a course package, students may make copies of these cases for their
individual use. (One copy of every case will be available in the Reserve Room
of the Library).
2. Either Christian Science Monitor (CSM) or New York Times (NYT).
Despite its name, the CSM is not
primarily a religious newspaper. Studies show that the CSM has the highest percentage of international news of any
American newspaper. Students are encouraged to read print version of these
newspapers. However, their electronic versions are also available: for CSM it
is www.csmonitor.com and for New York
Times it is www.nytimes.com
Discussions of current
events in international relations will be held during the first 10-15 minutes
of class every Tuesday. Students are expected to have read the CSM or NYT prior to coming to
class and may be called upon to discuss articles that they have read. Also,
material discussed in class will appear on the examinations.
3. Lectures overlap but not exactly coincide with material covered
in the text book and case studies. Students are strongly encouraged to take
notes during the class and to ask questions. In addition to that, lecture notes
will be available from the print reserve. Exams will cover material from text
book, case studies and lectures.
4. The instructor reserves
the right to hold pop quizzes on any of the assigned readings. The points
from these quizzes will count as credit points on the examinations.
Writing Assignments:
1. Each student is required
to keep a Journal of Problems of
International Relations. To maintain the journal each student must
write 2 entries each week. Each entry should be of approximately one page
in length, double spaced. Each entry should include a summary
(maximum half-double spaced page) of a major international article appearing in
the CSM or NYT. In addition to the summary, journal entry
should also provide the half-double-spaced page long student's commentary
on and analysis of the developments discussed in the article (for example,
why student did find
this news interesting, who are major actors involved, what is a problem
between/among them, what is their attitude for the solution of this problem, what
does student think about event covered in the news, what kind of implications
for future that event might have, to which other events and developments this
event can be related, how, why).
Journals should contain two
entries from each of the following weeks:
Week 1: Aug 30 - Sep 6
Week 2: Sep 6 – Sep 13
Week 3: Sep 13 - Sep 20
Week 4: Sept 20 – Sep 27
Week 5: Sep 27 – Oc7 4
Week 6: Oct 4 – Oct 11
Week 7: Oct 11 – Oct 18
Week 8: Oct 18 – Oct 25
Week 9: Oct 25 – Nov 1
Week 10: Nov 1 – Nov 8
Journal composed of 20
entries should be submitted together with short paper on November 8, 2005.
Late journals will be
downgraded. Please be sure to indicate the title, author, date and source for
each article (otherwise your journal will be downgraded).
2. In addition to the
journal, student should write a critical
essay. Each student should take an issue previously addressed in
his/her journal and mirror the format of the cases used in class. The
essay should identify a particular decision maker, the dilemma he/she faces, a
clear statement of the objectives of the decision maker, and some discussion of
at least two alternatives the decision maker might reasonably adopt. In
the closing paragraph the student should also indicate which alternative the
student would recommend and why. The essay does not need to summarize the
dilemma in great detail. Instead, it can cite sources of your choice (any newspaper articles, or any books). Make
sure to indicate author name, article/book title, date of publication, source
(book or name of newspaper or magazine) for each source you use.
Critical
essay is due on November 15, 2005.
The essay should be
approximately 5 pages in length; double-spaced and should use a standard
citation method. Citations must appear either at the bottom of the page,
in the text, or at the end of the paper. A bibliography is required (for
formatting please refer to the Chicago Manual of Style http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/cmosfaq/tools.html,
manual of style of the Modern Language Association or any other acceptable
manuals of style. The following web address has guidelines for some of them: http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citation.htm.)
Participation: Participation is an important part of this course,
and as such is required of all students. The participation grade will comprise
10% of the final grade and is designed to assess both the quantity and quality
of each student's participation in this collective learning experience.
Participation grades will include attendance, participation in news
discussions, participation in cases, and participation in class. Students who
miss any more than 4 classes in total will have a deduction taken from their
participation grade. Students who come to the class 15 minutes late and/or
leave 15 minutes earlier (without prior notification of instructor) will be
considered as absent.
Note: Students who fall asleep for more than 5 minutes will also be
considered as absent.
Plagiarism Statement:
According to the NIU Undergraduate Catalog "Students are guilty of
plagiarism, intentional or not, if they copy material from books, magazines, or
other sources without identifying and acknowledging them. Students guilty of,
or assisting others in, either cheating or plagiarism on an assignment, quiz,
or examination may receive a grade of F for the course involved and may be
suspended or dismissed from the university." In short, all ideas that are
not your own or well known must be footnoted. A general rule is that if the
information cannot be found in three or more commonly available sources it
should be footnoted. All direct quotes must be placed in quotation marks. These
guidelines will be enforced. If you are unsure as to what should be footnoted
either play it safe and footnote, or ask for assistance.
Examinations: There will be two
examinations, a mid-term and a final. Each examination will be worth 30% of the
semester grade. The mid-term examination will be held on October 20, 2005, at 9:30 AM, in 461 Dusable,
and will include all course materials and readings covered to that date. The
final examination will be held on Thursday December
8, 2005, from 10 AM to 11:50 AM, in 461 Dusable.
Those who have a schedule conflict,
or any other reason not to take the final examination on December 8, should
notify instructor about it at least one day in advance (by e-mail or in any
other written form). Then they may take the examination on Tuesday December 6, 2005, from 8 PM to 9:50 PM,
in 461 Dusable. The alternate examination "may be" slightly more
difficult, and must be requested in advance in writing.
Each examination will
contain:
Exam study reviews will be available to students one week before each exam. In addition, review sessions will give students an opportunity to ask all kind of exam-related questions and to clarify issues missed in the previous lectures.
Summary Grading and Due dates:
|
Midterm – October 20, 2005 Journals – November 8, 2005 Essay – November 15, 2005 Final – December 8, 2005 Alternate Final – December 6, 2005 |
The Department of Political Science will
recognize, on an annual basis, outstanding undergraduate papers written in
conjunction with 300-400 level political science courses or directed studies.
Authors do not have to be political science majors or have a particular class
standing. Winners are expected to attend the Department’s spring graduation
ceremony where they will receive a certificate and $50.00. Papers, which can be
submitted by students or faculty, must be supplied in triplicate to a
department secretary by February 28. All copies should have two cover pages –
one with the student’s name and one without the student’s name. Only papers
written in the previous calendar year
can be considered for the award. However,
papers completed in the current spring semester are eligible for the following
year’s competition even if the student has graduated.
Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, NIU is committed to making reasonable accommodations for persons with
documented disabilities. Those students with disabilities that may have some
impact on their coursework and for which they may require accommodations should
notify the Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR) on the fourth floor of
the Health Services Building. CAAR will assist students in making appropriate
accommodations with course instructors. It is important that CAAR and
instructors be informed of any disability-related needs during the first two
weeks of the semester.
Undergraduates are strongly encouraged to
consult the Department of Political Science web site on a regular basis. This
up-to-date, central source of information will assist students in contacting
faculty and staff, reviewing course requirements and syllabi, exploring
graduate study, researching career options, tracking department events, and
accessing important details related to undergraduate programs and activities. To reach the site, go to http://polisci.niu.edu
LINKS to Relevant
Sites:
News Sources:
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE (Paris)
BBC
World News
Chicago
Tribune
Christian
Science Monitor
CNN Breaking News
The
Drudge Report
International
Herald Tribune
Itar-Tass
News Service (Russia)
Kyodo
News (Japan)
The Times (London)
New
York Times
Reuters
World News
Washington
Post
Washington
Times
Xinhua News Service (China)
Terrorism News Sources:
Terrorism Research Center
General Links on
Terrorism
US State Department's Office of
Counterterrorism
US Department of
Defense on Countering Terrorism
EERI Counterterrorism Home Page
& Links
Others Links:
The Kennedy School of
Government Case Program
Electronic Citation Style
Manuals
Evaluating Internet
Sources
Bartlett's Quotations
Tue Aug
23
Introduction
and distribution of syllabus
Thu Aug
25
International
relations as an academic discipline: development, major debates, subject of
study, level of analysis.
Kegley and
Wittkopf, Chp. 1 and chpt. 2 (pp. 26-29)
Tue Aug 30
Discussion
of current news
Case Study:
THE MELIAN DIALOGUE.
Thu Sept 1
Realism.
Kegley
& Wittkopf, Chpt. 2 (pp33-38) and chpt.13
Tue Sept 6
Discussion
of current news
Neo-realism
Kegley and
Wittkopf , chpts. 2 (pp 38-40)
Thu Sept 8
Liberal
idealism
Kegley
Wittkopf, chpts 2 (pp. 29-33) and chpt.14 (pp. 528-556, 564-567)
Tue Sept 13
Discussion
of current news
Neo-liberalism
Kegley and
Wittkopf, chpt. 2 (pp. 40-45).
Thu Sept 15
Case Study:
B.PEW CASE #170 A- VALUES VS.
INTERESTS: THE US RESPONSE TO TIANANMEN SQUARE.
Tue Sept 20
Discussion of
current news
Constructivism
and Feminism
Kegley and
Wittkopf, chpt. 2 (pp. 46-52) and chpt. 7 (pp. 240-244)
Thu Sept 22
Individual Level Models: The Rational-Actor Model of foreign
policy decision-making.
Perception . Personality
Kegley and
Wittkopf, chpt. 3 (pp. 63-68, 86-91), chpt.11 (p. 403).
Tue Sept 27
Discussion
of current news
Group Level
models: Organizational Process and Bureaucratic Politics Models of foreign
policy decision-making.
Kegley and
Wittkopf, chpt. 3, pp. 78-86
Thu Sept 29
Group-level
models continued. Groupthink.
Kegley and
Wittkopf, p. 85
Tue Oct 4
Discussion
of current news
Case Study:
C. KSG # 279 : KENNEDY AND THE
BAY OF PIGS
Thu Oct 6
Nation- and
society-level determinants of the international relations.
Kgeley and
Wittkopf, chpt. 11, pp. 406-413
Tue Oct 11
Discussion
of current news
System-level
theories of the international relations
Kegley and
Wittkopf, chpt. 11, pp. 413-420
Thu Oct 13
Behavioralism
and Post-Behavioralism.
Kegley and
Wittkopf, chpt.2, p. 37
Tue Oct 18
Review
session
Thu Oct 20
Mid-term examination
Tue Oct 25
Discussion
of current news
Ethnicity
and ethnic conflict
Kegley and
Wittkopf, chpt. 6 (pp. 196-197), chp. 7 (pp. 223-240), chp. 11 (p. 420-427)
Thu Oct 27
Case Study:
E. PEW CASE # 374 A- WATERSHED IN RWANDA: THE EVOLUTION OF PRESIDENT
CLINTON’S
Tue Nov 1
Discussion
of current news
Terrorism
Kegley and
Wittkopf, chpt. 11, pp. 427-438, chpt. 15, pp. 578-580
Terrorism
(cont.)
Tue Nov 8
Due day for submission of the Journal of
International Relations.
Case study
: F. KSG CASE: SEEKING THE EXTRADITION OF
MOHAMMED RASHID
Thu Nov 10
Weapons of
Mass Destruction
Kegley and
Wittkopf, chp. 12 , pp. 460-467.
Tue Nov 15
Discussion
of current news
Weapons of
Mass Destruction (cont.)
Thu Nov 17
Case Study:
H. PEW CASE #359- ATOMIC DIPLOMACY IN THE KOREAN WAR
Tue Nov 22
Case Study:
PEW CASE 228 A: UP IN ARMS, RUSSIAN ROCKETS FOR INDIA
Thu Nov 24
International
Political Economy
Kegley and
Wittkopf, chapters 8 and 9.
Tue Nov 29
Case Study:
DEPT-FOR-NATURE-SWAPS: SOLUTION OR IMPERIALISM?
Thu Dec 1
Tue Dec 6 alternate final
Thu Dec 8 final