University of Nevada, Las Vegas Department of Political Science Political Science 231: World Politics Prof. Jonathan R. Strand Summer 2010 Phone: 702-895-3356 E-mail: use WebCampus email only Office Hours: Webcampus and by appointment Office: WRI B210 Login to Course WebCampus Site: https://webcampus.nevada.edu Instructor’s homepage: http://faculty.unlv.edu/jstrand Computer Issues For passwords, access issues and other computer problems contact the Student Computing Services Help Desk at 702-895-0761. Alternatively you can use to the WebCampus Presidium Support site at http://supportcenteronline.com Student Accommodation: The Disability Resource Center (DRC) coordinates all academic accommodations for students with documented disabilities. The DRC is the official office to review and house disability documentation for students, and to provide them with an official Academic Accommodation Plan to present to the faculty if an accommodation is warranted. Faculty should not provide students accommodations without being in receipt of this plan. UNLV complies with the provisions set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, offering reasonable accommodations to qualified students with documented disabilities. If you have a documented disability that may require accommodations, you will need to contact the DRC for the coordination of services. The DRC is located in the Student Services Complex (SSC), Room 137, and the contact numbers are: VOICE (702) 895-0866, TTY (702) 895-0652, FAX (702) 895-0651. For additional information, please visit: http://studentlife.unlv.edu/disability. Course Content: This course surveys the subfield of political science concerned with the scientific study of power, institutions, structures, and change in international relations. The class discussions will focus on debates among different theoretical approaches to the study of international relations. After taking this course students will be familiar with concepts, theories, and methods used in the study of international relations. Readings: In addition to the main textbook, the instructor will from time to time post additional readings. These additional readings are required. Discussion, quiz, and exam questions may be based on the additional readings. Students should read all materials by midnight each Tuesday. Course Requirements: Exams: There will be four 100 point exams. Please note that all exams must be taken during the officially scheduled time. Graded Discussions: There will be six discussions using the message board feature; your lowest discussion grade will be dropped. Discussions are worth 10 points each. Discussions are only open for a limited amount of time. Discussions will generally start each Wednesday morning and will be open for a limited time. Rules for Discussion: • Posts must be germane to the question; posts must be respectful. • Students must post to the discussion at least twice each week, on two different days. • Students must make their first posting by Thursday at midnight each week.• Minimal (e.g., one or two words) responses are not sufficient to earn full credit. • Students who do most of their posting during the last 24 hours of the discussion cannot earn more than 5 points. Participation and Communication: The instructor usually will reply to email questions and concerns within 24 hours. Please understand, however, there may be times where it will take longer for a reply. Announcements will be made on the course homepage if the instructor will be unavailable for any extended period. The instructor expects students to log-in on a regular basis and participate. Failure to log-on at least once a week will have a deleterious effect on your final grade. Summary of Grading Assignment Points Exams 400 Discussions 50 Total 450 Incompletes will only be offered when requested in writing on behalf of a student by the Chair of the Department of Political Science or the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. All grade disputes must be in writing. Students who expect to miss class because of the observance of a religious holiday will have an opportunity to make up missed work given that the instructor has been notified in writing regarding the anticipated absence by the last day of late registration. Students who expect to miss class due to an officially sanctioned, UNLV activity (e.g., intercollegiate athletics) must notify the instructor in writing at least 7 days prior to the anticipated absence and provide written verification of participation. The instructor reserves the right to have students’ assignments submitted electronically and assessed by plagiarism detection software. The University requires all members of the University Community to be familiar with and to follow copyright and fair use laws. You are individually and solely responsible for violations of copyright and fair use laws. The University will neither protect nor defend you nor assume any responsibility for employee or student violations of fair use laws. Violations of copyright laws could subject you to federal and state civil penalties and criminal liability as well as disciplinary action under University policies. To help familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, the University encourages you to visit its copyright page at: www.unlv.edu/committees/copyright. Plagiarism of any form will result in a failing grade for the course and the instructor will file a case with the Office of Student Conduct. Required Texts: J.S. Goldstein and J.C. Pevehouse (2010) International Relations. 9th Edition, New York: Longman. Course Outline: The instructor reserves the right to adjust this schedule as needed. Students are expected to read the textbook, and the additional readings listed below. Note that during the semester additional required reading may be added to this outline. Date Topic Textbook Additional Reading Assignment July 6-12 Introduction Chapter 1 “In quite a state: Defining what makes a country” Economist April 8, 2010 Realism and Neorealism Chapter 2 Discussion 1 Alternatives to Realism Chapters 3&4 Exam #1 July 13-19 International Conflict Chapter 5 Discussion 2Military Force and Terrorism Chapter 6 John Mueller (2005) “Six Rather Unusual Propositions