Department of Politics University of Winnipeg / 6 Global Politics ( ) Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays 8:30-9:20am Room 2M77

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1 1 Department of Politics University of Winnipeg / 6 Global Politics ( ) Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays 8:30-9:20am Room 2M77 Instructor: Brent Sasley Office: 6L18 Office Phone: Office Hours: Mondays, 2:30-3:30pm; Wednesdays, 9:30-10:30am; or by appointment brent.sasley@shaw.ca COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES: Every day, we are influenced by the global politics that take place all around us. The way we live our life in our society, economy, and polity is heavily influenced by events that take place in our own country, in those of other countries, and by the interactions of actors in international relations. Global politics (or international relations) is about the interplay between various actors (states, international organizations, multinational corporations, communal groups, militant movements, etc) in the international system and their continual search for wealth, power, influence, security, and authority. This course aims to provide students with the theoretical and conceptual tools necessary for a comprehensive understanding of past, current, and future global political interactions; as such, it is not a course on current events, though these will of necessity be mentioned and at times discussed as part of the overall course themes. A secondary, though no less important, objective is to train students to conduct scholarly research and writing, and to think critically about issues and concepts discussed throughout the course. REQUIRED TEXT: Readings will be on reserve at the library. Students should keep up with the readings, as this will provide more understanding of the material covered in the lectures. Note that the midterm and final exam will be based on both the lectures and the readings. COURSE FORMAT: The course is composed primarily of lectures; beginning in November there will be one session each week devoted to a seminar. Seminars are mandatory; students are required to participate in the discussions, as the material from them is relevant to both the course material and to the course assignments and exams. The course is divided into 6 broad sections: (1) Introduction and creation of the contemporary international system; (2) Theories and approaches; (3) Foreign policy; (4) International politics; (5) International political economy; and (6) Issues in global politics. Note that, depending on time constraints, some topics listed here might not be covered.

2 2 ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADE DISTRIBUTION: Beginning in November 2004 there will be one seminar per week. Attendance and participation during the discussions are mandatory. Students will be graded on both the quantity and the quality of their contributions, in terms of answering questions, debating with the instructor and other students, and so on. Seminars are worth 10% of the final grade. The syllabus lists the topics for discussion, related to the material of that week. No specific readings will be assigned for seminar classes. There will be an in-class midterm test (15% of the final grade) on Friday, November 19, 2004 at 8:30am. This will cover the material up to and including the review on Wednesday, November 17. A final three-hour exam (30% of the final grade) will be written at the end of class, during the university s exam period, on Friday, April 11, 2005 from 1:30-4:30pm. This will be cumulative, taking into account everything studied from the beginning of the course. The format for the midterm exam is: one short-answer ID section, and one long-answer essay section. The format for the final exam has an added section: one short-answer ID section, and two long-answer essay sections. Students may not use books, notes, or anything else to help write their exams. The first term paper (20% of the final grade) is due on Monday, November 29, Students will utilize the theoretical and conceptual tools studied in class to analyze a current interstate conflict. It should be pages in length. The second paper (25% of the final grade) is due on Monday, March 28, Students will examine a specific research question and provide an analytical, not descriptive, answer. It should be pages in length. Late papers will not be accepted, without a valid medical excuse and doctor s note. Computer, printer, and car troubles are not valid excuses. Both papers are research assignments; therefore students are expected to consult a minimum of five scholarly sources per paper. Both the first and second papers must be typed or word-processed. Papers cannot be ed in a hard copy must be provided; students should also be sure to keep a copy of their assignments for themselves. Papers handed in late will be penalized one percentage point per day off the mark received out of the total worth of the assignment (e.g., for the first term paper, 1% per day off whatever grade is given out of 20%). Finally, topics for both papers will be provided; if students wish to choose an alternate topic they must first consult with the instructor, and receive explicit agreement on their chosen subject. Papers dealing with topics not on the approved list or without the instructor s agreement will be returned unmarked and graded as a zero. Once a student chooses his/her own topic, it cannot be changed without consulting the instructor again. At some point, one class will be given over to a discussion of what is expected in a paper for this class. As well, the specific nature and topics of each assignment will be discussed. Students are expected to use proper structure, grammar, and citations in their assignments; how students make their arguments is as important as what they

3 3 argue. For technical material, see Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertation (Chicago: University of Chicago Press), sixth edition or later. For help on how to write a paper, see: Participation: Midterm exam: 10% (Throughout the course) 15% (Friday, November 19, 2004, 8:30am) First paper: 20% (Due Monday, November 29, 2004) Second paper: 25% (Due Monday, March 28, 2005) Final exam: 30% (Friday, April 11, 2005, 1:30pm) GRADING SCALE: A+: % C+: 63-69% A: 85-89% C: 56-62% A-: 80-84% D: 50-55% B+: 76-79% F: 0-49% B: 70-75% ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND OFFENCES: Academic misconduct and plagiarism are serious offences and will not be tolerated. Penalties will range from failure on an assignment or failure in the course, to suspension or expulsion from the university. Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty in which a student submits another person's published or unpublished work as their own, either in its entirety or in part. Published work includes written, electronic, or other forms. Other acts of plagiarism include: not giving recognition to the author for phrases, sentences, or thoughts, and submitting the same work for evaluation in more than one course. All suspected cases of plagiarism are forwarded to the Senate Academic Misconduct Committee for determination. For further elaboration on forms of academic misconduct and plagiarism, as well as the appeals process, students should review the University of Winnipeg's Academic Regulations and Policies, which are in part outlined in Section VII of the University of Winnipeg General Calendar, p Note that the final date to withdraw without academic penalty from this course is January 21, If you are considering withdrawing because of trouble with the material or assignments, I encourage you to come see me and perhaps we can resolve the problem.

4 4 COURSE SCHEDULE: Monday, Sept. 13: Introduction to course Wednesday, Sept. 15: Why study IR; Short history of the international system Allen Sens and Peter Stoett, Global Politics: Origins, Currents, Directions, 2 nd ed. (Nelson Thomson Learning, 2002): Friday, Sept. 17: Monday, Sept. 20: Rosh Hashanah No class What is expected in a paper for this course; Topics for first paper handed out Wednesday, Sept. 22: The Cold War Friday, Sept. 24: The post-cold War world Michael Cox, International History Since 1989, in The Globalization of World Politics, 2 nd ed., eds. John Baylis and Steve Smith, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001). Monday, Sept. 27: Main actors in global politics Wednesday, Sept. 29: Main actors in global politics continued Daniel S. Papp, Contemporary International Relations: Frameworks for Understanding, 4 th ed. (New York: Macmillan College Publishing Company, 1994): Friday, October 1: Power in international relations Monday, October 4: What is theory; Idealism

5 5 Wednesday, October 6: Realism Barry Buzan, The Timeless Wisdom of Realism? in International Theory: Positivism and Beyond, eds. Steve Smith, Ken Booth, and Marysia Zalewski, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996). Friday, October 8: Liberalism Monday, October 11: Thanksgiving Day University closed Wednesday, October 13: Institutionalism; Marxism; Post-positivism Friday, October 15: Postmodernism; Critical Theory; Gender; Constructivism Robert Jackson and Georg Sørensen, Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Approaches, 2 nd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003): , Monday, October 18: Levels of analysis: System J. David Singer, The Level of Analysis Problem in International Relations, World Politics 14, no.1 (October 1961): Wednesday, October 20: Levels of analysis: State and individual Mark Brawley, Turning Points: Decisions Shaping the Evolution of the International Political Economy (Ontario: Broadview Press, 1998): 81-95; Friday, October 22: Levels of analysis and the Cold War Monday, October 25: The role of ideas; Models of decision making Glenn P. Hastedt, American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, Future, 5 th ed. (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2003): Wednesday, October 27: Objectives of foreign policy Kalevi J. Holsti, International Politics: A Framework for Analysis, 4 th ed. (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1983):

6 6 Friday, October 29: Sources of foreign policy Monday, Nov. 1: Guest speaker: Lloyd Axworthy On foreign policy making in practice Kalevi J. Holsti, International Politics: A Framework for Analysis, 4 th ed. (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1983): Wednesday, Nov. 3: Instruments of foreign policy Friday, Nov. 5: Monday, Nov. 8: Seminar: What instruments of foreign policy seem most appropriate in the context of contemporary global politics? Conflict in the international system James E. Dougherty and Robert L. Pfaltzgraff, Jr., Contending Theories of International Relations: A Comprehensive Survey, 5 th ed. (New York: Addison Wesley Longman, 2001): Wednesday, Nov. 10: Conflict in the international system continued Friday, Nov. 12: Monday, Nov. 15: Seminar: Is conflict between states inevitable? Why or why not? Which types of conflict are most dangerous and relevant for contemporary global politics? Cooperation in the international system Wednesday, Nov. 17: Friday, Nov. 19: Monday, Nov. 22: Review for midterm test Midterm test War Kalevi J. Holsti, The State, War, and the State of War (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996): 1-18.

7 7 Wednesday, Nov. 24: War continued Friday, Nov. 26: Seminar: Is war a legitimate institution in international relations? Should it remain a viable policy option for states? Monday, Nov. 29: First paper due The laws of war Wednesday, Dec. 1: The causes of war Jack S. Levy, Domestic Politics and War, in The Origin and Prevention of Major Wars, eds. Robert Rotberg and Theodore Rabb (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989). Friday, Dec. 3: The causes of war continued Monday, Dec. 6: Seminar: What makes war so prevalent in the international system? Can we ever excise war from the global community, or is the creation of laws of war the best we can hope for? Wednesday, January 5: Arms races and alliances Friday, January 7: International regimes and organizations Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History, 5 th ed. (New York: Pearson, 2005): Monday, January 10: International law Wednesday, January 12: International political economy (IPE): Context & approaches Robert Gilpin, The Political Economy of International Relations (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987):

8 8 Friday, January 14: IPE: Trade and US leadership Joshua S. Goldstein, International Relations: Brief Second Edition (New York: Pearson Longman, 2004): Monday, January 17: IPE: Monetary relations David N. Balaam and Michael Veseth, Introduction to International Political Economy, 3 rd ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005): Wednesday, January 19: IPE: North-South relations Sunil Kukreja, in David N. Balaam and Michael Veseth, Introduction to International Political Economy, 3 rd ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005): Friday, January 21: Monday, January 24: Seminar: Does the North have a responsibility to the South to aim for a greater redistribution of global wealth? Why or why not? IPE: Debt Mark Charlton, ed., International Relations in the Post-Cold War Era, 3 rd (Scarborough, Ontario: Thomson Nelson, 2002): ed. Wednesday, January 26: IPE: Globalization and regionalization Friday, January 28: Monday, January 31: Seminar: Is the international political economy coming closer together or cracking more apart? Is globalization good or bad for the world? Movie: The Long Road to War Wednesday, February 2: Movie continued Friday, February 4: Monday, February 7: Seminar: The American invasion of Iraq and its aftermath Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction Darryl Howlett, Nuclear Proliferation, in The Globalization of World Politics, 2 nd ed., eds. John Baylis and Steve Smith, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001).

9 9 Wednesday, February 9: American hegemony G. John Ikenberry, Liberal Hegemony and the Future of American Postwar Order, in International Order and the Future of World Politics, T.V. Paul and John A. Hall, eds., (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999). Friday, February 11: February 14-18: Monday, February 21: Seminar: Should the US take the lead role in meeting global security or non-security challenges to the international community? Is this desirable? Why or why not? Reading week No classes Information & communications technology and global politics Wednesday, Feb. 23: Film on the technological transformation of war Friday, February 25: Humanitarian interventionism Michael Walzer, The Argument about Humanitarian Intervention, Dissent 49, no.1 (Winter 2002): Monday, February 28: Wednesday, March 2: Friday, March 4: Monday, March 7: Guest speaker: Lloyd Axworthy On the practice of humanitarian interventionism TBA TBA Ecopolitics Kendall W. Stiles, Case Histories in International Politics, 3 rd ed. (New York: Pearson, 2004): Wednesday, March 9: Population growth Friday, March 11: Seminar: Do global environmental and population issues warrant serious attention? Where should they rank in comparison to military and security-based global issues?

10 10 Monday, March 14: International terrorism Wednesday, March 16: International terrorism and al-qaeda Audrey Kurth Cronin, Behind the Curve: Globalization and International Terrorism, International Security 27, no.3 (Winter 2002/03): Friday, March 18: Monday, March 21: Seminar: How much of a threat is international terrorism, as represented by al-qaeda? What can be done to prevent or avoid such attacks in the future? Conflicts of the future K.J. Holsti, The Coming Chaos? Armed Conflicts in the World s Periphery, in International Order and the Future of World Politics, eds. T.V. Paul and John A. Hall, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999). Wednesday, March 23: Culture in global politics Samuel Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations? Foreign Affairs 72 (Summer 1993): Friday, March 25: Good Friday University closed Monday, March 28: Second paper due Canada in the international system Wednesday, March 30: Friday, April 1: Guest speaker: Lloyd Axworthy On Canada in the international system The future of global politics Ian Clark, Globalization and the Post-Cold War Order, in The Globalization of World Politics, 2 nd ed., eds. John Baylis and Steve Smith, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001). Monday, April 4: Tuesday, April 5: Seminar: The future of global politics Review for final exam