1 DIPL 6000: Section AA International Relations Theory Professor Martin S. Edwards E-Mail: edwardmb@shu.edu Office: 106 McQuaid Office Phone: (973) 275-2507 Office Hours: By Appointment This is a graduate level survey course focusing on International Relations theory. The title is important, as it is not a survey of current events or "hot topics." Rather, our focus is on the intellectual history of international relations scholarship. We will repeatedly address six questions. What questions have scholars posed about international politics? What answers did they unearth? Are these answers logically sound? Are these answers empirically supported? Are these questions the right ones? Of what relevance are these answers to policymakers? This class is intended to prepare students for advanced course work in the field. As such, there will be a lot of reading, writing, and thinking required. Expectations: Our goal is to ensure that everyone begins to understand and integrate the scholarship. In order to do this, we will rely on a great deal of discussion. As a result, classes like this will succeed or fail based on your efforts much more than mine. I expect every student to come to class having completed the reading and being prepared to discuss it. I reserve the right to call on anyone at any time for any reason. Some of the readings may cause confusion. Feel free to come by my office and we ll try to iron out any concerns. I assume that all of you are professionals. As a result, I do not expect any problems either with late assignments, attendance, or plagiarism. Late assignments will not be accepted. Cases of cheating or plagiarism will be handled according to procedures outlined in the Whitehead School Academic Integrity Policy. Students found guilty of cheating or plagiarism will receive a failing grade for the course and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent permissible. As a rule, I do not restrict your discussions with me to office hours. You may feel free to drop by at your convenience to discuss anything. Email is also a very workable mode of communication. Students with disabilities should contact Disabilities Support Services for special accommodations.
DIPL 6000:AA Fall 2008 2 Books: These are available for purchase at the bookstore. Feel free to use alternative vendors if you wish. Kenneth N. Waltz Man, the State, and War Revised Edition (Columbia University Press, 2001) ISBN: 0231125372 Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis Second Edition (Longman, 1999) ISBN: 0321013492 John J. Mearsheimer The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (WW Norton, 2003) ISBN: 9780393323962 Karen A. Mingst Essentials of International Relations 4th Edition (WW Norton, 2007) ISBN: 0393928977 Note that this last book is only recommended for those without a strong political science background. In other words, if you have not had an undergraduate class in International Relations Theory, you will find this a very helpful reference. We will not have any assigned readings from the Mingst text. The remainder of the reading assignments will be available on the Blackboard page for the course. Evaluation: Your grade for the class will be comprised of the following: Take Home Midterm: 40% Take Home Final: 50% Participation 10% More detailed information on each of these can be found on the last page of the syllabus. Assessment: By the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. Describe the evolution of Liberal and Realist thought in International Relations theory. 2. Describe the evolution of theoretical debates in various IR subfields. 3. Describe the emerging debate between Rationalist and Constructivist International Relations theory. 4. Describe the social science research process. 5. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative, quantitative, and formal research designs. Schedule of Classes: September 8 Week One Introduction September 15 Week Two Approaches to Inquiry Hedley Bull. 1966. International Theory: The Case for a Classical Approach. World Politics 18:361-377.
3 J. David Singer. 1969. The Incomplete Theorist: Insights without Evidence. In Klaus Knorr and James Rosenau, eds. Contending Approaches to International Politics (Princeton University Press, 1969), pp. 62-86. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita. 1985. Toward a Scientific Understanding of International Conflict. International Studies Quarterly 29:121-136. Stephen D. Krasner. 1985. Toward Understanding in International Relations. International Studies Quarterly 29:137-144. September 22 Week Three Classical Realism Morgenthau, Politics Among Nations, Part I. Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Selections. Waltz, Man, the State, and War September 29 Week Four Modern Refinements of Realism Mearsheimer, Tragedy of Great Power Politics Stephen G. Brooks. 1997. Dueling Realisms. International Organization 51:445-477. October 6 Week Five Classical Liberalism Kant, Perpetual Peace. Bull, Anarchical Society, Chapters 2 & 3. October 13 Week Six Modern Refinements of Liberalism Andrew Moravcsik. 1997. Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics. International Organization 51(4):513-553 Bruce Russett and John Oneal. 1999. The Kantian Peace: The Pacific Benefits of Democracy, Interdependence, and International Organizations, 1885-1992. World Politics 52:1-37. Helen Milner. 1991. The Assumption of Anarchy in International Politics: A Critique. Review of International Studies 17:65-81. Kenneth Oye. 1985. Explaining Cooperation Under Anarchy. World Politics 38:1-24. October 20 Week Seven Constructivism Alexander Wendt. 1992. Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics. International Organization 46:77-94. Martha Finnemore. 1993. International Organizations as Teachers of Norms. International Organization 47: 565-97. Ted Hopf. 1998. The Promise of Constructivism in IR Theory. International Security 23:171-200. Martha Finnemore and Kathryn Sikkink. 1998. International Norm Dynamics and Political Change. International Organization 52(4):887-917. October 27 Week Eight Hegemony Stephen D. Krasner 1976. State Power and the Structure of International Trade. World Politics 28(3):317-347.
DIPL 6000:AA Fall 2008 4 Jacek Kugler and A.F.K Organski. 1989. The Power Transition: A Retrospective and Prospective Evaluation. In Midlarsky, ed., Handbook of War Studies (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1989), pp. 171-194. David A. Lake. 1993. Leadership, Hegemony, and the International Economy: Naked Emperor or Tattered Monarch with Potential? International Studies Quarterly 37:459-489. Joseph Nye. 2004. The Decline of America s Soft Power. Foreign Affairs. 83(3):16-20. November 3 Week Nine Theory and Practice Joseph Lepgold. 1998. Is Anyone Listening? International Relations Theory and the Problem of Policy Relevance. Political Science Quarterly 113:43-62. Condoleezza Rice. 2000. Promoting the National Interest. Foreign Affairs 79(1):45-62. Barack Obama. 2007. Renewing American Leadership. Foreign Affairs 86(4):2-16. John McCain. 2007. An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom. Foreign Affairs 86(6):19-34. November 10 Week Ten War and Peace James D. Fearon. 1995. Rationalist Explanations For War. International Organization 49:379-414. James Fearon and David Laitin. 2003. Ethnicity, Insurgency and Civil War. American Political Science Review 97:75-90 Robert Pape. 2003. The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism. American Political Science Review 97(3):343-361. Paul Collier. 2003. The Market for Civil War. Foreign Policy. 136:38-45. November 17 Week Eleven International Political Economy Quan Li and Adam Resnick. 2004. Reversal of Fortunes: Democracy, Property Rights, and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows in Developing Countries. International Organization 57: 1-37. Helen Milner. 1987. Resisting the Protectionist Temptation. International Organization 41(4): 639-65. Layna Mosley. 2000. Room to Move: International Financial Markets and National Welfare States. International Organization. 54(4):737-773. Ethan B. Kapstein. 1996. Workers and the World Economy. Foreign Affairs 75(3):16-37. November 24 Week Twelve International Organization Barbara Koremenos, Charles Lipson and Duncan Snidal. 2001. The Rational Design of International Institutions. International Organization 55(4): 761-800. Kenneth Abbott and Duncan Snidal. 1998. Why States Act Through Formal International Organizations. Journal of Conflict Resolution 42(1):3-32. Michael Barnett and Martha Finnemore. 1999. The Power, Politics, and Pathologies of International Organizations. International Organization 53(4):699-732. James Traub. 2007. Running the UN. Foreign Policy. 158:74-78. December 1 Week Thirteen Foreign Policy Graham Allison, Essence of Decision
5 December 8 Week Fourteen Enduring Debates Jeffrey Legro and Andrew Moravcsik. 1999. Is Anybody Still a Realist? International Security 24:2 (Fall 1999) 5-55 and correspondence.
DIPL 6000:AA Fall 2008 6 Particulars on Assignments: 1. Participation I will employ the following rubric to determine your participation grade: An A grade will be given to students who exhibit frequent, high quality participation. An A- grade will be given to students who exhibit frequent participation, though their contributions are of lesser quality. A B+ grade will be given to students who participate infrequently. A B grade will be given to those students who merely respond when called upon. 2. Take Home Exams Each student will prepare (on his or her own) a 10 page take home midterm and final. These exams will consist of essay type questions. Questions will be handed out on October 13 and December 8, and are due to me (both electronic and hard copy, or merely electronic) by the following Wednesday by 4pm EST.