Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PL 209-1"
COURSE NAME: "World Politics"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2016

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Michael Driessen
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS: TTH 1:30-3:30pm

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
An introduction to the theory and practice of international affairs, this course discusses the main schools of world politics as well as actors, structures and institutions of international relations. Through this framework the course explores key conflicts and issues in the post-World War II era, including problems of war, armed conflict, and peace, and the impact of recent trends in globalization on world politics.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The course is divided into five major components designed to expose the student to the broad schools of thought framing international relations scholarship and learn how those theories can be applied to global political events and empirical issues in the field of International Relations. Accordingly, the course will consider 1) the assumptions underpinning theories of World Politics; 2) The three major theories animating World Politics scholarship today (realism, liberalism and constructivism); 3) International History (World Wars I & II, the Cold War and its aftermath); 4) Globalization and International Political Economy; 5) New Actors and Dynamics in the Global Arena (Terrorism, Religion, Transnational Networks, International Law, and the Environment).

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

My pedagogical hope is that students will finish this course able to distinguish and evaluate the three major schools of thought in International Relations scholarship. They will also achieve an informed political reading of international history and be able to name and then apply important conceptual and theoretical considerations to contemporary global events.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
International Politics: Enduring Concepts and Contemporary Issues (12th ed.)	art and jervis	Pearson	978-1292070872
Perspectives on International Relations: Power Institutions Ideas 4th ed.	Henry R. Nau	CQ Press (2015)	978-1452241487

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Mid-term Exam		25%
Final Exam		35%
Assignments (5)	There will be 5 written assignments required of the students to be completed in units I, III, IV, V and VI. Instructions will be handed out in class. Each is worth 6% of the student’s final grade.	30%
Participation	Attendance and Presence of Mind are mandatory for this class. The goal here is to advance towards the art of asking good questions. Quality, not quantity of participation is what counts, although some quantity is better than no quality. Students will be allowed 2 unexcused absences. Each unexcused absence thereafter will result in the lowering of the attendance grade by 1/3rd a letter grade. More than 12 unexcused absences may result in a failure to pass the course.	10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge 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
BThis 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.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis 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.
FThis 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 and Presence of Mind are mandatory for this class. The goal here is to advance towards the art of asking good questions. Quality, not quantity of participation is what counts, although some quantity is better than no quality. Students will be allowed 2 unexcused absences. Each unexcused absence thereafter will result in the lowering of the attendance grade by 1/3^rd a letter grade. More than 12 unexcused absences may result in a failure to pass the course.

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

Course Calendar (Please note that this is not the final syllabus. A finalized schedule of readings, assignments and office hours will be distributed to students at the beginning of the semester).
January 18	Class 1	Course Introduction
Part I: Fundamentals
January 20	Class 2	Theory, Policy, Methods Nau, Introduction
January 25	Class 3	Assumptions and the Security Dilemma (Assignment I) Nau, Chapter 1: pp.s 25-36 Robert J. Art, “The Four Functions of Force,” AJ
Part II: Theories
January 27	Class 4	Three Traditions John J. Mearsheimer (2014) “America Unhinged,” The National Interest (pp.s 9-30) http://nationalinterest.org/files/digital-edition/1388435556/129%20Digital%20Edition.pdf Joseph S. Nye, Jr. “The Future of American Power: Dominance and Decline in Perspective,” Foreign Policy no. 6 (2010): http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/66796/joseph-s-nye-jr/the-future-of-american-power
February 1	Class 5	Realism I Nau, Chapter 1, pp.s 37-44 Morgenthau, “Six Principles of Political Realism,” AJ Waltz, “The Anarchic Structure of World Politics,” AJ
February 3	Class 6	Realism II John J. Mearsheimer, “The False Promise of International Institutions,” International Security 19, no. 3 (1994/5), pp.s 1-14 : http://mearsheimer.uchicago.edu/pdfs/A0021.pdf Walt, “Alliances: Balancing and Bandwagoning,” AJ Robert Jervis, “Offense, Defense, and the Security Dilemma,” AJ
February 8	Class 7	Liberalism I Nau, Chapter 1: pp.s 46-56 Doyle, “Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs,” AJ Hoffman, “The Uses and Limits of International Law,” AJ
February 10	Class 8	Liberalism II Oye, “The Conditions for Cooperation in World Politics,” AJ Keohane, “International Institutions: Can Interdependence Work?” AJ
February 15	Class 9	The Realist-Liberal Debate John J. Mearsheimer, “The False Promise of International Institutions,” International Security 19, no. 3 (1994/5), pp.s 14-26, 47-49 Robert. O. Keohane and Lisa Martin, “The Promise of Institutionalist Theory,” International Security 20 no.1 (1995): http://people.reed.edu/~ahm/Courses/Reed-POL-240-2012-S1_IP/Syllabus/EReadings/03.2/03.2.KeohaneMartin1995The-Promise.pdf Sebastian Rosato, “The Flawed Logic of Democratic Peace Theory,” American Political Science Review 97 no. 4 (2003): http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3593025?uid=3738296&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103195558851
February 17	Class 10	Constructivism Nau, Chapter 1: pp.s 56-67 Wendt, “Anarchy is What States Make of It,” AJ
February 22	Class 11	MID-TERM

Part III: International History
February 26 (Make up for February 24 Cancellation	Class 12	Melos, Westphalia and World War I Nau, Chapter 2 Thucydides, “The Melian Dialogue,” AJ
February 29	Class 13	World War II (Assignment II) Nau, Chapter 3
March 2	Class 14	The Cold War Nau Chapter 4 John Lewis Gaddis, “The Long Peace: Elements of Stability in the Postwar International System,” International Security 10, no. 4 (1986): http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2538951?uid=3738296&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103195558851
March 4^th	Class 15	Film : Dr. Strangelove (Assignment III) Dan Lindley, “What I learned Since I stopped Worrying and Studied the Movie: A Teaching Guide to Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove,” Political Science and Politics no. 34 (2001): http://www3.nd.edu/~dlindley/handouts/DrS.pdf
March 7	Class 16	Nukes and Weapons of Mass Destruction Sokolsksi, “Getting Ready for a Nuclear-ready Iran” AJ Posen, “A Nuclear-Armed Iran: A Difficult but not Impossible Policy Problem,” AJ *Recommended:* Nau, Chapter 5 Keir Lieber and Daryl Press (2013). “The Next Korean War,” Foreign Affairs (April): http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/139091/keir-a-lieber-and-daryl-g-press/the-next-korean-war
March 9	Class 17	Civil Wars and Humanitarian Interventions Ben Barber “Feeding Refugees or War? The Dilemmas of Humanitarian Interventions,” Foreign Affairs 76 no. 4 (1997): http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/20048117?uid=3738296&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103195558851 Kofi Annan, “Reflections on Intervention,” AJ Jon Western and Joshua Goldstien, “Humanitarianism Comes of Age: Lessons from Somalia to Libya,” AJ Recommended: Nau, Chapter 6
Part IV: Globalization and International Political Economy
March 14	Class 18	International Trade Nau, Chapter 8: 340-356 Gilpin, “The Nature of Political Economy,” AJ

March 16	Class 19	International Finance Nau, Chapter 8: pp.s 358-367 Hiscox, “The Domestic Sources of Foreign Economic Policies,” AJ The Economist, “The End of Monnet: The Debt Crisis is Exposing Problems in the Basic Design of the European Union,” http://www.economist.com/node/21528269 The Economist: Interactive Graph on the Euro-Crisis: http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/05/european-economy-guide
March 21	Class 20	Globalization Nau, Chapter 8: pp.s 329-340 Frankel, “Globalization of the Economy,” AJ
March 23	Class 21	The Globalization Debate (Assignment IV) Rodrik, “Why Doesn’t Everyone get the case for Free Trade” & “A Sane Globalizations,” AJ Na’im, “What Globalization is and is Not,” AJ
Part V: Religion, Law, Human Rights and the Environment
April 4	Class 22	Terrorism Jervis, “The Era of Leading Power Peace” AJ Cronin, “Ending Terrorism,” AJ
April 6	Class 23	Identity Politics and Religion Samuel P. Huntington, “Clash of Civilizations,” Foreign Affairs Summer (1993): http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/48950/samuel-p-huntington/the-clash-of-civilizations Olivier Roy. 2012. “The Transformation of the Arab World,” Journal of Democracy. (23) 3. http://www.journalofdemocracy.org/sites/default/files/Roy-23-3.pdf
April 11	Class 24	International Law and Human Rights Keck and Sikkink, “Transnational Activist Networks,” AJ Howard and Donnelly, “Human Rights in World Politics,” AJ
April 13	Class 25	The Environment (Assignment V) Dupont, “The Strategic Implications of Climate Change,” AJ Victor et al. “The Climate Threat we can Beat,” AJ
April 18	Class 26	Global Governance and Justice Ikenberry, “The Future of the Liberal World Order,” AJ David Held, “Reframing Global Governance: Apocalypse Soon or Reform!” New Political Economy 11 no. 2 (2006). Jstor Joseph Nye, “What China and Russia don’t get about Soft Power,” Foreign Policy, (2013): http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/04/29/what_china_and_russia_don_t_get_about_soft_power?wp_login_redirect=0
April 20	Class 27	The Future of International Relations Posen, “Emerging Multipolarity: Why Should we Care?” AJ Subramanian, “Why China’s Dominance is a Sure Thing,” AJ Zheng Bijian, “China’s ‘Peaceful Rise’ to Great-Power Status,” Foreign Affairs (84)5, 2005. E-journal. Henry A. Kissinger, “The Future of US-Chinese Relations,” Foreign Affairs March/April (2012). Jstor Economist (2013) “Xi Jinping and the Chinese Dream,” http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21577070-vision-chinas-new-president-should-serve-his-people-not-nationalist-state-xi-jinping?fsrc=nlw\|hig\|5-2-2013\|5641225\|36279766\| John Kerry. 2013. “Statement on the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone,”: http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/11/218013.htm
April 27	Class 28	Conclusions and Review

	Final Exam