First class 8/27 (wed), first real class 9/3 which is wed after Thanksgiving, 26 real classes before thanksgiving (27 if count wed AM pre thanksgiving) but miss 2 (midterm, midterm review), 4 classes after thanksgiving but miss 1/2 SRTEs, last day is summary/review.
Political Science 14: International Relations
Fall 1998
Professor Scott Bennett
154 N. Burrowes
865-6566
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday 3:00-5:00 PM
and by appointment.
Class: Lecture 9:05 AM to 9:55 PM Monday and Wednesday, plus required discussion section.
Course Goals and Overview
This is the introductory political science course on international politics. This course has three major goals. First, you should come away from this course with an idea of what the scientific study of “Political Science” is all about. Second, you should come away from the course knowing some general theories (explanations) for international behavior that you should use when you think about international politics in the future. Third, I want to introduce you to a number of important topics in international politics that are particularly important both to scholars and to the world. These include the end of the Cold War, nuclear weapons, international economics, and international development. Throughout the course you will also learn a number of important facts about the world, hopefully including where countries are on a map, which are important to any well-educated person.
The course is divided into several parts. In the first section, we will examine the motivation for the whole field of political science. We will define politics, science, and examine the importance of theory. We will also examine the current international system and how it evolved. In the second section of the course we will examine several theories of international political behavior. Theories are simply general explanations for why countries and others in the international system do what they do. Initially, we will primarily consider the implications of these theories for understanding general cooperation and conflict. In the third section of the class, we will look at several of the most important topics of concern to political scientists, and consider how the theories we learned in part 2 can help us understand the world.
Grading and Class Policies
Discussion Section Grade 20% (participation plus assignments to be announced by your TA)
2 short papers; the first is worth 10%, the second is worth 15%
MidTerm 25%
Final 30% (Tuesday, December 15, 4:40-6:30 PM).
The short writing assignments will be 3-5 pages each, and will be similar to the essay questions you will get in the exams but require longer answers. The midterm will have mainly short answer questions (multiple choice, fill in the blank, true-false, and map identifications); the final exam will also include at least one essay question.
I will give extensions on papers and midterms only in very extreme circumstances. You MUST have an extension approved by me WELL BEFORE the exam or paper deadline. If you miss an exam or a paper, you will receive a 0 on it unless you provide documentation for a university approved absence. Papers will be marked down 1/2 grade for each day they are late. Computer problems are not a valid excuse for late papers. KEEP A BACKUP and a printout of your paper at various stages of your work. When you turn in a paper, keep a printed copy for yourself, and keep the copy on disk. If we cannot find your paper, and you claim you handed it in but cannot find another copy of it, you are out of luck.
I am more than happy to answer questions in office hours, or just chat. Office hours are there for your use -- take advantage of them! If you have another class during my regular office hours, I will schedule a different time with you. If something is unclear, ask questions in class. Some of the ideas presented in class are controversial, especially since the international system is going through an upheaval, and so careful thought and discussion can be very important.
Class Conduct
Debate and discussion are important parts of critically evaluating theories of international relations (or any theories). I expect you to talk to each other in your discussion sections, not just to your TA. Participation by everyone is strongly encouraged, and will make class run much better. BUT, the point of discussion is to use criticism and contrasting opinions to sharpen each other's arguments and bring out hidden assumptions, NOT to destroy each other's ideas or make yourself look better than someone else. NO disparaging remarks, personal insults, derogatory comments, or other unprofessional behavior will be tolerated during discussions or class. Neither will talking, doing crossword puzzles, reading newspapers, or doing other homework.
Plagiarism
An unpleasant topic that we need to discuss is plagiarism. If you don't know what plagiarism is, check with your advisor. Basically, though, plagiarism is taking credit for someone else's work. Examples of plagiarism include turning in a paper written by someone else, or using parts of a book or article without acknowledging the source. I join the University in taking plagiarism very seriously. If I catch someone plagiarizing, I will give that person a 0 on the assignment, and will consider giving you an automatic F for the course, as well as bringing you up on academic charges. It is not hard to avoid plagiarizing -- if you use a quote from someone, acknowledge it in a footnote; if you paraphrase or summarize an argument, cite the source where you got the idea; if you use facts and figures from some source and they are not common knowledge, note the source of your information.
Similarly, cheating will get you a 0 on a test.
Special Circumstances
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible.
I will do my best to make special arrangements for students with any special needs or conflicts as far as course lectures or test-taking circumstances are required. However, if you anticipate a particular requirement, let me know as soon as possible. I will always accommodate legitimate needs, but I am unlikely to accommodate last minute requests. Special circumstances include disabilities and any scheduled activities that you have that conflict with this class, including academic or athletic competitions. If you do not notify me of conflicts early on, I am under no obligation to allow you a make-up exam or assignment extension. Emergencies such as deaths in the family or illness must be documented.
Readings
I expect you to read everything listed on the syllabus for a particular date before class. The lectures will not duplicate the reading. Instead, the lectures will present other viewpoints, relate ideas to the rest of the course, and clarify tricky concepts.
Three items are required for this course:
1. Rourke, John T. 1997. International Politics on the World Stage. Dushkin/McGraw Hill. [Listed in syllabus as “Rourke.”]
2. Rourke, John T. 1998. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in World Politics 8th edition. Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing. [Listed in the syllabus as “Taking Sides.”]
3. You are also required to read the New York Times international news section. You have several options for obtaining daily copies. You may purchase your own copy for a good rate for the semester; you may borrow a friend’s copy; or you may read the paper in the library. Material from the paper is likely to be covered in exams and quizzes, and will be relevant to your writing assignments.
I The Study of International Politics and the International Stage
Day 1: 8/26
Introduction and class policies.
Week 1: 8/31, 9/2
Week 2: 9/7 (No class; labor day), 9/9
What are we studying? Defining Politics, International Politics, and Science
Rourke Chapter 1
Overview and evolution of the international system
Rourke Chapter 2
Rourke Chapter 8
Three key concepts: Anarchy; the security dilemma; Levels of Analysis.
Rourke Chapter 13, pp. 375-381 only
Taking Sides, Issue # 2 (NATO's expansion).
II Theories of International Behavior - Why do States Behave the Way they Do?
II A System Level Theories: How the Structure of the International Environment Affects International Politics
Week 3: 9/14, 9/16
Week 4: 9/21, 9/23
Realism: power and the balance of power
Rourke Chapter 10
Taking Sides, Issue # 5, (Is Geopolitics Still Relevant?).
Taking Sides, Issue # 12, (Human Rights in Foreign Policy).
Neo-realism: the pursuit of security and the influence of system structure
Rourke Chapter 3, especially pp. 64-71
Taking Sides, Issue # 3, (The Future of the US as a Superpower)
Idealism and International Law
Review Rourke pp. 14-22
Rourke Chapter 11
Rourke Chapter 9, pp. 227-238; 247-265
Taking Sides, Issue # 11, (Establishing a Permananent UN Military Force)
Taking Sides, Issue # 15, (UN Conferences)
PAPER ASSIGNMENT # 1 Handed out
II B State Level Theories - Domestic Politics and International Relations
Week 5: 9/28, 9/30
Week 6: 10/5
Domestic politics and interest groups
Public opinion and war
Democracies and war
Rourke Chapter 4
Taking Sides, Issue # 7 (Sanctioning Cuba)
Taking Sides, Issue # 15 (Promoting Democracy)
II C Bureaucratic and Individual Level Theories - Government Organizations and Human Psychology in International Politics
Week 6: 10/7
Week 7: 10/12, 10/14
Bureaucratic politics
Review Rourke pp. 103-106.
A fairly technical document describing the sources of problematic behavior in bureaucracies is at http://www.runet.edu/~lridener/courses/MERTONR2.HTML
A humorous view of buckpassing in bureaucracies is at http://www.mindspring.com/~mdpas/hoohah.html
The human dimension: Individual leaders and biases
Rourke Chapter 5
Week 8: 10/19, 10/21
Catch-up and review
Midterm Exam
III Issues in International Politics
III A The Cold War
Week 9: 10/26, 10/28
History and Causes of the Cold War
History of the Cold War at http://ac.acusd.edu/History/20th/coldwar0.html
The End of the Cold War
III B Nuclear Issues
Week 10: 11/2, 11/4
Nuclear weapons and their effects, Deterrence and nuclear strategy
Rourke Chapter 12, especially 368-374.
A discussion of the effects of various kinds of nuclear explosions are discussed at http://host.envirolink.org/enviroissues/nuketesting/nukeffct/index.html (jump around through these pages to get background for lecture; this site also has movies of nuclear explosions and their effects)
A discussion of nuclear strategy and the effects of a nuclear conflict on social and political institutions is at http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa009.html
III C Post-Cold War Dangers
Week 11: 11/9, 11/11
Nuclear Proliferation
Rourke Chapter 13, 381-410.
Review Rourke Chapter 12, pp. 353-360
Taking Sides, Issue # 10 (Eliminating Nuclear Weapons).
Chemical and Biological weapons
New Forms of Conflict: Terrorism, Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict
Rourke Chapter 6
Review Rourke Chapter 12, pp. 360-363
Taking Sides, Issue # 1, (Future Instability)
PAPER ASSIGNMENT # 2 Handed out -- Due before Thanksgiving
III D International Economic Relations
Week 12: 11/16, 11/18
Week 13: 11/23, 11/25
Thanksgiving Break
Week 14: 11/30, 12/2
Introduction to political economy: the current economic system
Rourke Chapter 14, pp. 427-439
Rourke Chapter 16, pp. 489-510
Taking Sides, Issue # 8 (Global Integration)
Approaches to understanding International Political Economy
Rourke Chapter 14, pp. 411-419
Rourke Chapter 15
Economic futures and Development
Rourke Chapter 14, pp. 419-427
Rourke Chapter 16, pp. 510-522
Taking Sides, Issue # 9 (Development Aid).
III E New Forms of Cooperation: Interdependence and International Institutions
Week 15: 12/7, 12/9
Environmental and other Global Issues
Rourke Chapter 18
Course Summary and Wrap-up
Final Exam (Cumulative): Scheduled for Tuesday, December 15, 4:40-6:30 PM
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