Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1 hour / session
Recitations: 1 session / week, 1 hour / session
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the politics of international relations. The primary purpose is to understand the causes of conflict and cooperation in the international system. We will first engage prevailing theories of international relations and then apply these theories to understand both historical and current events. To do this, we will engage classic and contemporary readings in international relations theory and then apply them to contemporary events in the news. Applications include war initiation, interstate economic relations, economic growth, crisis bargaining, international terrorism, nuclear strategy, international law, human rights, and environmental politics.
Readings
Required Textbook
Jeffrey Frieden, David Lake and Kenneth Schultz, World Politics: Interests, Interactions, and Institutions. 5th ed. Norton, 2021. ISBN: 9780393872231.
Note: You can get by with the 4th edition if that’s easier to track down.
For additional readings, see the Readings section.
News
We will sometimes begin class by pulling up an online news source and discussing how concepts from class might help us understand ongoing world events. You will be more prepared for these discussions if you keep track of the news yourself, using, for example, The New York Times and Fox News.
Grading Policy
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Short policy memos (3 x 5% each) | 15% |
| Midterm exam | 15% |
|
Long policy memo
|
35% |
|
Participation Students are expected to take an active role in lectures and discussion sections. Participation is graded on quality, not quantity. Participation can take many forms. We expect all students to express opinions respectfully and to respond to those of others respectfully. Your participation grade will reflect whether or not it is clear to us that you have done the readings. |
5% |
| Final Exam | 30% |
For further detail on the activities above, see the Assignments section.
