Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PL 209-3"
COURSE NAME: "International Affairs"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring Semester 2012

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Sensi Luigi
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 13:00-14:15
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS: MON and WED 15.45-16.45 Tiber Campus Faculty Room

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Why do nations go to war? Why are most countries in peace with each other most of the time? Why are certain regions plagued with endemic violence and instability? How important are economic considerations in determining the behavior of states? To address these questions, should we look at the way power is distributed in the international system, or at the characteristics of the states involved, or should we focus on the psychological profile of the individual decision makers? How shall we go about formulating causal explanations and testing them?

This course provides us with an opportunity to explore these questions with the help of scholars who have studied International Affairs from a variety of perspectives. As we contemplate the different explanations being proposed by them we will attempt to apply some of these explanations to recent historical events. The current international landscape offers abundant material for discussion. The insurgencies in North Africa and the Middle East, the continuing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, nuclear proliferation, the rise of Chinese economic and political power, the international financial crisis, are among the current developments we will be focusing on.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

1. Brief synopsis of recent international history: World War I; World War II; the Cold War; the post-Cold War era.

2. Introduction to general theories of international relations.

3. The question of Power in international relations

4. “Levels of analysis”: the international system, the State, the individual.

5. The causes of War

6. Alliances, arms control and deterrence

7. Conflict short of war: risk management and coercion in international affairs.

8. Ethnic conflict, terrorism and foreign intervention

9. International organizations and collective security

10. International law and morality

11. Economic factors as determinants of international behavior

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

As we set sail in the troubled waters of International Affairs, our objective is to pick up the following during our journey:

a) a basic knowledge of some of the most interesting international events that have marked recent human history;

b) an understanding of the theories developed by leading international relations scholars; and

c) familiarity with the social science method and how it can be applied to test some of these theories.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number
Global Politics (2011 - 10th edition)	Juliet Kaarbo & james Lee Ray	Wadsworth Cengage Learning	13-978-0495-80264-8
The Twentieth Century World and Beyond: An International History (2011 Sixth Edition)	William Keylor	Oxford University Press	ISBN 10-0199736340
Why Nations Go To War (11th Edition, 2010)	John Stoessinger	Wadsworth	10:0495797189

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments
Classic Readings and Contemporary Debates in International Relations (Third Edition)	Phil Williams, Donald Goldstein, Jay Shafritz	Thomson Wadsworth	0-534-63189-4

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Class participation and short class exercises		25%
Midterm Exam		25%
Final Exam		50%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A: Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B: This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C: This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D: This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance is mandatory and class participation is reflected in the final grade. Please refer to the university catalog for the attendance and absence policy

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Monday, January 16

- Introduction to International Affairs PL-209

Wednesday, January 18

Theories of International Relations.

- Global Politics, by Juliet Kaarbo and James Lee Ray (10^th Edition, 2011, Wadsworth Cengage Publishers), chapter 1

Monday, January 23

States and Power in International Relations.

- Global Politics, chapter 4 (pp.96-116)

- Thucydides, “The Peloponnesian War and the Melian Debate”, pp. 40-48 of Classic Readings and Contemporary Debates in International Relations, by Williams, Goldstein and Shafritz (Third Edition, 2006, Wadsworth Cengage Publishers).

Wednesday, January 25

Complex Interdependence.

- Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye, “The Characteristics of Complex Interdependence”, pp. 122-125 of Classic Readings

The early 20^th century and the road to World War I.

- The Twentieth Century World and Beyond, by William Keylor (International Fifth Edition, 2010, Oxford University Press), chapter 1

Monday, January 30

Foreign policy making: the role of public opinion

- Global Politics, chapter 5 (pp. 140-150)

The interwar period.

- Keylor, chapter 2

Wednesday, February 1

Foreign policy making: political systems, interest groups and bureaucracies

- Global Politics, chapter 5 (pp. 150-169)

Friday, February 3

Foreign policy making: the psychology of individual leaders

- Global Politics, chapter 5 (pp. 179-179)

Monday, February 6

The coming of World War II

- Keylor, chapter 4 (pp. 124-156)

Wednesday, February 8

The causes of war: system level and state level explanations

- Global Politics, chapter 6 (pp. 182-205)

Monday, February 13

World War II

- Keylor, chapter 5

- Keylor, chapter 7 (pp. 223-232)

Wednesday, February 15

The causes of war: individual level explanations

- Global Politics, chapter 6 (pp. 205-211)

- Robert Jervis, “War and Misperception”, pp. 485-505 of Classic Readings.

Monday, February 20

The origins of the Cold War

- Keylor, chapter 8

Wednesday, February 22

Alliances and arms control

- Global Politics, chapter 8 (pp.259-293)

Monday, February 27

The expansion of communism in Asia: China and the Korean War

- Keylor, chapter 11 (pp. 323-326)

- Why Nations Go to War, by John Stoessinger (11^th Edition, 2010, Wadsworth Publisher), chapter 3

Wednesday, February 29

MIDTERM REVIEW SESSION

Monday, March 5

MIDTERM EXAM

Wednesday, March 7

Conflict in the Middle East

- Keylor, chapter 10 (pp.315-322)

- Stoessinger, chapter 7 (first half)

Friday, March 9

Conflict in the Middle East (contd)

- Stoessinger, chapter 7 (second half)

Monday, March 12

Diplomacy and bargaining in international politics

- Global Politics, chapter 8 (pp. 294-301)

- Alexander George, “The Limits of Coercive Diplomacy”, pp. 445-457 of Classic Readings

Wednesday, March 14

The Vietnam War

- Stoessinger, chapter 4

Monday, March 26

The end of the Cold war

- Keylor, chapter 16

Wednesday, March 28

Ethnic conflict and terrorism

- Global Politics, chapter 7

Monday, April 2

The West and Islam

- Stoessinger, chapter 9

Wednesday, April 4

Europe: integration and turmoil

- Keylor, chapter 17

Wednesday, April 11

International Organizations and collective security

- Global Politics, chapter 9 (pp. 302-324)

Monday, April 16

International law, ethics, international cooperation

- Global Politics, chapter 9 (pp.324-352)

Wednesday, April 18

International economic relations

- Global Politics, chapter 10 (pp. 372-388)

- Global Politics, chapter 11 (pp. 389-398)

Monday, April 23

FINAL REVIEW SESSION