Political
Science
Problems of International Relations/ POLS 285-1
Spring
2004
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Class time |
: |
Tuesday & Thursday 12:30-1:45 PM, 422 Dusable |
|
Instructor |
: |
Laman Rzayeva |
|
Office address |
: |
461 Dusable |
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Office hours |
: |
Tuesday and Thursday 4:00 – 5:00 PM and by appointment most days |
|
E-mail |
: |
lrzayeva@yahoo.com |
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 Christian Science Monitor.
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.
Readings: 1.
The main text for the course is: Charles
W. Kegley, Jr. and Eugene R. Wittkopf, World Politics: Trends and
Transformation, 9th edn., New York: Thomson & Wadsworth, 2003. 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).
2. Students are required to read each of eleven
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).
3. Students are required to subscribe,
individually or in groups, to the Christian Science Monitor (CSM).
Despite its name, the CSM is not primarily a religious newspaper. It is
one of the most respected papers and thought to have some of the most balanced
reporting of any major paper. Moreover, studies show that the CSM has
the highest percentage of international news of any American newspaper. The CSM
offers students a special three-month introductory rate. Students with regular
internet access may also read the electronic edition at http://www.csmonitor.com However, we would
urge you not to depend entirely on the electronic version unless you are
already reading it. 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 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.
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.
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 29, 2004. 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.
Writing Assignments:
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 include a
summary of a major international article appearing in the Christian Science
Monitor. Each summary should be of approximately one-half page in length,
double spaced. It should also provide the student's commentary on and
analysis of the developments discussed in the article.
Journals must be submitted twice during the
semester. They will first be submitted on
Feb 12, 2004 and should include 8 entries. The second submission
date is Apr 22, 2004 and should include 16 new entries. Since students
will not likely have access to The
Christian Science Monitor during the first week and last week, the
total number of articles that need to be summarized is 24. Please be sure
to indicate the title, author, date and source for each article.
Included with the second journal submission
should be a critical essay written
in the form of a case. 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 The Monitor articles, and
other sources for background material. (The Monitor on line regularly provides
links to related stories in other newspapers.) 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.)
Although primary consideration in evaluating the journals will be placed on content
and the logic of the arguments, presentation (including spelling, grammar, and
correct word use) will also be considered. Cases taken from a perspective other
than an American one are especially encouraged.
Journals are due at the beginning of class on
the assigned day. Late journals will be downgraded 1/3 letter grade for
each weekday that they are late. (A journal submitted after class will be
considered one day late). Thus, an "A" brief becomes and
"A-" after one day and a "B+" after two days. There will be
no exceptions to this rule. Therefore, students with sick relatives,
paper-eating canines, low-life typists, or virus-prone computers--as well as
those students who are routinely taken hostage aboard alien spaceships--are
strongly encouraged to compensate for any potential mishaps by preparing their
journals in advance of the submission deadlines.
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, or more than two cases-for whatever
reason-will have a deduction taken from their participation grade.
Just a small note to encourage you to
participate: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters
compared to what lies within us” (by Ralph Waldo Emerson).
Students with Disabilities: NIU abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding provision of reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Moreover, your academic success is of importance to me. If you have a disability that may have a negative impact on your performance in this course and you may require some type of instructional and/or examination accommodation, please contact me early in the semester so that I can provide or facilitate in providing accommodations you may need. If you have not already done so, you will need to register with the Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR), the designated office on campus to provide services and administer exams with accommodations for students with disabilities. CAAR is located on the 4th floor of the University Health Services building (753-1303). 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. I look forward to talking with you to learn how I may be helpful in enhancing your academic success in this course.
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 25% of the semester grade. The mid-term examination will be held on
March 4, 2004, and will include all course
materials and readings covered to that date. The final examination will be held
on May 6, 2004 12:00-1:50 PM in DU 422. Those who have a conflict, or simply
prefer to take the examination on another date, may take the examination on May
4, 2004, 8-9:50 PM also in DU 422. The alternate examination "may be"
slightly more difficult, and must be requested in advance in writing. Each
examination will contain:
Grading: The final grade will be:
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, 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
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Date: |
Assignments
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Jan 13 |
I. Introduction & Distribution of Syllabus |
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Jan 15 |
A. The Melian Dialogue (Distributed in Class) |
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Jan 20 |
II. Theories of International Relations |
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Jan 22 |
1. Liberal Idealism Read: Kegley & Wittkopf, Chpt. 15 |
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Jan 27 |
2. Realism |
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Jan 29 |
B. Values Vs. Interests: The US Response to
Tiananmen Square Part A (Case 170) |
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Feb 3 |
3. Behavioralism & Post-Behavioralism |
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Feb 5 |
4. Neo-Realism & Neoliberalism & Other
Critiques |
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Feb 10 |
C. The US-Japanese FSX Fighter Agreement
Part A (Case 350) |
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Feb 12 |
III. The Levels of Analysis Problem & Models of
International Relations First Journal Submission is Due! |
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Feb 17 |
1. Individual Level Models: Rational Actor,
Perception & Personality |
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Feb 19 |
2. Group Level Models: The Organizational Model
& Bureaucratic Politics |
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Feb 24 |
4. Social & National Level Models Read: Kegley & Wittkopf, Chpt. 8 |
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Feb 26 |
D. Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs
(KSG c14-80-279.0) |
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Mar 2 |
5. Systems Level Models |
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Mar 4 |
Midterm Examination ! ! |
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Mar 16 |
IV. Problems in International Relations |
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Mar 18 |
1. Ethnicity and Nationalism |
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Mar 23 |
2. Terrorism |
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Mar 25 |
Terrorism (cont.) |
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Mar 30 |
F. Seeking
the Extradition of Mohammed Rashid (KSG C16-90-982.0) OR
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Apr 1 |
3. Weapons of Mass Destruction & Nuclear
Proliferation |
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Apr 6 |
Weapons of Mass Destruction (cont.) |
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Apr 8 |
H. Atomic Diplomacy in the Korean War (Case
359) |
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Apr 13 |
I. UP in Arms: Russian Rockets for India Part
A (Case 228) J. High Seas Satellite |
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Apr 15 |
4. The Global Economy |
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Apr 20 |
The Global economy (cont.) |
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Apr 22 |
K. Debt-for-Nature-Swaps: Solution or
Imperialism? (Case 454) Second Journal Submission is Due! |
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Apr 27 |
5. The UN & International Organizations |
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Apr 29 |
The UN & International Organizations |
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May 6 |
Scheduled Final Examination, 12-1:50 PM DuSable Rm
422 |
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May 4 |
Alternate Final Examination, 8-9:50 PM, DuSable Rm
422 |