International Relations and World Politics POLI 150 Course Objective This course is designed to achieve two objectives to introduce you to some of the most important issues of international politics and to introduce you to some analytic concepts that can be used to study these issues To achieve these objectives the course is divided into four sections In the first two sections we focus on what has long been considered the central problem of international politics war and peace and develop the realist and the liberal perspectives on the problem of war In the third and fourth sections we focus on a few lesstraditional concerns of international politics the international economic system and globalization economic development over population and environmental degradation Course Requirements Your grade for this course will be based on your performance on four tests and in your recitation section Each test is worth 20 percent of your grade The recitation section will count for the other 20 percent of the final grade A 10 page paper will also be required exclusive of in class exams Policy on Unexcused Absences and Make Up Exams You are required to be present for all scheduled exams The only allowable exception to this policy is a documented medical emergency If you miss a scheduled exam you will be allowed to take a make up test but there will be a substantial penalty The Honor Code is in effect in this class and all others at the University I am committed to treating Honor Code violations seriously and urge all students to become familiar with its terms set out at http instrument unc edu If you have questions it is your responsibility to ask me about the Code s application All exams written work and other projects must be submitted with a statement that you have complied with the requirements of the Honor Code in all aspects of the submitted work 1 Course Readings Readings for this course will be available at the bookstore on reserve and or accessible from Blackboard Books to Buy Understanding International Conflicts by Joseph S Nye Jr Fourth edition 2003 International Political Economy by Thomas Oatley First edition 2004 Taking Sides World Politics ed by John T Rourke Tenth edition 2002 Taking Sides Global Issues ed by Harf Lombardi First edition 2001 1 From an August 21 2003 Memo from Robert Shelton Provost and Judith Wegner Chair of the Faculty 2 Lecture Schedule and Readings I Realism Systemic Wars and the Structure of the International System 15002000 Aug 27 and Sept 3 Why are they Fighting Realism and International Conflict Reading Joseph Nye Understanding International Conflicts Chapter 1 Sept 8 Power Transition and the First World War Reading Joseph Nye Understanding International Conflicts Chapter 3 The Fourteen Points WEB LINK The Atlantic Charter WEB LINK Sept 10 and 15 The Treaty of Versailles the Second World War and the American System Reading Joseph Nye Understanding International Conflicts Chapter 4 Sept 17 The Cold War and What Now Reading Joseph Nye Understanding International Conflicts Chapter 5 and John Lewis Gaddis The Long Peace Elements of Stability in the Postwar International System Sept 22 Test 1 II Liberalism Conflict and Cooperation in The International System Sept 24 Liberalism and International Conflict Reading Joseph Nye Understanding International Conflicts Pages 41 48 Sept 29 and Oct 1 The Prisoners Dilemma is Cooperation Possible Reading Bueno de Mesquita Cooperation Through Repeated Interaction and TBA Oct 6 Liberalism International Institutions and Conflict Reading Mearsheimer Why We Will Soon Miss the Cold War Oct 8 13 and 15 Ethnic Conflict in the International System Reading Marina Ottaway Post Imperial Africa at War Oct 22 Test 2 3 III Globalization and the International Political Economy Oct 27 Introduction to IPE and the International Economic System Reading Oatley Ch 1 all Ch 2 pp 18 26 Oct 29 Hegemonic Stability and the International Economy Reading Oatley Ch 2 pp 26 42 Nov 3 and 5 Who Wins and Who Loses From Globalization Reading Burtless et al Globaphobia Chapter 4 Nov 10 Multinational Corporations in the Global Economy Reading Oatley Ch 5 all Nov 12 and 17 The Globalization Debate Reading Oatley Ch 2 pp 51 73 Nov 19 Test 3 IV Special Topics in International Politics Nov 24 and 26 Terrorism Reading TBA Dec 1 Imperialism and Dependency Reading Theoretical Explanations of Development Dec 3 Population Environmental Stress and Economic Development Reading Assessing Global Demographic Trends Dec 8 Resource Scarcity and International Conflict Reading Kaplan The Coming Anarchy Dec 17 Final Exam Hanes Art Center 121 8 AM 4 POLI 86 Recitations Twenty percent 20 of your final grade will be based on your performance in the recitation section The section grade will be based on 1 Quizzes Short and easy quizzes on the reading will be administered every week Your average on these quizzes will largely determine your section grade Thus it is very important that you read the assigned controversies before going to section Your grade will be a simple average of your quiz scores and will range from 0 to 100 2 Participation you should be prepared and willing to participate in discussions about the week s controversy Participation will be factored into your final section grade 3 Attendance Each student is allowed 1 unexcused absence each additional unexcused absence will be penalized by subtracting 3 33 points from your final section grade See the first page of the course syllabus for my definition of unexcused absence Make up quizzes from unexcused absences will be allowed but penalized Readings All Readings are posted on blackboard in the course documents section In some cases you will be directed to the external links section of blackboard And yes these readings may be on the exams 5 Recitation Schedule and Readings Week One Sept 1 5 Note No Monday Recitations Due to the Holiday Iraq and the Status of the Conflict Adeed Karen Dawisha How to Build a Democratic Iraq Reuel Marc Gerecht Help Not Wanted Yitzhak Nakash The Shi ites and the Future of Iraq Week Two Sept 8 12 Should the United States Seek Global Hegemony YES Robert Kagan from The Benevolent Empire NO Charles William Maynes from The Perils of and for an Imperial America Joseph S Nye Jr U S Power and Strategy After Iraq Week Three Sept 15 19 North Korea and Nuclear Proliferation James Laney Jason Shaplen How to Deal With North Korea Henry Sokolski and Victor Gilinsky No New Deals with North Korea Week