Last%updated:%17%January%2012% 1% Political(Science(174(Rise(and(Fall(of(Great(Powers(Tufts%University%Spring%Semester%2012%http://researchguides.library.tufts.edu.ezproxy.library.tufts.edu/PoliticalScience174%%Prof.%Taliaferro%%Block%D+:%Tues.,%Thurs.%10:30L11:45%a.m.%%Packard%Hall%112%%Writing%Fellows:%TBA%(617)%627L5847%%%%Office%Hours:%Mon.%10:00L12:00%or%by%appointment%%%OVERVIEW(Why%do%some%great%powers%flourish%while%others%decline?%Under%what%conditions%does%the%international%system%move%from%relative%calm%to%the%point%whe re%great%powe rs%initiate%devastating%systemLwide%wars%or%hardLline%strategie s%th a t%in c re as e %th e %risk %o f%w a r%th r ou g h %in ad v e rte n t%e sc ala t ion ? %H o w %c a n %vic to rious%great%powers%construct%stable%international%orders%after%major%wars?%How%do%mass%revolutions%within%major%states%affect%the%international%balanceLofLpower%and%the%likelihood%of%interstate%war?%Do%the%grand%strategies%of%great%powers%in%the%past%offer%lessons%for%the%United%States%and%China%in%the%twentyLfirst%century?%%%The%course%examine s%h ow%inte rnationa l%a n d%dom e s tic %fo rc e s%s h a p e d %t h e %g ra n d %s tra t e gie s %o f%F r a n ce ,%Great%Britain,%Prussia/Germany,%Japan,%Russia/Soviet%Union,%and%the%United%States%from%the%seventeenth%century%to%the%midLtwentieth %cen tu ry.%It%the n%d ra w s %"les so n s"%fr om%the%pa st%to %h elp %u n de rs tan d %th e%future%trajectory%o f%the%g ran d%stra tegie s%of%C hin a%an d%th e%U .S..%%Fin a lly ,%it%in t ro d u c e s%s tudents %to %basic%principles%of%social%science%methodology,%including%the %a bility%to%formul a te %re s e a rc h %q uestion s ,%d e ri ve %testable%hypo the ses,%co llect%and %an alyze %data ,%and %com m u n icate%th eo retica l%conc ep ts%and %em p irical%findings.%Prerequisite:(PS%61:%Introduction%to%International%Relations%%PS(174(TRUNK(site:(http://Trunk.tufts.edu(%This%course%makes%extensive%use%Trunk,%the%new%SakaiLbased%learning%management%platform%for%the%Schools%of%Arts%&%Sciences,%Engineering,%and%the%Fletcher%School.%%Your%Trunk%username%and%password%are%the%same%as%those%for%your%Tufts%University%email%account.%%You%must%submit%all%written%assignments%to%the%Assignment%area%of%the%PS%174%Trunk%site%a s%Microsoft%Word%files%by%the%deadlines%on%the%last%page%of%this%syllabus.!I!do!not!accep t!p a p e r!c o p ie s!o r!e mail!cop ie s!of!assignments.!I!do!not!accept!file!formats!other!than!MS!Word.!There!are!no!exceptions.!Please!plan!accordingly.%READINGS(Portions%of%the%following%books%are%required%reading.%You%can%purchase%them%at%the%Tufts%University%Bookstore.%Alternatively,%you%can%purchase%them%on%Amazon.com%or%BarnesandNoble.com%often %a t%a %discount.%I%will%also%place%c o p ie s %o f%t h e %b o o k s%on%thre eLhour%reserve%at%Tisch%Library.%1. Dale%C.%Copeland,%The!Origins!of!Major!W a r!(Ith aca :%Corn ell%U niv ersity%P ress ,%2000 )%ISBN %97 8 L0L8014L8757L6%%2. Williamson%Murray,%MacGregor%Knox,%and%Alvin%Bernstein,%eds.,%The!Making!of!Strategy:!Rulers,!States,!and!War%(Cambr id g e:%Camb rid g e %U niversity %P re ss ,%1 9 9 6 )%IS B N%0L521L56627L4%Last%updated:%17%January%2012% 2% 3. Robert%S.%Ross%and%Zhu %Fe n g,%ed s.,%China’s!Ascent:!Power,!Security,!and!the!Future!of!Internat io n a l!Po lit ics !(Ithac a:%Co rn ell%Un ivers ity%Pres s,%200 8)%ISB N %978L0L8014L7444L6%4. Stephen%Van%Evera,%Guide!to!Methods!for!Students!of!Political!Science!(Ithaca:%Cornell%U niv ersity%Press,%1997)%ISBN%0L8014L8457Lx%5. %Steph e n %M.%Wa lt,%Revolution!and!War%(Ithaca:%Co rn e ll%U n iv e r sity %P r es s ,%1 9 97 ) %IS B N %0L8014L8297L6%There%are%also%required%readings%from%scholarly%jo u r n a ls,%select%papers%from %t h e %“Grand%Strategy%in%Historical%and%Comparative%Perspectives:%%Implications %for%USLChina%Relations”%conference%held%at%Texas%A&M%University%in%Octo b e r%2 0 1 0 ,%a n d %c h a p t e rs %from%a%b o o k %manu sc ri p t%t h a t%I%am %coLediting %w it h %S te v e n %E.%Lobell%and%Norrin%M.%Ripsman,%The!Challenge!of!Grand!Strategy:!The!Great!Powers!and!th e!Bro ken !Balance!of!Power!between!the!World!Wars!(Cambrid ge :%Cam b ridg e%U n iversity %Press ,%forthc oming).%There%are%stable%hyperlinks%on%this%syllabus%and%on%the%PS%174%Trunk%to%variou s%e le c tronic%jou rn a ls %to %which%the%Tufts%University%Libraries%subscribe.%I%h av e %sa ve d %c o p ies %o f%t h e%d r a ft%b o o k %ch a p t er s%a n d %conference%papers%as%*.pdf%files%on%Trunk.%%Please%note%this%course%requires%extensive%reading%in%the%IR%subfield%of%political%science%and%diplomatic%history,%occasionally%up%100%to%150%pages%per%week.%Some%days%and%weeks%have%heavier%reading%loads%than%do%othe rs,%so%ple ase %plan %acco rdin gly.%If%you%are %un w illing%to%assu m e%this%b urd en ,%you %shou ld%N O T%take%this%course.%%REQUIREMENTS(The%four%requirements%for%this%course:%• Class%Participation%(10%,%ongoing%assessment)%• A%15L20%page%research%paper%(75%%in%total)%o Research%puzzle%statement%and%annotated%bibliography%(10%)%o Summary%introduction%and%theory%section%(20%)%o Complete%paper%(45%)%• National%Security%Team%Presentations%(15%)%Class(Participation(and(Conduct((10%)(Please%remember%the%following%guidelines%for%class%participation.%%%• Please%come%to%class%prepared%to%discuss%the%assigned%readings.%Class%sessions%will%be%a%mixture%of%lectures,%discussions,%and%formal%debates.%%• If%you%m is s%a %cla s s%meeting%due%to%illness,%a%family%emergency,%or%observance%of%a%religious%holy%day,%it%is%your%responsibility%to%get%the%notes%from%a%classmate .%Freq u ent!a nd !un exp lain ed !absences!will!hurt!your!grade.!Please!plan!accordingly.%%• Contributing%to%class%discussions%will%help%your%grad e,%b u t%dominating!class!discussions!will!not.!!• I!encour a ge !y o u !to !ra is e!q u e st io n s!d u ring%class.%Cha n ce s %are %th a t%if %yo u %a re%c o n fu se d %o n %an %is su e ,%a%good%number%of%your%classmates%are%confused%as%well.%%Last%updated:%17%January%2012% 3% • Remember,%it%is%perfectly%obvious%to%me%when%students%use%laptops%for%purposes%other%than%taking%notes.%It%is%also%obvio us%to %m e%w he n%stu de nts%are %textin g%on %their%PD As %and %cell%ph on es,%reading%period ica ls,%and %listenin g%to%M P 3%pla yers .%Such!disrespectful!behavior!toward!your!fellow!students!and!me!will!have!a!very!negative!effect!on!your!grade.!I!reserve!the!rig h t!t o !a sk !re p e a t!offenders!to!leave!the!classroom.%•
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