international relations, with an emphasis on questions of international conflict
and cooperation. IR is primarily ... Theories of International Politics and Zombies.
COURSE SYLLABUS POLITICAL SCIENCE 365 INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Section 003 – TR 8:10-9:25 (HSS 106) Spring 2013 Instructor: Amanda G. Sanford Office: University Center 315-E Mailbox: 1001 McClung Tower Office Hours: TR 10-11:30 a.m., or by appointment Email:
[email protected] COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES Welcome to Political Science 365. This course is meant to introduce students to the field of international relations, with an emphasis on questions of international conflict and cooperation. IR is primarily concerned with phenomena located at the international level – relations among states, intergovernmental organizations, and other non-state actors (e.g., terrorists). In this course, we will examine and discuss the basic concepts and theories underlying international politics, as well as apply them to concrete international issues and real-world events. In addition to basic notions of war and peace, we will discuss a variety of substantive topics within IR, including international law, the global economy, and the merits of democracy (to name only a few). The goals of this course are to acquaint students with international politics as an academic discipline, cultivate a general understanding of international political processes, and to promote a heightened awareness of contemporary world events. TEXTBOOK AND READING MATERIALS The following are available for purchase from the University Bookstore and are required for this course:
Baldwin, David. A. 1993. Neorealism and Neoliberalism: The Contemporary Debate. New York, NY: Columbia UP.
Drezner, Daniel W. 2011. Theories of International Politics and Zombies. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP.
Other readings will be posted on Blackboard (BB) or can be found through an academic database such as JSTOR. A list of recommended readings for each topic will be available on request should you wish to read more on the subject or use the material for your writing assignment.
GRADING Your final grade in this course consists of the following: Attendance/Participation Quizzes Film reviews/quizzes Midterm Exam Final Exam Writing Assignment
10% 10% 10% 25% 25% 20%
Extra credit opportunities may be available throughout the semester at the instructor’s discretion. Grading Scale: A (93+) A- (90-93) B+ (87-89) B (83-86) B- (80-82)
C+ (77-79) C (73-76) C- (70-72) D+ (67-69) D (63-66)
D- (60-62) F (0-59)
Attendance/Participation Attendance is mandatory for this course, and will be taken at each meeting. Absences will be excused with proper notification/documentation (school-related absences, family or medical emergencies, etc). If you know you are going to miss a class for an excusable reason, please contact the instructor in advance of that scheduled class meeting. Each student will be allowed a maximum of three (3) unexcused absences without penalty. Use them wisely – the accumulation of unexcused absences will negatively affect your final grade. In the event that class needs to be cancelled, this announcement will be made via email. It is your responsibility to check your UT email regularly for course communications. Class participation is important to your success. Students are expected to read all material assigned for each topic prior to class and actively participate in discussion. You should be prepared to ask questions about material you do not understand, answer questions during class, and make appropriate comments and insights that will benefit and enhance class experience. We may be discussing some politically sensitive issues throughout the semester, so please try not to be disruptive or make inappropriate comments toward or about others during class time. Please keep in mind that other students may hold opinions quite different from your own and we will use the class as a forum to discuss and debate contested issues intelligently and civilly. Cell phones are not allowed during class. Their use is disruptive and disrespectful to the instructor and other students. If you have an emergency that requires use of your cell phone, please quietly exit the room. Laptops are perfectly acceptable for use in class, but if you are going to play on Facebook, shop, or work on material for another class, please sit at the back of the room and do so quietly; otherwise, stay home.
International Events This is a course on international politics, so students should keep up with current international events. As they arise throughout the semester, we will spend a few minutes discussing major events in world politics, and you should be up-to-date and prepared to contribute to the discussion. This is an easy way to earn participation points for the course. Great sources include news websites such as CNN, Fox News, BBC online, the NY Times, Washington Post, etc, or similar cable news stations. Quizzes Throughout the semester, you will have a number of short quizzes based on assigned readings, lectures, and current events. Quizzes will not be announced in advance, and may consist of any combination of multiple choice, true/false, or short answer questions. The number of quizzes to be given will remain undetermined, but the lowest quiz score will be dropped in final grade calculations. Film Reviews and Quizzes We will be watching four films this semester that connect to substantive topics within IR. Each student will be responsible for completing two short papers critically reviewing the films of their choice, and will complete two quizzes over the ones for which they do not write a critical review. In these papers, you should provide a brief synopsis of the film and then connect it to the lecture material and assigned readings. How does the film characterize the substantive topic? Does the film point to a different conclusion than the literature? etc. These films are being shown to illustrate the points made during lectures, and you should watch them carefully and may consider taking notes during the presentations. Papers should be 2-3 pages in length and should be typed in standard format. Citations are not required, but if you directly quote or reference literature from the course, you MUST incorporate citations and a reference page in accordance with a major style manual. You are free to choose whichever two of the four films you would like to write about, but responses will be due during the class period following the film’s conclusion, with no exceptions. Refer to the course schedule for the specific due dates for each film’s review. The same day the critical review papers are due, a quiz connecting the film to the course material will be given. If you write the response paper, you WILL NOT need to take the quiz.
Writing Assignment As is customary in any writing intensive course, you will be asked to write a formal paper as a portion of your grade. For this class, your writing assignment will focus on Daniel Drezner’s Theories of International Politics and Zombies, but you will also be required to incorporate readings from the syllabus and additional research materials into the project. The specific details and guidelines of the writing assignment will be posted to Blackboard during the first two weeks of the semester. In the meantime, you are encouraged to begin reading. Exams There will be two exams given during the semester – a midterm and final. Each is weighted equally, and will cover lectures, current events, and reading materials. The exam format will be a mixture of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions, and you will need to provide your own exam booklet for eThese exams are meant to assess your comprehension of the material covered during the course. The final exam will be given during the university scheduled final exam period at the end of the semester, but will not be cumulative.
Makeup and Late Work Late work will be accepted under a 5-point per day penalty, and this allowance will expire one week from the assigned due date. Make-up work will be allowed only under extraordinary circumstances and at the instructor’s discretion. Again, if you know you are going to miss an assignment for an excusable reason, you must notify the instructor immediately. Any late work must be submitted to the instructor’s mailbox in 1001 McClung Tower and time-stamped. Please note: no assignment will be accepted via email unless specifically cleared in advance by the instructor. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Cheating and plagiarism are both forms of academic dishonesty that will not be tolerated in this course. Students caught cheating (looking at another student’s quiz or exam, copying another student’s project, etc) or plagiarizing (using another’s thoughts, ideas, or words without appropriate documentation) will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment. It goes without saying that this will severely affect your grade for the course. Incidences of academic dishonesty will be referred to the Office of Academic Affairs, and in extreme cases, cheating and/or plagiarism may result in expulsion from the university. For more information regarding the university’s academic honesty policy and what constitutes a violation of the honor code, please consult the 2012-2013 copy of Hilltopics, or visit the website at http://dos.utk.edu/hilltopics/. ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES I am committed to making all necessary accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students with disabilities are urged to contact the Office of Disability Services, located in 2227 Dunford Hall (email:
[email protected]). Students must register with the Office of Disability Services at the beginning of the semester so that alternative arrangements for testing/assignments may be made. COURSE SCHEDULE Week 1: Course Introduction Thursday, Jan. 10 – Introduction to Course Week 2: Basic Concepts and Theoretical Foundations of International Relations Tuesday, Jan. 15 – Basic Concepts of IR o No reading assignment Thursday, Jan. 17 – Theoretical Foundations of IR o Baldwin, Ch. 1, 4 Week 3: Theoretical Foundations of IR and Correlates of War Tuesday, Jan. 22 – Theoretical Foundations, cont. o Baldwin, Ch. 5 o Wendt, Alexander. 1992. “Anarchy is What States Make of It.” International Organization 46 (2): 391-425.
Thursday, Jan. 24 – Levels of Analysis and the Correlates of War o Levy, Jack S. and William R. Thompson. 2010. Causes of War. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, Ch. 1 (BB) o Bremer, Stuart. 1992. “Dangerous Dyads: Conditions Affecting the Likelihood of Interstate War, 1816-1965.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 36 (2): 309-341. o Visit COW website: http://www.correlatesofwar.org (skim) Week 4: Power and Arms Races Tuesday, Jan. 29 – Power – Balance of Power and Power Transition Theory o Waltz, Kenneth N. 1979. Theory of International Politics. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, Ch. 6 (BB) o Kugler, Jacek and Douglas Lemke. 2000. “The Power Transition Research Program: Assessing Theoretical and Empirical Advances.” In Manus Midlarsky, ed. Handbook of War Studies II. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press (BB) Thursday, Jan. 31 – Arms Races o Wallace, Michael D. 1979. “Arms Races and Escalation: Some New Evidence.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 23(1): 3-16. o Diehl, Paul F. and Mark J. C. Crescenzi. 1998. “Reconfiguring the Arms Race-War Debate.” Journal of Peace Research 35(1): 111-118. Week 5: Nuclear Weapons Tuesday, Feb. 5 – Nuclear Weapons o Sagan, Scott D. and Kenneth N. Waltz. 2003. The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate Renewed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Co., Ch. 1-2 (BB) Thursday, Feb. 7 – Begin film presentation: Lord of War Week 6: Alliances Tuesday, Feb. 12 – Conclude film presentation: Lord of War Thursday, Feb. 14 – Alliances o Leeds, Brett Ashley, Andrew Long and Sara McLaughlin Mitchell. 2000. “Reevaluating Alliance Reliability: Specific Threats, Specific Promises.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 44: 686-699. o Lord of War critical reviews due in class/film quiz Week 7: Deterrence, Strategic Bargaining, and Commitment Tuesday, Feb. 19 – Deterrence o Jervis, Robert. 1979. “Deterrence Theory Revisited.” World Politics 31 (2): 289-324. o Huth, Paul and Bruce Russett. 1988. "Deterrence Failure and Crisis Escalation", International Studies Quarterly 32: 29-45. o Dr. Strangelove viewing (time/room TBD); may also stream on BB Thursday, Feb. 21 – Bargaining and Commitment o Fearon, James. 1995. “Rationalist Explanations for War.” International Organization 49 (3): 379-414. o Schelling, Thomas C. 1966. Arms and Influence. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, Ch. 2 (BB) o Dr. Strangelove critical reviews due in class/film quiz
Week 8: Territoriality Tuesday, Feb. 26 – Steps to War o Senese, Paul D. and John A. Vasquez. 2003. “A Unified Explanation of Territorial Conflict.” International Studies Quarterly 47(2): 275-298. Thursday, Feb. 28 – Midterm Exam Week 9: Leaders, Political Psychology, and Diversion Tuesday, March 5 – Leaders and Political Psychology o Bueno de Mesquita, Bruce and Randolph M. Siverson. 1995. “War and the Survival of Political Leaders: A Comparative Study of Regime Types and Political Accountability.” American Political Science Review 89:841-853. Thursday, March 7 – Diversionary Theories of War o Ostrom, Jr., Charles W. and Brian L. Job. 1986. “The President and the Political Use of Force.” The American Political Science Review 80 (2): 541-566. o Morgan, T. Clifton, and Kenneth N. Bickers. 1992. “Domestic Discontent and the External Use of Force.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 36(1): 25-52. Week 10: Film Presentation Tuesday, March 12 – Begin film presentation: Wag the Dog Thursday, March 14 – Conclude film presentation: Wag the Dog Week 11: Terrorism Tuesday, March 19 – Terrorism o Crenshaw, Martha. 2000. “Terrorism and International Violence.” In Handbook of War Studies II, ed. Manus I. Midlarsky. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, (BB) o Wag the Dog critical reviews due in class/film quiz Thursday, March 21 – Terrorism, cont. o Pape, Robert. 2003. “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism.” American Political Science Review 97: 343-361. Week 12: Spring Break Tuesday, March 26 – No Class Thursday, March 28 – No Class Week 13: Film Presentation Tuesday, April 2 – Begin film presentation: Traitor Thursday, April 4 – No Class: Instructor to the Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association in San Francisco, CA Week 14: Democracy Tuesday, April 9 – Conclude film presentation: Traitor. o Writing Assignment due in class
Thursday, April 11 – The Democratic Peace o Maoz, Zeev and Bruce Russett. 1993. “Normative and Structural Causes of Democratic Peace.” American Political Science Review 87(3): 624-638. o Bueno de Mesquita, Bruce, James D. Morrow, Randolph M. Siverson, and Alastair Smith. 1999. “An Institutional Explanation for the Democratic Peace.” American Political Science Review 93 (4): 791-807. o Traitor critical reviews due in class/film quiz Week 15 – International Law and International Political Economy Tuesday, April 16 – International Law and Organizations o Baldwin, Ch. 11-12 (skim Ch. 6) o Rochester, Martin. 2006. Between Peril and Promise: The Politics of International Law. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, Ch. 3 (BB) Thursday, April 18 – International Political Economy o Grieco, Joseph M. and G. John Ikenberry. 2003. State Power and World Markets. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Co., Ch. 2 (BB) o Chang, Ha-Joon. 2003. “Kicking Away the Ladder: Infant Industry Promotion in Historical Perspective.” Oxford Development Studies 31(1): 21-33 (BB) Week 16: International Political Economy, Sanctions, and Foreign Aid Tuesday, April 23 – IPE, cont. o Oatley, Thomas. 2008. International Political Economy: Interests and Institutions in the Global Economy, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Pearson, Ch. 10 (BB) o Grieco, Joseph M. and G. John Ikenberry. 2003. State Power and World Markets. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Co., Ch. 3 (BB) Thursday, April 25 – Sanctions and Foreign Aid o Baldwin, David. 1999. “The Sanctions Debate and the Logic of Choice.” International Security 24 (3): 80-107. o Lektzian, David J. and Christopher M. Sprecher. 2007. “Sanctions, Signals, and Militarized Conflict.” American Journal of Political Science 51(2): 415-431. o Bueno de Mesquita, Bruce. 2010. Principles of International Politics, 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, Ch. 9 (BB) Final Exam: Tuesday, May 7 from 8-10 a.m. in HSS 106 **Note – the instructor reserves the right to amend this course schedule at any time**
