INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS Govt 204 Summer Sue Peterson Morton 13 Office Hours: M 2-3, W

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1 INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS Govt 204 Summer 2004 Sue Peterson Morton 13 Office Hours: M 2-3, W Course Description and Goals This course provides an introduction to the study of politics among nation-states by exploring the causes and consequences of conflict in the international system. It seeks to familiarize students with the main theoretical approaches to the study of international politics; to encourage the critical application and evaluation of these theories as explanations of international events; to introduce important historical and contemporary issues in international relations; and to facilitate the interpretation and critical evaluation of contemporary issues and events. Course Requirements Course grades are based on four requirements: Participation 25% Two short papers 40% Final 35% Reading: All reading assignments must be completed before class, since they serve as the basis for lecture and discussion. Students are required to read a major daily newspaper or to access a reputable internet news source on a daily basis. Exam: All students are required to take the exam at the scheduled time unless I receive appropriate notice from the Health Center or the Dean of Students Office. Papers: All students are required to submit two short (3-4 page) reaction papers. Each paper should use course readings and/ or lectures to make an argument about one of the films shown in class. The papers are due in class no later than three class meetings after the film viewing. If you are submitting a paper on the final film, it is due in my office by noon on July 2. General grading policies: 1. All late assignments will be penalized one third of a letter grade (i.e., from an A- to a B+) for each day or fraction of a day late. 2. No student can pass this course without completing all requirements. 3. All students must submit assignments in hard copy and are responsible for retaining a hard copy of their papers until they have received a returned and graded copy from the instructor.

2 Other Policies Absence: Students are required to attend class. To reschedule a test or receive a paper extension because of an absence requires notice from the Health Center or the Dean of Students. Late paper assignments will be penalized as stated above, unless an excuse is provided from the Health Center or the Dean s office. Disability Services: Persons with documented disabilities requiring accommodations to meet the expectations of this course should contact the Dean of Students Office. If you feel it is important for me to know that you have a diagnosed disability that will require accommodation, the Dean of Students Office must notify me in the first week of classes. Blackboard: All assignments, reserve readings, and course documents are available on the Blackboard site ( Required Text Robert C. Art and Robert Jervis, International Politics: Enduring Concepts and Contemporary Issues, 6th edition (New York: Longman, 2003). *All other readings those marked with an asterisk are available through BlackBoard and for copying purposes only ($.05 a page) in Morton 19. COURSE OUTLINE I. The Study of International Politics II. The International System A. Anarchy and the Security Dilemma B. The Balance of Power C. Deterrence and the Use of Force D. Interdependence and Globalization E. International Institutions III. Domestic Sources of International Politics A. Economic Systems B. Political Culture C. Domestic Institutions D. Decision Making and Rationality IV. Ethics and International Politics 2

3 3 CLASS SCHEDULE: ALL DATES ARE TENTATIVE I. Introduction: The Study of International Politics (June 1) What is international politics and how do we study it? Is there a science of international politics? II. The International System A. Anarchy and the Security Dilemma (June 2) How does international politics differ from domestic politics? Why is international cooperation difficult to achieve? Does technology make states more or less secure? Kenneth N. Waltz, The Anarchic Structure of World Politics, Joseph M. Grieco, Anarchy and the Limits of Cooperation, Robert Jervis, Offense, Defense, and the Security Dilemma, *John J. Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (New York: W.W. Norton, 2001), ch.2 (pp ). B. The Balance of Power (June 3) Why don t states go to war more often than they do? How do states restrain each other? Stephen M. Walt, Alliances and Bandwagoning, William C. Wohlforth, The Stability of a Unipolar World, Kenneth N. Waltz, Balancing Power: Not Today but Tomorrow, *Paul M. Kennedy, The First World War and the International Power System, International Security 9:1 (summer 1984): C. Deterrence and the Use of Force (June 7) How is force used in international politics? Did the advent of nuclear weapons change the nature of force? Are nuclear weapons politically useful today? Art & Jervis, The Uses of Force, Robert J. Art, The Four Functions of Force, Thomas C. Schelling, The Diplomacy of Violence,

4 4 John Mueller, The Irrelevance of Nuclear Weapons, Robert Jervis, The Utility of Nuclear Deterrence, Film and Discussion: Dr. Strangelove (June 8 ) D. Interdependence and Globalization (June 9) How economically and militarily interdependent are the nations of the world today? What is globalization? How do interdependence and globalization influence the behavior and interests of states? A. T. Kearney, Measuring Globalization, Peter F. Drucker, The Changed World Economy, Richard Rosecrance, The Trading State Then and Now, Kenneth N. Waltz, Globalization and Governance, Jessica T. Mathews, Power Shift, Stephen D. Krasner, The State is Alive and Well, Margaret E. Keck and Kathryn Sikkink, Transnational Activists Networks, E. International Institutions (June 10, 14) Why and when is international cooperation possible? What types of international institutions exist? How do they influence domestic and international politics? Kenneth A. Oye, The Conditions for Cooperation in World Politics, Stanley Hoffman, The Uses and Limits of International Law, Robert O. Keohane, A Functional Theory of Regimes, Adam Roberts, The United Nations and International Security, Alexander Wendt, Anarchy is What States Make of It, *Robert Jervis, From balance to concert: a study of international security cooperation, in Kenneth A. Oye, ed., Cooperation Under Anarchy (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986),

5 5 III. Domestic Sources A. Economic Systems (June 15) How does the nature of national economic systems influence foreign policy and the interaction among states? Is capitalism inherently imperialist? *J. A. Hobson, The Economic Taproot of Imperialism. (14 pp.) *V. I. Lenin, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism. (11 pp.) B. Political Culture (June 16) What role fo national attributes like culture and religion play in international politics? *Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations, Foreign Affairs 72:3(17 pp). *Fareed Zakaria, The Politics of Port, Slate, March 17, 1999 (2 pp.). Film and Discussion: Before the Rain (June 17 ) C. Domestic Institutions (June 21) What are institutions? How do they affect states ability and desire to cooperate? Are democracies more peaceful than nondemocratic states? Michael W. Doyle, Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs, *Christopher Layne, Kant or Cant: The Myth of the Democratic Peace, International Security 19:2 (Fall 1994): D. Decision Making and Rationality (June 22) What is rationality? Why does decision making deviate from rationality? How do beliefs, perceptions, and emotions influence foreign policy decisions? *Graham Allison, Conceptual Models and the Cuban Missile Crisis. (17 pp.) *Stephen Van Evera, The Cult of the Offensive and the Origins of the First World War. (50 pp) *Robert Jervis, Misperception and War. (26 pp.) *Richard Ned Lebow, Miscalculation in the South Atlantic: The Origins of the Falklands War. (36 pp.) Film and Discussion: Frontline: The Long Road to War (June 23, 24)

6 IV. Ethics and International Politics (June 28, 29) Does morality play any role in international politics? Should it? If so, what type of ethical system should inform the conduct of international politics? Hans J. Morgenthau, The Moral Blindness of Scientific Man, J. Ann Tickner, A Critique of Morgenthau s Principles of Political Realism, Rhoda E. Howard and Jack Donnelly, Human Rights in World Politics, Film and Discussion: Breaker Morant (June 30) EXAM July 1 SCHEDULE AND TOPICS ARE TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE INSTRUCTOR S DISCRETION.