Syllabus
As a condition of enrollment, all students are obligated to be familiar with the policies and procedures governing examinations, quizzes and paper assignments.Course Objectives
This course aims to acquaint students with the general knowledge and analytical tools necessary to understand, evaluate, and respond to an increasingly complex array of international problems. Toward this end, students are expected to:- understand the significance of major events shaping the international system over the past century;
- appreciate the value of critical thinking, the role of individual and cultural values and perceptions, and the importance of empirical evidence in analyzing international problems;
- analyze the major dimensions of contemporary international relations including the role of power, the structure of the international system, the meaning of security, and the importance of economic relations;
- identify and appreciate the significance of the principal issues, arenas, actors and institutions in international relations;
- assess the arguments and evidence surrounding a controversial issue in world politics and write a brief paper sting your own position;
- think about international relations beyond the level of the specific event;
- be familiar with the names and geographic location of most contemporary states.
Text
Kegley, Charles W., Jr. and Eugene R. Wittkopf. 2001. World Politics: Trend and Transformation, 8th Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins.
Students of international relations should maintain an awareness of the international events shaping our world. The best way to do this is by reading one of the major national newspapers (e.g., Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post,) on a regular basis. See OnlineNewspapers.com for an extensive list of world newspapers online. Many other news services are also available online (e.g., ABC News, CNN Interactive, BBC World Service, Reuters News Service). In addition, daily subscriptions to the print version of the New York Times are available on campus for a very attractive discount.
Schedule
Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do what you have to do, when you have to do it, whether you like it or not. This is the first lesson to be learned. -Thomas HuxleyWeeks 1 & 2: Introduction to International Relations Kegley & Wittkopf, Chaps. 1 & 2 Week 3: Foreign Policy Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 3 Map quiz 1: Western Europe Week 4: Great Powers Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 4 Week 5: Nonstate Actors Kegley & Wittkopf, Chaps. 6 & 7 Map quiz 2: Latin America Week 6: The Global South Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 5 Exam I: Week 7: International Conflict Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 12 Map quiz 3: Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union Week 8: Military Power Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 13 Week 9: Coercive Diplomacy Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 14 Map quiz 4: Middle East Week 10: The Realist Road to Security Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 15 Week 11: Liberal Institutionalism Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 16 Exam II: Map quiz 5: Northern Africa Week 12: Trade and Money Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 8 Week 13: Globalization Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 9 Map quiz 6: Southern Africa Week 14: Population Politics Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 10 Week 15: The Environment and the Future Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 11 Map quiz 7: Asia Week 16: Toward a New World Order? Kegley & Wittkopf, Chap. 17 Exam III: