POLS 285: Introduction to International Relations
Fall 2009
DU 459
MWF
Instructor: Kevin
Marsh
E-mail: kmarsh@niu.edu
Office Hours: TuTh
Office Location:
DU 476 (the POLS TA lounge)
Course
Description
Why do countries go to war with one another? Why does peace break out? Why do various nations cooperate or disagree
on issues like environmental regulation, arms control, terrorism, and
economics? Why is the
This course seeks
to help the student understand, analyze, and explain these concepts and
questions. International relations is a particularly important topic of study for Americans in
the post-9/11 era. We must understand
the world in order to become effective global citizens. This course will examine the key issues of
international relations, including theories of IR, power politics, anarchy,
foreign policy, military policy and war, terrorism, international organizations
and law, international trade, environmental regulation, human rights,
international development, and other topics.
Particular attention will be given to the role of the United States in
the international system and how these various issues affect the US, and the
impact that the United States has in these issues in the international system.
The main goal of
this course is to provide the student with the means to analyze, examine, and
explain various aspects of international relations, and to think critically and
employ different theoretical perspectives to IR. The student will be able to go beyond simply
reading or watching programs about international relations, and will be able to
apply the various theories and frameworks of analysis to practical problems in
the world. International relations
affects us all, and an ability to properly examine, understand, and apply the
issues and concepts of IR allows the student to better understand our world,
regardless of their intended major or field of study.
Course
Requirements:
This course will be a lot more
interesting and valuable for both students and instructor if there is thoughtful and repeated
participation and discussion by the students.
An important element of class participation is being prepared for
class. This means completing the
readings before class. There are
readings due for every class session.
The reading load for this course is designed to be challenging, but the
readings have been selected in order to provide the student with a
comprehensive knowledge of the fundamentals of international relations.
The following scale will be used for determining class participation
grades.
A = regular and thoughtful participation
B = occasional and thoughtful participation
C = regular attendance, but little or no participation
D = less than regular attendance
F = little or no attendance
Additional readings will be available on Blackboard.
Class Participation: 10%
Quizzes: 15%
Mid-Term Exam: 25%
Take-Home Essay: 25%
Final Exam: 25%
The Mid-Term Exam will cover the first half of the course, and the
final exam will cover mainly the second half of the course, with some
comprehensive elements. Both the
mid-term and final exams will be a mixture of key term definitions and
significances, and essay questions.
The five quizzes will cover the readings
and material from lectures. These
quizzes will be multiple-choice format, and I will drop the lowest quiz
grade at the end of the semester. The
quizzes will be averaged together at the end of the semester to compute the
student's quiz average.
The take-home essay consists of three
possible essay questions, of which students will answer one. The questions will be addressed in class and
will be put up on Blackboard. The essay
is intended to produce a well-argued, cogent, well-supported, properly cited work of 5-7 pages. This essay will be due Monday, November 23. The essay MUST be submitted to
Safe Assign on Blackboard or else the instructor will
not grade it, and will result in a zero.
Make-up
Exams: A make-up exam or quiz will only be given in extraordinary circumstances. You must inform me as soon as possible before
the scheduled exam. Requests without prior notification and
documented evidence will not be accepted and
will result in a zero grade for the exam or quiz.
Classroom Etiquette: This is very important to me. You are adults and will be expected to act accordingly in my classroom. Any usage of cellular phones (talking, texting, playing games, etc.) is not allowed and will result in first a verbal warning, and then the instructor reserves the right to remove disruptive students from the classroom for repeated offenses. Usage of any other electronic devices with the exception of laptops to take notes is not allowed either. You are not going to succeed in this course if you are texting during my class. Simply turn your phone to vibrate and IPods off in my class and there will be no problems at all in this regard.
Another important element of
classroom etiquette is respect for your fellow students and the instructor. Respect for students means that all opinions,
questions, and discussions by your
fellow students are respected. Politics
is an art of discourse and is dependent upon people
feeling comfortable to express their opinions on issues. Respect for the instructor means don't come late to class, don't leave
early (unless you notify me ahead of time), don't
sleep in my class, and don't disrupt class by excessive talking with your
neighbors.
Basically, act like an adult, and
you will be treated like one in my class.
Students who continually violate the
standards of classroom etiquette will have their classroom participation grades penalized accordingly.
Extra Credit: Under no circumstances will extra credit be granted on an individual basis. However, the instructor reserves the right to incorporate extra credit questions on the case study quizzes or exams.
Academic
Dishonesty/Plagiarism: You really,
really, really don't want to do this in this course. Academic dishonesty and plagiarism include
cheating on tests, failing to cite in the
final essay, or copying and plagiarizing for their papers. Regarding
plagiarism, the NIU Undergraduate
Catalog states: “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.” The above
statement encompasses the purchase
or use of papers that were written by others. In short, students are
advised to do their own work and learn
the rules for proper quoting, paraphrasing, and footnoting.
Essentially, if you
cheat or plagiarize, you will receive a zero for that assignment or exam and will be referred to the
University for additional sanctioning. Don't do it, it's simply not worth it!
I would like to
repeat, if you plagiarize, WHETHER INTENTIONALLY OR NOT, you will receive a zero on the
assignment, paper, test, or quiz. It is
the student's responsibility to
ensure that assignments are properly cited.
Late Assignments: Late
assignments will be penalized by one letter grade per day, or ten points per
day. This standard will be waived only
in extraordinary circumstances.
Submission of Written Work: Assignments should be handed in personally to me at the beginning of
class on the day that they are due. Students who e-mail their assignments must
receive prior permission and e-mail the assignment by
Incompletes:
Incompletes will be granted only in extraordinary circumstances.
Auditing: Students who request an audit must attend all
classes and participate in class to satisfy the requirements of an audit.
Statement Concerning Students with
Disabilities: 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 for which they may require accommodations
should notify the University's Center
for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR). 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.
Undergraduate Writing Awards: 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 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.
Department of
Political Science Web Site: 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, tracking department
events, and accessing important details related to undergraduate programs and activities.
Course Calendar
Part I: The International System
August 24th: Course Introduction, Review of Course Policies and
Syllabus
August 26th: Survey of the
International System in 2009
August 28th: Historical Evolution of the International System:
Ancient World through World War II
Read: Textbook pgs 23-45
Part II: Theories of International Relations
August 31st: Historical
Evolution of the International System: 1945-Present
Read: Textbook pgs 45-54
September 2nd: Realism: Central Assumptions
Read: Textbook pgs 57-67
September 4th: Realism: Variants
Read: Textbook pgs
68-73
Read: “Security Seeking Under Anarchy” by Jeffrey Taliaferro
September 9th: Realism: Critiques and Case Study/Discussion Day
Read: “The Melian Dialogue”
by Thucydides
Assignment: Come
prepared to discuss the tenets of realism
September 11th: Liberalism: Central Assumptions
Read: Textbook pgs
73-84, 121-131
QUIZ ONE
September 14th: Liberalism: Variants and Critiques
Read: “Liberal
International Theory: Common Threads, Divergent Strands” by Zacher and Matthew
September 16th: Liberalism: Case Study and Discussion Day
Read: “The
Democratic Peace Idea”
Assignment: Come
prepared to discuss the concept of the democratic peace and of liberalism in general
September 18th: Constructivism: Central Assumptions
Read: Textbook pgs
95-102
September 21st: Constructivism: Case Study and Discussion Day
Read: Samuel
Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations”
Assignment: Come
prepared to discuss
September 23rd: Domestic Politics and IR
Read: Textbook pgs
131-148
September 25th: Foreign Policy Analysis: Models of Decision-Making
Read: Textbook pgs
151-168
September 28th: Foreign Policy Analysis: Individuals and Decision-Making
Read: Textbook pgs
168-179
October 2nd: MIDTERM EXAM
Part II:
International Conflict and Security
October 5th: Causes of War
Read: Textbook pgs
183-201
October 7th: Resolving the Security Dilemma: Arms Control, Collective Security,
Peacekeeping
Read: Textbook pgs
201-208
Read: UN
Peacekeeping Factsheet
October 9th: Military Force: Purposes and Competition for Security
Read: Textbook pgs
211-217
Read: “The Utility
of Force in a World of Scarcity” by John Orme
October 11th: Military Force: Warfare and Weapons Technology
Read: Textbook pgs
221-227
QUIZ TWO
October 14th: Nuclear Weapons and Proliferation
Read: Textbook pgs
217-221
Read: Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty
Read: “Effects of
Nuclear Weapons” and “Status of World Nuclear Forces”
October 16th: Chemical, Radiological, and Biological Weapons
Read:
“Introduction to Chemical Weapons”
Read: Dirty Bombs
Fact Sheet
Read: “Potential
Biological Weapons Threats”
October 18th: Terrorism: Causes, Characteristics, and Major Terrorist Organizations
Read: Textbook pgs
227-240
October 21st: Terrorism: Responses
Read: “
October 23rd: Ethnic Conflict
Read: “The
Enduring Challenge: Self Determination and Ethnic Conflict in the 21st Century” by David Callahan
October 26th: The Changing Face of War? War
and Conflict in the 21st Century
Read: “A Balanced
Strategy: Reprogramming the Pentagon for a New Age” by Robert Gates
Part III:
International Political Economy
October 28th: Fundamentals of International Political Economy
Read: Textbook pgs
243-262
October 30th: Globalization Part I: International Trade and Finance
Read: Textbook pgs
271-295
QUIZ THREE
November 2nd: Globalization Part II: Costs and Benefits
Read: Textbook pgs
295-299
Read:
“Globalization: Benefits and Costs”
TAKE-HOME ESSAY
QUESTIONS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED
November 4th: Case Study in International Political Economy: The Global Financial
Crisis
Read: “The
Read: “Timeline of
the Credit Crunch”
November 6th: Poverty and Foreign Aid
Read: Textbook pgs
301-331
Part IV. International Organizations and Soft Security
November 9th: The United Nations
Read: Textbook pgs
333-345
November 11th: The European Union
Read: Textbook pgs
346-353
QUIZ FOUR
November 13th: International Law
Read: Textbook pgs
363-388
November 16th: Human Rights
Read: UN
Declaration on Human Rights
Read:
Read: “Are Human
Rights Universal” by Thomas Franck
November 18th: Environmental Issues and IR
Read: Textbook pgs
399-406
Read: “Global
Environmental Outlook Executive Summary”
November 20th: Global Health Issues
Read: Textbook pgs
406-417
Read: “The Lessons
of HIV/AIDS” by Laurie Garrett
November 23rd: Transnational Crime
Read: Textbook pgs
391-399
Read: “
Read:
“Transnational Crime and
TAKE-HOME ESSAYS ARE DUE
Part
V. The Future of International Relations
November 30th: American Primacy: Characteristics and Challenges
Read: “A Balanced
Strategy” by Robert Art
Read: “Power and
Weakness” by Robert Kagan
Read: “Conclusion
and Summary: Domination or Leadership” by Zbigniew Brzezinski
QUIZ FIVE
December 2nd: Emerging Powers: The Return of Multipolarity?
Read: “
Read: “A Nuclear
Read: “The Rise of
December 4th: Course Conclusion: The Future of IR
Read: “One World,
Many Theories” by Stephen Walt