In a paper at least 10 pages long, answer the following series of questions:
1. In the latter part of this course we have gone inside the "black box" to study factors internal to states. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these types of approaches? Do you believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa? Be sure to provide specific examples to back your argument from the readings.
2. No one in the class presented a research paper that moved inside the black box. Why do you think this occurred? If students outside of the class attended the presentations, would they get a proper exposure to IR theory without any review of black box approaches?
3. Based on the research paper presentations, what new information regarding the theories was revealed? Does this new information make the theories more appealing, less appealing or did it have no impact on your opinion formed based on earlier reading? What ideas for refining existing theories did you agree with the most? What ideas for refining existing theories did you disagree with the most?
4. Regardless of your opinion on the validity of moving inside the black box theoretically, which of the author(s) theoretical approaches appealed to you the most? Be sure to carefully explain their argument and why their work appeals to you.
5. Does performing studies that look inside the black box make IR theory more policy relevant? Be sure to draw on specific examples from the reading to illustrate your argument.
6. Is policy relevance an important goal that IR theorists should have? If so, what implications does this have for the study of IR? If not, what implications does this have for the study of IR? Overall, what do you perceive to be the role that IR theorists should play? Be sure to incorporate George and Lepgoldís arguments into your discussion.
7. Looking back at all of the different theoretical approaches we have discussed during this course, do you believe that is possible to create an integrated theory of IR? If so, what are the theoretical bases for this synthesis that you would draw on? If not, how should IR theorizing proceed?