Political Science 120
Fall Semester 2008
Dr. Jeffrey Lantis Office Hours:
Kauke 107, #2408 MW 3:30-5:00 pm,
jlantis@wooster.edu or by appointment
Course Description
We have witnessed extraordinary developments in world politics in the past few decades—the end of the Cold War, transitions to democracy, civil wars and genocide, globalization, and the war on terror. The global community is rapidly moving toward a new world order in the 21st century. But what will the world look like as the century unfolds? What factors or events will shape it? And will these changes lead to a more peaceful order, or to more conflict? This course will address such questions by examining key actors, issues, theories, and political dynamics that are shaping our global transformation. Two major sections of the course explore opposing trends toward integration and disintegration in international politics. In the first section of the course, students will become acquainted with the history of global politics and major theories of the causes and consequences of international conflict. The second part of the course will examine the origins of cooperation through international organizations, trade, human rights, and economic development. The goal of this course is to provide students with intellectual tools to analyze developments in international relations critically and creatively.
Course Requirements
Students will complete an issue paper, two examinations, a working paper, and a book review for this course. Assignments will be weighted in the following manner:
Course Participation 10%
Issue Paper 10%
Midterm Exam 20%
Working Paper 10%
Summit Participation 10%
Book Review 20%
Final Exam 20%
Required Texts
1. Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations, Brief Fourth
Updated Edition, 2008
2. Richard K. Betts, ed., Conflict After the Cold War, Third Edition, 2008
3. Required articles available on the Internet and our class webpage at:
www.wooster.edu/polisci/jlantis/intelsyllabus.html
Participation
Learning is not a spectator sport. It is essential that students attend class, prepare assignments in advance, and participate regularly in course discussions and debates. Students who are actively engaged in the course will receive high marks for this portion (10%) of the total grade. In evaluating participation, I look especially for evidence that students have completed the readings and are prepared to summarize what they have learned in class discussions. Simply attending the course without active participation, or missing classes, will result in a loss of participation points.
Issue Paper
The issue paper assignment allows students to formulate their own positions and arguments on key issues raised by our studies. Specific topics for the paper will be handed out in advance, but might include: Is the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction really a threat? Have we seen the end of major wars? Can international organizations develop effective solutions to problems like terrorism or global warming? To answer these questions, students should build on (and integrate) information presented in readings, lectures, and discussions. Papers should be 3-5 double-spaced, typed pages and use the Chicago Style for source references (endnotes and a bibliography). More information on this assignment will be discussed in class.
Political Geography
This course serves as an introduction to methods of analyzing world politics. Knowledge of global geography helps to set current political events in a broader context. Students will receive geography study guides for tests on important regions and continents. Political geography tests will be a component of participation, the midterm, and the final examination for the class.
Working Paper
Students will participate in a simulation of international diplomacy during the week of November 17. This mini-conference is a unique opportunity for students to put theory into practice through debates about potential solutions to global problems. Students will choose a country to represent and will take on that perspective while engaged in international negotiations on the issue of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Student attendance at the conference meetings is mandatory. Conference participation, which includes overall professionalism (factors such as attendance, promptness, courtesy, overall improvement, and other intangibles) is worth 10% of the class grade.
Students should prepare for the conference by reading the rules packet and conducting in-depth research on their country and the issues under debate. Working papers are due in advance of the session, worth 10% of the course grade. Working papers are short (2-3 page) documents that outline a countryÕs position on a given problem, and suggest appropriate policy proposals. Copies of student papers will be distributed to the entire class, and they will serve as useful jumping-off points for participation in negotiations. Papers should follow the Chicago Style and include careful source citations (endnotes and bibliography). More information on this assignment will be provided in class.
Book Review Assignment
The first step of this assignment is to pick a topic in contemporary global politics that interests you, either specific or general, and select a book in that topic area. Students may want to check out a few books on a topic and compare them before making a final selection. After reading the book, they should start the review by discussing the authorÕs thesis or main argument and describing interesting cases that support their thesis. The second half of the review should critically analyze the book by describing the relationship between its findings and concepts and issues examined in this course. Finally, you should include a section discussing whether the author convinces you of their argument; why or why not? what are the bookÕs shortcomings?
A brief, typed statement on the book selected is due in advance in class on Monday, October 27. This task is worth 5% of the assignment grade and should include the following information: the title of the book, author, publisher, year of publication, number of pages, and a one-paragraph description of the book. The final paper is due on Friday, December 5. It should be 6-8 double-spaced, typed pages of text and should include a title page and source citations (Chicago Style—endnotes and bibliography). Students are encouraged to discuss ideas for the book review assignment with the instructor.
The following is a sample list of the types of books that would be acceptable for this assignment:
Graham Allison, Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe, 2004
Andrew Bacevich, The New American Militarism: How Americans are Seduced by War, 2005
William J. Bernstein, A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World, 2008
Jagdish Bhagwati, In Defense of Globalization, 2004
Halim Barakat, The Arab World: Society, Culture, and State, 1993
Michael Burleigh, Sacred Causes: Clash of Religion and World Politics, 2007
Nathan E. Busch, No End in Sight: The Continuing Menace of Nuclear Proliferation, 2004
Gregory Clark, A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World, 2007
Richard A. Clarke, Against All Enemies: Inside AmericaÕs War on Terror, 2004
Russell Crandall, Driven by Drugs: U.S. Policy Toward Colombia, 2002
Mark Danner, Torture and Truth: America, Abu Ghraib, and the War on Terror, 2004
Jared Diamond, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, 2005
J.N. Dixit, India-Pakistan in War and Peace, 2002
James Dobbins, et al, The UNÕs Role in Nation-Building: From the Congo to Iraq, 2004
Niall Ferguson, The War of the World: Twentieth Century Conflict and the West, 2006
Ted Fishman, China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America, 2005
Thomas Friedman, The World is Flat: Brief History of the 21st Century, 2005
Fawaz Gerges, America and Political Islam, 1999
Jeffrey Herbst, States and Power in Africa: Comparative Lessons, 2000
Samuel Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, 1997
Michael Ignatieff, Blood and Belonging: Journeys into New Nationalism, 1994
Chalmers Johnson, Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic, 2006
Stuart Kaufman, Modern Hatreds: The Symbolic Politics of Ethnic War, 2001
Michael Klare, Resource Wars: the New Landscape of Global Conflict, 2001
Michael Maren, The Road to Hell: The Ravaging Effects of Foreign Aid, 1997
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, The 9/11 Commission Report, 2004
Michael B. Oren, Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 2007
Kenneth Pollack, The Persian Puzzle: Conflict Between Iran and America, 2004
Joel Rosenberg, Epicenter: Why the CurrentÉMiddle East Will Change Your Future, 2008
Dennis Ross, The Missing Peace: The Inside Story of the Fight for Middle East Peace, 2005
Jeffrey D. Sachs, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, 2005
Stephen Saideman, The Ties that Divide: Ethnic Politics and International Conflict, 2001
Michael Scheuer, Marching Toward Hell: American and Islam After Iraq, 2007
Susan Shirk, China: Fragile Superpower, 2007
David Victor, The Collapse of the Kyoto Protocol and Dangers of Global Warming, 2001
Bernard Wasserstein, Israelis and Palestinians: Why Do They Fight? Can They Stop? 2003
David Welch, Justice and the Genesis of War, 1993
Muhammad Yunus, Creating a World Without Poverty, 2007
Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World, 2008
Course Guidelines
1. Late papers lose half a grade for each day past the deadline.
2. Students are expected to read, understand, and comply with College standards for academic integrity and the policy on plagiarism. These issues are fully articulated in the Code of Academic Integrity, as published in the ScotÕs Key, and form an essential part of the contract between the student and the College. Violations of the Code in course work may lead to grade penalties including failure of the course.
3. Writing an excellent paper for Political Science courses requires the development of strong substantive arguments (i.e., a thesis, supporting information, and direct references to course material) as well as clear formatting and concise argumentation. All papers completed for this class should conform to The Chicago Manual of Style guidelines for source citations and references. A complete set of endnotes and a bibliography should be included for all papers.
Course Outline
I. The State System and International Conflict
1. World Politics: Integration or Disintegration? (Week of August 25)
Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations, Brief Fourth Edition Updated, 2008,
Preface and Chapter 1, pp.xi-15
Benjamin R. Barber, ÒJihad vs. McWorld,Ó The Atlantic Monthly, March 1992, pp.618-627 (handout)
Thomas Friedman, ÒItÕs a Flat World After All,Ó in Annual Editions: Global Issues 2008/2009, pp.7-11 (handout)
Pankaj Ghemawat, ÒWhy the World IsnÕt Flat,Ó in Annual Editions: Global Issues 2008/2009, pp.74-76 (handout)
2. Evolution of the State System and Levels of Analysis (Week of September 1)
Goldstein and Pevehouse, International Relations, Chapter 1, pp.16-34
Celeste A. Wallander, ÒSuspended Animation: The US and Russia after the G-8,Ó in Annual Editions:
World Politics 2007/2008, pp.95-99 (handout)
Martha Crenshaw, ÒThe Strategic Logic of Terrorism,Ó in Richard K. Betts, ed., Conflict After the Cold War,
Third Edition, 2008, pp.511-524
Marc Sageman, ÒJihadi Networks of Terror,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.546-558
Peter Ford, ÒWhy Do They Hate Us?Ó Christian Science Monitor, September 27, 2001, online url: http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0927/p1s1-wogi.html
* Terrorism and Levels of Analysis Exercise
3. Realism and Neo-Realism (Week of September 8)
Goldstein and Pevehouse, International Relations, Chapter 2, pp.35-65
Thucydides, ÒThe Melian Dialogue,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.56-60
Niccolo Machiavelli, ÒDoing Evil In Order to Do Good,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.61-65
Thomas Hobbes, ÒThe State of Nature and the State of War,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.66-69
4. Theories of Foreign Policy Decision Making (Week of September 15)
Goldstein and Pevehouse, International Relations, Chapter 3, pp.66-90
Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, ÒBushÕs Revolution,Ó in Annual Editions: World Politics 2004/2005,
pp.83-90 (handout)
Andrew Bacevich, ÒRequiem for the Bush Doctrine,Ó in Annual Editions: World Politics 2007/2008,
pp.65-70 (handout)
* Issue Paper Due
5. Theories of the Causes of War (Week of September 22)
Goldstein and Pevehouse, International Relations, Chapter 4, pp.112-142
Kenneth N. Waltz, ÒThe Origins of War in Neorealist Theory,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.87-93
Robert Gilpin, ÒHegemonic War and International Change,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.94-105
Sigmund Freud, ÒWhy War?Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.171-178
Daniel Kahneman and Jonathan Renshon, ÒWhy Hawks Win,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.191-194
Margaret Mead, ÒWarfare is Only an Invention--Not a Biological Necessity,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.219-223
Bernard Lewis, ÒLicense to Kill: Usama bin LadinÕs Declaration of Jihad,Ó in
Annual Editions: World Politics 2001/2002, pp.187-190 (handout)
6. Nationalism and Regional Conflict (Week of September 29)
Samuel P. Huntington, ÒThe Clash of Civilizations,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.34-51
Ernest Gellner, ÒNations and Nationalism,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.336-346
Chaim Kaufmann, ÒPossible and Impossible Solutions to Ethnic Civil Wars,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.360-377
Radha Kumar, ÒThe Troubled History of Partition,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.378-386
II. The Dynamics of International Cooperation
7. Idealism, Wilsonianism, and Institutionalism (Week of October 6)
Goldstein and Pevehouse, International Relations, Chapter 3, pp.90-111
Immanuel Kant, ÒPerpetual Peace,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.122-128
John Mueller, ÒThe Obsolescence of Major War,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.224-235
J. Ann Tickner, ÒMen, Women, and War,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War,
pp.252-264
Woodrow Wilson, ÒThe Fourteen Points: Address to Congress,Ó 1918,
online url: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/wilson14.htm
* Midterm Examination
* Fall Break
8. International Organizations (Week of October 20)
Goldstein and Pevehouse, International Relations, Chapter 6, pp.216-267
United Nations, ÒThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights,Ó 1948, online url:
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
James Traub, ÒRunning the U.N.Ó in Annual Editions: World Politics 2008/2009, pp.163-165 (handout)
9. International Law and Human Rights (Week of October 27)
CASE ANALYSIS: Should the Convention on Torture Be Renegotiated To Make Torture Legal
Under Certain Circumstances?
Donald M. Snow, ÒWar Crimes: The Past in the Present in the Future," in Cases in International
Relations, 2006, pp.53-71 (handout)
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 1984,
online url: http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/cat.htm
Alberto R. Gonzales, ÒMemorandum for the PresidentÓ January 25, 2002,
online url: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4999148/site/newsweek/
Michael Levin, ÒThe Case for Torture,Ó Newsweek, 1982, online url:
http://www.coc.cc.ca.us/departments/philosophy/levin.html
David Ignatius, ÒRendition Realities,Ó Washington Post, March 9, 2005,
online url: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18709-2005Mar8.html
* Book Review Statement Due
10. International Political Economy (Week of November 3)
Goldstein and Pevehouse, International Relations, Chapter 7, 268-324
Robert O. Keohane and Joseph S. Nye, ÒPower and Interdependence,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.161-167
Joseph Kahn, ÒAn Ohio Town is Hard Hit as Leading Industry Moves to China,Ó New York Times, December 7, 2003,
online url: http://www.committee100.org/publications/outsourcing/OhioTown.htm
Tim Weiner, ÒFree Trade Accord at 10: Growing Pains are Clear,Ó New York Times, December 27, 2003,
online url: http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/ftaa/1381.html
11. Economic Development (Week of November 3)
Goldstein and Pevehouse, International Relations, Chapter 5, pp.168-215
V.I. Lenin, ÒImperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.281-287
Tom Knudson, ÒPromises and Poverty: Starbucks Coffee in Ethiopia,Ó in Annual Editions:
Global Issues 2008/2009, pp.86-91 (handout)
Jeffrey D. Sachs, ÒCan Extreme Poverty Be Eliminated?Ó in Annual Editions: Global Issues 2008/2009,
pp.12-16 (handout)
* Election Night Party
12. Proliferation and Conflict (Week of November 10)
CASE ANALYSIS: Should the International Community Negotiate a Global Zero Treaty with the
Goal of Complete Disarmament of Nuclear Weapons?
Goldstein and Pevehouse, International Relations, Chapter 4, pp.142-167
Kenneth N. Waltz, ÒThe Spread of Nuclear Weapons: More May Be Better,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.451-461
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), 1968, online url:
http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/npt/text/npt2.htm
Roland Flamini, ÒNuclear Proliferation,Ó in CQ Researcher, Global Issues 2008, pp.49-75 (handout)
* Working Paper Due
12. International Diplomacy Simulation (Week of November 17)
Simulation Handbook, 2008, pp.1-12 (handout)
13. The Future of International Relations (November 24 and Week of December 1)
Goldstein and Pevehouse, International Relations, Chapter 8, pp.325-366
Alexander Wendt, ÒAnarchy is What States Make of It,Ó in Conflict After the Cold War, pp.198-218
James F. Hoge, Jr., ÒA Global Power Shift in the Making,Ó in Annual Editions: World Politics 2007/2008,
pp.3-6 (handout)
* Thanksgiving Break
* Book Review Due on Friday, December 5, by 5:00 pm
* Final Examination (as scheduled by the Registrar)
International Relations Academic Journals
Academic journals represent the very best source of international relations research, and they regularly publish cutting-edge work in the discipline. The information found in any issue of leading journals represents the core of contemporary scholarly debates on issues in international relations, including U.S. foreign policy, the Ôdemocratic peace thesis,Õ human rights, feminist theory in international relations, terrorism, nationalism, nuclear weapons, economic development, and conflict. The International Studies Association (ISA) is the largest professional organization of teachers and students of international relations. Members of the ISA receive four of the leading journals in our discipline: Foreign Policy Analysis, International Studies Quarterly, International Studies Review, and International Studies Perspectives. The American Political Science Association (APSA) sends its members the American Political Science Review. In both organizations, student members pay reduced annual dues. Among the many other journals on international relations that publish articles with theoretical orientations, you could examine: International Security, International Organization, The Journal of Conflict Resolution, World Politics, International Affairs, and Comparative Politics. Policy-related journals include Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Washington Quarterly, and Orbis. It should also be noted that while many journals have websites, primary access is still in printed journal form. Survey our collection of journals at the Andrews Library or consider subscribing to such journals yourself.
International Relations and the World Wide Web
Another way to learn more about actors and issues in global politics is to explore interesting sites on the World Wide Web. What follows is a list of interesting (and authoritative) websites that relate well to themes in this course. We will discuss the value of these sites, the pros and cons of research on the web, the general rules of use and citation from websites, as well as other interesting pages that you may discover during the semester.
American Journalism Review News Link. www.newslink.org/news.html: This site provides links to electronic newspapers from the United States or anywhere in the world (in foreign languages, or with English translations).
BBC World Service. www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/europe: The British Broadcasting Corporation provides an international perspective on the latest news. Particular attention is devoted to European issues and the challenges faced by developing countries.
Cable News Network. www.cnn.com: This site provides web access to CNNÕs coverage of global news developments. It features breaking news stories and extensive archival references on global issues.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. www.ceip.org: The Carnegie Endowment website contains a rich archive of information on international peace and conflict themes.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). www.csis.org: This nonpartisan research institute based in Washington, DC, provides world leaders with insights into global problems and policy solutions.
Digital Library in International Conflict Management. www.usip.org/library/diglib.html: This link contains information on peace agreements and truth commission investigations from around the world.
Earth Institute at Columbia University. www.earth.columbia.edu: The Earth Institute at Columbia University, led by Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, is dedicated to addressing a number of complex issues related to sustainable development and the needs of the worldÕs poor.
The Economist. www.economist.com: This electronic version of the subscription magazine represents one of the best media sources for balanced coverage of international events.
European Union. europa.eu.int: This is an excellent site devoted to the institutional structure and policies of the EU. It provides information on member nations and governing institutions such as the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Globalization Index. www.athearney.com/main.taf?p=5,4,1,64: This website for the A.T. Kearney Globalization Index provides a detailed set of information about countries and their economic and political development status.
Human Rights Web. www.hrweb.org: This interesting site offers ideas on how individuals can get involved in helping to protect human rights around the world.
The Hunger Project. www.thp.org: The website for this nonprofit organization describes a goal of the sustainable end to the problem of global hunger, the heart of many major security issues threatening our planet.
The Initiative on Conflict Resolution and Ethnicity. www.incore.ulst.ac.uk/cds/countries/index.html: INCORE has an Internet guide that allows you to examine the most recent international conflicts and nationalist movements in detail.
InterAction. www.interaction.org/advocacy/advocacy.html: Use this site to explore grassroots and nongovernmental organization efforts to bring about change in world politics.
International Atomic Energy Agency. www.iaea.int: This international organization is dedicated to monitoring nuclear energy plants and the security of nuclear materials around the world.
International Studies Association. www.isanet.org: The International Studies Association (ISA) is the largest professional organization of teachers and students of international relations. Here you will find information on contemporary research projects, thematic workshops, publications, and special grant opportunities for international study.
Machiavelli Online. www.sas.upenn.edu/~pgrose/mach/: The writings of Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) are part of the foundation of realism in international relations. This archive offers a terrific resource on MachiavelliÕs life, times, and writings.
National Defense University. www.ndu.edu: This website contains information on current military and security issues. It also provides a window into the organizational structure of the U.S. military and contemporary research projects funded by the government.
The New York Times. www.nytimes.com: This site offers Ôall the news thatÕs fit to printÕ and is on-line free of charge (after taking a moment to register). This site provides one of the best sources of international news available in the United States.
The North-South Institute. www.nsi-ins.ca/info.html: The North-South Institute works to strengthen international development cooperation and enhance gender and social equity.
Pew Center on Global Climate Change. www.pewclimate.org/: This website assembles valuable information on climate change and world politics. The nonpartisan Pew Center regularly updates its website to reflect developments on global warming and policies at the state, national, and international level.
Ploughshares International. www.ploughshares.ca/content/ACR/ACR00/ACR00.html: This non-profit organization provides many useful resources on international affairs.
Political Science.Com. www.polisci.com: This site offers a comprehensive overview of politics in the United States and the world. It features an archive in the Political Reference Desk, as well as links to useful websites on national and international political organizations.
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. www.brookings.edu/fp/research/projects/iraq/war.htm: This website, for the one of the most prominent policy research institutes in Washington, DC, presents an excellent on-line archive of reports on Iraq policy.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. www.sipri.se: SIPRI monitors trends in international peace and conflict resolution, with particular attention to proliferation concerns and military expenditures around the world.
Sydney Morning Herald. www.smh.com.au: The Herald is one of the most respected newspapers in Australia and provides English-language coverage of national, regional, and international issues.
Terrorism Research Center. www.terrorism.com: This site is a good source for research on terrorism. Particularly interesting are the ÒTerrorist ProfilesÓ section and material on controversies surrounding the political definition of terrorism.
United Nations Home Page. www.un.org: This site includes historical information, details of UN institutions and practices, and information about member countries of the UN system.
United States Department of State. www.state.gov: This is one of the best websites sponsored by the U.S. government. It provides information about U.S. foreign policy, including current topics like trade relations with China, terrorism, and UN restructuring.
Women in International Politics. www.guide2womenleaders.com: This website contains information on women who have served as political leaders and on broader issues of gender equality and international politics.