Colorado State University, Academic Sponsor

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1 Colorado State University, Academic Sponsor Voyage: Fall 2016 Discipline: Political Science/Government Course Number and Title: POLS 232 International Relations Division: Lower Faculty Name: Lewis P. Hinchman Credit Hours: 3; Contact Hours: 40 Pre-requisites: None COURSE DESCRIPTION International relations is the study of power and authority among nations. In a broad sense there have been international relations as long as there have been more or less independent societies encountering each other under conditions of anarchy (i.e., in the absence of a recognized legal/political authority to arbitrate disputes). But in its more precise meaning international relations (IR) concerns just what the words suggest: relations between or among sovereign nations or territorial states. And these are usually regarded as an outcome of Europe s Peace of Westphalia in As an academic discipline, however, international relations dates only from the aftermath of World War I, following the breakdown of Europe s balance of power system. Having by now surmounted its humble beginnings, IR has attained a prestigious place in the halls of academia and the practical world of diplomacy and global governance. One of the most attractive aspects of the study of international politics is its unique and authentic way of presenting fundamental political issues. In a world of anarchy with no central global government, questions of life and death are confronted in a brutally honest manner. The rhetorical flourishes of domestic presidential campaigns give way to the cold logic of the international balance of power, in which, as the Greek historian Thucydides of Athens commented, the strong do what they will and the weak suffer what they must. The study of international relations has evolved during the past few decades as political circumstances have changed. The Cold War is over and some would say we now inhabit a multipolar world in which no single great power, not even the United States, can dictate to the others. Furthermore, overt colonialism is a relic of the past; hence, the world now counts far more nation-states than ever before, many of them poor and desperate for economic development. Among other things, their poverty, as well as the endemic violence in some of them, have generated waves of migrants desperate to reach the more developed world where they can find work, safety, and a better life. Meanwhile, a number of important nation-states have voluntarily surrendered portions of their sovereignty to trans-national institutions such as the European Union. Some observers of the international scene, often called liberal internationalists, believe that the old-style IR ( realism ), with its emphasis on power-balancing and geostrategic advantage, is outmoded. They believe that war

2 should be and will be consigned to the dustbin of history, like torture and slavery. Realists have presented compelling counterarguments while refining their own approach. In our course we will survey and debate the respective positions of realism and liberal internationalism. But we will also confront another crucial change in the nature of international politics: the onset of globalization and the relative decline of the nation-state as the focus of civic loyalty and problem-solving. Many of the countries we will visit could break apart eventually, as their component regions and ethnic groups try to claim greater autonomy (Italy, Spain, Morocco). Alternatively, some could transfer so much power and competence to trans-national institutions such as the EU, that they will be, at most, semi-sovereign in the international arena (Greece). In short, the nation-state is being challenged from below and above as it strains to accommodate its citizens demands for linguistic, religious, and ethnic recognition, while trying to meet the fiscal, budgetary, and political demands of higher-order associations. How will the relative decline of the nation-state affect the study of International Relations? That will be an additional topic we shall consider this semester. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students who participate in this course will gain a broad and comprehensive knowledge of international politics. By the end of the course, students will have basic knowledge of the key actors in the world, the structure of the international system in which these actors operate, and the theories that attempt to explain this interaction. Moreover, students will gain insight into the main issues of international politics: traditional and non-traditional security threats, strategies for creating a stable world order, and processes of globalization. We may formulate these objectives more formally, as a list of goals that we hope to attain over the course of a semester: 1. Learn that the logic of international relations (diplomacy, bargaining, threats of violence, power politics ) emerged long ago, even before there were nation-states, and was articulated in the treatises of writers like Thucydides and Machiavelli 2. Understand the respective arguments and evidence for/against the realist and liberal internationalist positions in IR theory and the internal evolution of each over the past century. Also consider the contributions of other approaches that stress economic factors in international politics (e.g., theories of neo-colonialism, dependence, the Global South, etc.). 3. Trace the emergence of modern nation-states out of the older European system of religious polities, empires, free cities and feudal hierarchies. Here, above all, students should see how some nation-states learned to manage the potential of religious allegiances to foment violence and conflict within and between nations. 4. Grasp the principles of nuclear deterrence as practiced during and after the Cold War. 5. Recognize the pressures brought to bear on nation-states by the phenomena included under the term globalization. Students should notice that some of these constraints come from above.

3 That is, nation-states are influenced by the demands, decisions, and expectations of such international bodies as the EU, NAFTA, the World Bank, WTO, United Nations, and IMF. Furthermore, multinational corporations, especially the financial institutions, limit states room for maneuver. Yet at the same time other pressures and constraints arise from subnational factors below the level of the state (religious awakenings; migrations; ethnic demands and conflicts; demands for greater democracy, human rights, or economic opportunity, etc.). Course participants will have a chance to evaluate the successes and failures of international development efforts and decide for themselves how nation-states, business corporations, and international bodies might cooperate more effectively to reduce global poverty. 6. Use case studies pertinent to some or all of the countries we visit to illustrate yet another crucial challenge to nation-state capacities: the global environmental crisis. Special attention will be paid to the deterioration of the world s oceans, since we will be sailing over them for almost four months! REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS Books to be purchased Huntington, Samuel, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (New York, Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 1996) ISBN: Mansbach, Richard and Taylor, Kirsten, Introduction to Global Politics (London, Routledge, 2012) ISBN: McCormick, John: Understanding the European Union: A Concise Introduction (London, Palgrave- MacMillan, 2011) ISBN: Stiglitz, Joseph, Making Globalization Work (New York and London, WW Norton & Co., 2007) ISBN: 978= RESERVE BOOKS AND ARTICLES FOR THE LIBRARY Articles and book chapters on reserve and/or on the ship s intranet *=top-priority items *Burchill, Scott and Linklater, Andrew, Theories of International Relations (London, Palgrave MacMillan, 2013) 5 th edition, chapters 2 and 3. ISBN: Ellis, Richard, The Empty Ocean, (Washington, DC, Island Press, 2004) pages 11-25, ISBN: Glover, Linda K. and Earle, Sylvia A., Defying Ocean s End: an Agenda for Action (Washington, DC, Island Press, 2005) pages and ISBN:

4 *Mansbach, Richard and Rhodes, Edward (eds.), Global Politics in a Changing World (Boston and NY, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009) chapter 5. ISBN: Machiavelli, The Prince, trans. Harvey Mansfield (Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1998, chapters 3, ISBN: Moravczik, Andrew, Europe, the Second Superpower, in Current History. March, 2010, pp Newell, James L., The Politics of Italy: Governance in a Normal Country (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, New York, etc., 2010), chapter 10. ISBN: Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, trans. M. I. Finley (New York, Penguin Books, 1972) pages 48-49, 77-81, and ISBN: (note: any edition of this book, including online versions, would be OK. But I will have to give you the page assignments based on the classical edition) Urbina, Ian, Sea Sweepers in New York Times Magazine, Feb. 21, 2016, pp Woodard, Colin, Ocean s End: Travels through Endangered Seas (NY, Basic Books reprint edition, 2001), pages and ISBN: TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE NOTE: Assignments denominated M and T refer to Mansbach and Taylor, Introduction to Global Politics PART I: International Relations in the Age of Nation-States [Depart Hamburg September 10] A1, Sept. 12: Course Introduction: what International Relations is all about; an outline of divergent approaches; overview of books and readings; learning objectives; explanation of field assignments, and more. No required readings A2, Sept. 14: Classic writings in international relations: how were diplomacy and war conducted before modern nation-states appeared? How were aggressive actions justified? Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Introduction, pp (original page 23) speech of the Athenian delegation at Sparta, pp (original pages 72-78); the Melian dialogue, pp ; Machiavelli, The Prince, chapters 3, [September 16 no class] A3, Sept. 17: Emergence of the modern nation-state from the crucible of European war and diplomacy; M and T, chapter 2, pp [Piraeus September 19-23]

5 A4, Sept. 24: War in the 20 th Century and the emergence of realist theories of IR: M and T, chapter 3, pp ; also discussion of Greek news sources and personal experiences. See if you can discover what the role of Piraeus was during the Peloponnesian War. [Civitavecchia/Livorno September 26-30] A5, Oct. 1: The Cold War and nuclear deterrence, M and T, chapter 4, pp [Barcelona October 3-7] A6, Oct. 8: You are the foreign minister of Italy: defining and attaining national interests in the 21 st century. Case 1, James L. Newell, The Politics of Italy, chapter 10 (on reserve); also-- discussion of current Italian news sources. [Casablanca October 10-14] A7, Oct. 15: You are the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy. What are Europe s collective interests and what approaches would you recommend for addressing them? Case 2, McCormick, chapter 9, pp and Moravczik, Europe, the Second Superpower (on reserve) A8, Oct. 17: Contending theories I: realism and neo-realism, Burchill and Linklater, Theories of International Relations, chapter 2, pp (on reserve). A9, Oct. 19: Contending theories II: liberal internationalism, Burchill and Linklater, Theories of International Relations, chapter 3, pp (on reserve). For a somewhat different view of IR theory, take a look at M and T, pp (recommended reading only). [Dakar October 21-24] A10, Oct. 25: Contending theories III: neocolonialism-style explanations for global alignments: Global North vs. Global South), M and T, chapter 5, pp ; discussion of news sources from Morocco and Senegal, both former colonies of an imperial power (France) Voluntary drop-in review session for midterm (out of class); exact time and place TBD A11, Oct. 27: Midterm exam [October 28 no class] PART II: Beyond the Nation-State? The Shape of the Post-Cold War World A12, Oct. 30: A clash of civilizations? Will civilizations replace nation-states as the foci of future global conflicts? Huntington, chapter 1 and chapter 4 [Salvador November 1-6]

6 A13, Nov. 7: A clash of civilizations, continued: Huntington, chapter 5, pp ; chapter 6; chapter 7, pp ; chapter 9, pp ; discussion of Brazilian news sources. Where does Brazil stand in the clash of civilizations? A14, Nov. 9: A clash of civilizations, continued: Huntington, chapter ; chapter 9, pp , ; chapter 10, , chapter 11, A15, Nov. 11: Failed states: M and T: reread chapter 5, pp Also Mansbach and Rhodes, Global Politics in a Changing World, chapter 5, pp including the following: chapter introduction; Robert I. Rothberg, Failed States in a World of Terror ; Jeremy Weinstein, Africa s Revolutionary Deficit ; and Robert D. Kaplan, The Coming Anarchy (all on reserve) [Port of Spain November 13-14] A16, Nov. 15: International law and organizations: the UN, NGO s and more: M and T, chapter 10, pp and 343 (beginning with other regional organizations )-346, and chapter 11, pp A17, Nov. 16: The European Union: a model for future global cooperation? (part I): McCormick, 1-23, [November 18 no class] A18, Nov. 20: The European Union a model for future global cooperation? (part II): McCormick, 74-97, , [Callao/Lima November 22-26] A19, Nov. 27: The law and politics of the sea (part I): Why is ocean life so endangered and what can we do about it? Woodard, 29-55: Ellis 11-25, and Ian Urbina, Sea Sweepers (all three on reserve) A20, Nov. 29: The law and politics of the sea (part II): can international cooperation save the oceans? Glover and Earle, ; ; Woodard, [Guayaquil December 1-4] A21, Dec. 5: Globalization: eclipse of the nation-state? M and T, chapter 6, pp A22, Dec. 7: Economic globalization I: how to make it serve both the developed and less developed countries: Stiglitz, pp. 4-24, [Puntarenas December 9-13] A23, Dec. 14: Economic globalization II: Stiglitz, pp , , Also discussion of news sources from Peru and Ecuador A24, Dec. 16: Economic globalization III: Stiglitz, , ; discussion of Costa Rican news sources: is Costa Rica benefiting from globalization?

7 [No classes December 18] Voluntary drop-in review session for final exam will be held after A24. Exact time and date TBD A25, Dec. 19: Final exam for A days [San Diego December 22] FIELD WORK Field Class attendance is mandatory for all students enrolled in this course. Do not book individual travel plans or a Semester at Sea sponsored trip on the day of your field class. Field Classes constitute at least 20% of the contact hours for each course, and will be developed and led by the instructor. You will be required to submit a 3 to 5 page report on each field experience, which will be worth 10% of your final grade (20% total). FIELD CLASSES AND ASSIGNMENTS Field Class for International Relations (Section 2) takes place in Morocco on October 14, A visit to the U.S. Embassy in Rabat, Morocco s capital and the offices of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (an important German NGO) Morocco between Monarchy and Democracy The United States and indeed the whole world have a lot at stake in Morocco, because it has shown how an Arab country (in this case a traditional monarchy) can move gradually toward a more open, progressive, and democratic society without undergoing the trauma of civil war, military coups, and Islamic fundamentalist massacres such as we have seen in places like Syria, Egypt, and Algeria. However, Morocco is not without its problems. It is still a relatively poor country and must find ways of satisfying its citizens aspirations for a better life. And that opens up the whole question of development theory and aid: how much to give, how to target it, what works and what does not, how to make sure that aid is not embezzled by corrupt officials, what the proper mix is between market and state-owned institutions. Also, Morocco, like Spain, has a potent separatist, autonomy-seeking movement of the Berber (or Amazigh) people. We need to find out what its aims are, how the government has responded to its demands, and whether the Amazigh should or even could have their own autonomous region like Catalonia in Spain (their model). Finally, Morocco must seek a balance between the institutions of the monarchy and the democratic demands of people in modern societies. Where does that balance lie? To answer those questions we will visit the United States Embassy in Rabat and seek the views of our own officials on the questions just noted. Then we will visit the offices of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in that same city, and try to ascertain how the German government and its affiliated NGOs propose to address Morocco s problems. Are the Germans and Americans working at cross-purposes or are they basically in agreement about what to do and how to do it? Are the national interests of the two governments in North Africa the same or different? Does it matter

8 that Germany and the EU are the destination for countless migrants leaving Morocco and other North African countries in boats to cross the Mediterranean Sea, while the United States is comfortably far away from the migrant wave? INDEPENDENT FIELD ASSIGNMENTS In addition to their formal field assignments as noted above, students will be asked to do two other things in each port: first, interview local people (informally of course) on their view of their government and its performance. They should try to elicit thoughtful and detailed responses, not just emotional outbursts. Second, they should collect English-language newspapers published in the country we visit and use them as another source from which to assemble data about politics in that country. Newspapers published by American and British expatriates are often a good source. Student may also find on-line newspapers even before we reach the ports. If students happen to speak or read the local language, then even better! They should also acquire some of the local-language papers and search for useful information everything from editorial page opinion pieces, to reports on elections and parties, to forecasts of economic conditions in the coming months and years. When we meet again for class after each port visit, we will share the information we have collected and put together a more nuanced and comprehensive picture of what is happening in each country. METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING SCALE The following Grading Scale is utilized for student evaluation. Pass/Fail is not an option for Semester at Sea coursework Grade A+ A Excellent A- B+ B ` Good B- C+ C Satisfactory D Poor, but passing F Failure A % A % B % B 83-85% B %

9 C % C 70-76% D 60-69% F below 60% Thus, at any time you can see how you are doing in the course by adding up the available points to date and the share of them you have earned thus far. Participation points constitute the exception, since they cannot be calculated until the course is over. One can always make a late run and improve on this measure! Note: attendance is part of the participation score; missing more than one or two classes without an excuse will result in a lower participation grade even for those who have been engaged and active in class discussions. Why not come to class? After all, where else do you have to go on a ship? 1. The Midterm Exam (100 points) will mainly cover issues concerning the emergence and structure of the modern nation-state and theories of IR that have developed along with it. It will include longer essays plus short essays/commentaries on terms from a sheet I will distribute in advance. 2. The Final Exam (100 points) will be broadly comparative and draw on material from the entire course, but with the greatest emphasis on political forces outside or alongside the nation-state highlighted in the second half of the course. It will have several long essay questions as well as terms which will require short essay commentaries like the ones you wrote for the midterm. 3. Quizzes, to be given when needed (10 points each). Quizzes will be announced one class day in advance. 4. Class participation (100 points). This is a directed discussion course. That is, I will often present concepts, historical background, and key distinctions relevant to understanding IR and ask you to respond to the arguments and ideas presented therein. And I will likewise expect you to ask questions of your own, debate your fellow participants, and confront the myriad interpretative, moral, and policy issues implicit in the readings and class discussions. How well you do all this will determine your participation score. Note: attendance is part of class participation, so, if you miss more than a class or two, your final participation score will suffer. 5. Field class reports as noted above (30 points each). At the end of the semester we will figure out how many points were available in total (this can t be done until we know how many quizzes were given). Then we calculate how many points each student earned and figure your grade on a percentage basis of the available points as follows: ATTENDANCE/ENGAGEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM Attendance in all Semester at Sea classes is mandatory, but it is at the instructor s discretion to assign a grade to the participation and attendance requirement. Remember to include

10 information concerning the evaluation of Field Assignments and the Field Classes, which must constitute at least 20% of the total grade in a course. Students must inform their instructors prior to any unanticipated absence and take the initiative to make up missed work in a timely fashion. I will do whatever I can to enable students to make up work which must be accomplished under my supervision (e.g., examinations). In the event of a conflict in regard to this policy, individuals may appeal using established CSU procedures. LEARNING ACCOMMODATIONS Semester at Sea provides academic accommodations for students with diagnosed learning disabilities, in accordance with ADA guidelines. Students who will need accommodations in a class, should contact ISE to discuss their individual needs. Any accommodation must be discussed in a timely manner prior to implementation. A memo from the student s home institution verifying the accommodations received on their home campus is required before any accommodation is provided on the ship. Students must submit this verification of accommodations pre-voyage as soon as possible, but no later than August 15, 2016 to academic@isevoyages.org. STUDENT CONDUCT CODE The foundation of a university is truth and knowledge, each of which relies in a fundamental manner upon academic integrity and is diminished significantly by academic misconduct. Academic integrity is conceptualized as doing and taking credit for one s own work. A pervasive attitude promoting academic integrity enhances the sense of community and adds value to the educational process. All within the University are affected by the cooperative commitment to academic integrity. All Semester at Sea courses adhere to this Academic Integrity Policy and Student Conduct Code. Depending on the nature of the assignment or exam, the faculty member may require a written declaration of the following honor pledge: I have not given, received, or used any unauthorized assistance on this exam/assignment..