Instructor: Richard S. Conley, PhD Office hours: TBA Email: rconley@ufl.edu Teaching Assistant: Li Shao Course Description PSC12 Introduction to World Politics The study of world politics consists of two broad fields of inquiry: international security and international political economy. This course surveys both these fields. Topics in international security include state and nonstate actors in world politics, the nature and limits of national power, war and peace, weapons proliferation, and international law and ethics. Topics in international political economy include international trade and finance, regional integration, globalization, and the North- South development gap. We also take up issues that do not fit neatly in either of these categories, like global environmental threats and international human rights. The course is neither a review of contemporary international history nor a discussion of current events. Rather, we survey a variety of theories, worldviews, propositions, and debates that help to make sense of both history and contemporary developments in world politics. Learning Objectives: The general objective of this course is to develop the student's capacity to critically examine problems in world politics, consider the range of possible solutions to those problems, and communicate this analysis to others. This is to be accomplished by exposing students to a body of literature and debate drawn from the subfields of international security and international political economy. By the end of the term, students should be able to: show a familiarity with a wide range of substantive issues in international politics and foreign policy; demonstrate mastery of the main theoretical and analytical approaches to the study of world politics; interpret specific historical and contemporary problems using appropriate theoretical arguments and methods of analysis; and develop and articulate a normative position on some key ethical dilemmas in international relations. Required Text Bruce Russett, Harvey Starr, and David Kinsella, World Politics: The Menu for Choice (9th Edition, Available as an Electronic Book) Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World (Release 2.0, 2011, Available as an Electronic Book) Paul Collier, The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It (Oxford University Press, 2007, Available as an Electronic Book) Course Hours The course has 26 class sessions in total. Each class session is 90 minutes in length. The course meets from Monday to Thursday, and two additional class sessions on the third Friday (July 20) and the sixth Friday (August 10).
Grading Policy Course grades are based on a midterm (40%) and a final examination (60%). These exams consist of questions requiring both short answers and longer essays. Attendance is required; participation in class discussion is expected, including leading class discussions on one or more journal articles during the semester. Course Schedules Lectures and assigned readings are both complementary and supplementary; neither is a complete substitute for the other. Pages from the text should be read prior to the lecture for which they are assigned. We move through a lot of material quickly, so keep up. Analyzing World Politics July 2 July 3 Introduction and overview Analyzing international relations Russet et al., (3-26) Stephen Walt, International Relations: One World, Many Theories. Foreign Policy 110 (1998): 29-46. July 4 International relations theory Russet et al., (27-48) Bernstein et al. God Gave Physics the Easy Problems: Adapting Social Science to an Unpredictable World." European Journal of International Relations 6 (2000): 43-76. David A. Baldwin, Power Analysis and World Politics. World Politics 31 (1979): 161-175; 186-187. July 5 Evolution of the state system Russet et al., (49-72) Naazneen Barma, Ely Ratner, and Steven Weber, A World Without the West. The National Interest 90 (2007): 23-30. July 5 Balance of power Russet et al., (73-101) Ernst Haas, The Balance of Power: Prescription, Concept, or Propaganda? World Politics 5 (1953): 442-77.
July 9 National power and influence Russet et al., (102-132) Jeffrey Hart, Three Approaches to the Measurement of Power in International Relations. International Organization 30 (1976): 289-305. July 10 Domestic and international politics Russet et al., (133-162) Peter Gourevitch, The Second Image Reversed: The International Sources of Domestic Politics. International Organization 32 (1978): 881-912. James Fearon, Domestic Politics, Foreign Policy, and Theories of International Relations. Annual Review of Political Science 1 (1998): 289-313. July 11 Foreign policymaking Russet et al., (160-192) Len Scott and Steve Smith, Lessons of October: Historians, Political Scientists, Policy-Makers and the Cuban Missile Crisis. International Affairs 70 (1994): 659-684. Jack Snyder, Imperial Temptations. National Interest 71 (2003): 29 40. Robert Jervis, Why the Bush Doctrine Cannot Be Sustained. Political Science Quarterly 120 (2005): 351-377. July 12 July 16 Film: Thirteen Days Thirteen Days, cont. International Conflict and Cooperation July 17 Interstate war Russet et al., (195-212) Scott D. Sagan, The Origins of the Pacific War. Journal of Interdisciplinary History 18 (1988): 893 922. Jeffrey Hughes, The Origins of World War II in Europe: British Deterrence Failure and German Expansionism. Journal of Interdisciplinary History 18 (1988): 851 891. July 18 Internal and unconventional conflict
Russet et al., (212-229) Tarak Barkawi, On the Pedagogy of Small Wars. International Affairs 80 (2004): 19 38. Richard K. Betts, The Delusion of Impartial Intervention. Foreign Affairs 73 (1994): 20 33. Samantha Power, Bystanders to Genocide: Why the United States Let the Rwandan Tragedy Happen. Atlantic Monthly 288 (2001): 84 108. Scott Straus, Darfur and the Genocide Debate. Foreign Affairs 84 (2005): 123-133. July 19 Arms and arms races Russet et al., (232-267) Eric Gartzke and Matthew Kroenig, A Strategic Approach to Nuclear Proliferation. Journal of Conflict Resolution 53 (2009): 151-160. Aaron L. Friedberg, A History of the U.S. Strategic Doctrine 1945 to 1980. Journal of Strategic Studies 3 (1980): 37 71. July 20 July 23 Midterm exam Laws of war Russet et al., (268-278) July 24 International law Russet et al., (278-294) July 25 United Nations Russet et al., (294-307) Inis L. Claude, Jr., Collective Legitimization as a Political Function of the United Nations. International Organization 20 (1966): 367-79. July 26 Stable peace and security Russet et al., (308-340)
Zakaria book review due International Political Economy July 30 Political economy of national security Russet et al., (343-376) Collier, Part I (What s the Issue?) July 31 Collective goods Russet et al., (377-392) Collier, Part II (The Traps) August 1 Trade and monetary regimes Russet et al., (393-409) August 2 Regional integration Russet et al., (410-432) August 6 Globalization Russet et al., (432-443) Collier, Part III (Globalization to the Rescue?) Documentary: Commanding Heights August 7 August 8 Commanding Heights, cont. North-south gap Russet et al., (444-450) Collier, Part IV (The Instruments) August 9 Dependency and underdevelopment Russet et al., (450-476) Collier, Part V (The Struggle for the Bottom Billion) Global Challenges August 10 Review
Academic Honesty Academic integrity is an essential value of any intellectual community, and the University regards academic dishonesty in any form as a serious offense against the academic community in general and against this University in particular. I expect students to be fully aware of the University s policies regarding academic integrity. Ignorance of academic policies is not considered a defense against substantiated charges of plagiarism or other academic dishonesty, including cheating and falsification of data.