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Political Science 124-100, International Relations M-W 11:45A - 12:40P Eggers Hall 010 (Registration number 13164)
Instructor James P. Bennett, jbennett@syr.edu, 443-1749 Office hours M 3-4, W 1:30-3 pm & by appointment, Maxwell Hall 405B Discussion session 124-101, F 12:50 - 1:45P, Maxwell Hall 108 Heather Pincock, Eggers Hall 027, 443-9914, hpincock@maxwell.syr.edu office hours We 1-3 pm and by appointment Discussion session 124-102, F 1:55P - 2:50P, Hall of Languages 421 Heather Pincock, Eggers Hall 027, 443-9914, hpincock@maxwell.syr.edu office hours We 1-3 pm and by appointment Discussion session 124-103, Th 4:00P - 4:55P, Eggers Hall 113 Vlad Kravtsov, Eggers Hall 023, 443- vnkravts@maxwell.syr.edu office hours Tu 12:30-2:30 pm and by appointment Discussion session 124-104, Th 5:00P - 5:55P, Bowne Hall 125 Vlad Kravtsov, Eggers Hall 023, 443- vnkravts@maxwell.syr.edu office hours Tu 12:30-2:30 pm and by appointment
Focus for Fall 2003: Globalization vs. Sovereignty: Critiques by Realism, Marxism and Liberalism This is an introduction to contemporary analyses of international relations. Students will learn three highly influential approaches to explaining and understanding international affairs in the world today. These three are Realism, Marxism, and Liberalism. They will also learn how to argue for and against foreign policy options derived from each of these approaches. They will reach an informed personal judgment about whether world politics are, indeed, "globalizing" -- that is, developing in ways that give borders and distance less meaning -- or whether sovereign and autonomous states will continue, individually or in coalition, to shape most outcomes as they have done for the past 300 years. Determination of the course grade: (1) 50% of the grade is determined by one's performance on 6 of 8 quizzes. A quiz may occur at any class meeting (lecture or discussion), except #1, 2, 3, 22 and 23. Each quiz presents you with two questions. You will have 15 minutes to respond to both questions. (I don't expect that someone who is prepared will require more than 10 minutes to write fine answers. If you finish before time expires, please sit quietly!) The syllabus will offer a link to three questions for each meeting date. At least one of the questions on a quiz will be drawn from the three questions for that meeting. The second question will (with probability 2/3) also come from those questions, or (with probability 1/3) be a relatively general question about the readings assigned for that date. Each quiz question is graded 0 <-> 4, so that each quiz is worth 0 <-> 8 points. However, if your total for a quiz is 0, we award 1 point just for turning in the blue book. If you are absent, you receive 0 points. (Students are responsible for knowing the rules governing excused absences, and for informing the instructor (by email to jbennett@syr.edu) of absences, when possible, prior to the class meeting.) (2) 25% of the grade comes from performance on the first test (October 20) and 25% comes from performance on the second test (offered at the time and place of the scheduled final examination). The tests have the same format. Each will present you with two questions, drawn from a list of 15 questions which will be announced about 10 days before the test. A review session will be held before each test to explain the questions. Many of the questions will be enlargements of questions prepared for the quizzes. Each question of a test is graded 0 <-> 12, so that each test is worth 0 <-> 24 points. Examples of excellent answers will be linked to the syllabus. Students who have valid excuses for missing a quiz or test will be permitted to sit for a makeup test at an appropriate time and place. Disabilities: If you experience any learning disability described here, please see me to work out an accommodation. Honesty: This course applies the Maxwell School's policy of academic integrity. No books, notes or other material assistance may be used at any of the quizzes or tests. Violation of this policy results in a grade of F for the course and possibly other disciplinary measures applied by the university. Lectures: The course schedule imposes very short lecture periods. We shall try to present the most important points and to clarify these, where needed, by discussion. Additionally, from time to time I shall add informal notes to this syllabus, each linked to a class meeting. Discussions: Discussions will be used to explain material presented in lectures and often to introduce new material relevant to the readings required for the week. Note that quizzes are just as likely to occur during discussion meetings as during lecture meetings. Attendance: Note that the quiz scores contribute 50% to the course grade. If you miss a class, only the professor (not the course assistants) can authorize you to become eligible to take a make-up quiz later. The professor is much more sympathetic to authorize make-ups if contacted prior to the date of the miss classed. Required reading: (1) John Baylis and Steve Smith, eds., The Globalization of World Politics, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, 2001. (Copies available for purchase at Follett's Orange Bookstore; one copy on 24-hour reserve at Bird Library.) (2) Charles W. Kegley, Jr. and Gregory A. Raymond, Exorcising the Ghosts of Westphalia: Building World Order in the NewMillenium. Prentice-Hall, 2002. (Copies available for purchase at Follett's Orange Bookstore.) (3) Pages of lecture notes linked to this syllabus. During the semester, I edit and often extend these linked notes.
Schedule: [BS denotes the book by Baylis & Smith; KR denotes that by Kegley & Raymond] 1. M August 25 [BS 1] Does "globalization" mark the end of the system of "sovereign states"? Introduction to the course. What's IR? A description of what you will accomplish. Where in the world is Westphalia? Why should we care? "Globalization" -- does "post-Cold War" mean a "post-Westphalian international system"? Part I: Competing world views, contested values and objectives 2. W August 27 [BS 2] The Big 3 -- families of theories: Realism, Marxism, Liberalism Abstraction and generalization; knowledge claims, theories On the importance of MoMs 3. Th/F Discussion 1 [BS 3] Examples of theory; examples of practice [M Labor Day] 4. W September 3 [BS 4,5] Q International histories Each of the Big 3 offers a different interpretation of the past. Example 1: Rise of the state Example 2: The German Problem 5. Th/F Discussion 2 [BS 6] Q A Critical episodes in the evolution of the state system 6. M September 8 Q How did the Cold War end? [Last day to add any course.] Answers from a Realist perspective; different answers from a Liberal perspective; yet different answers from a Marxist perspective 7. W September 10 Q A [BS 7] Realism Essential (abstract) concepts and key claims Varieties of Realism 8. Th/F Discussion 3 Q Many Realisms: disputes within the family 9. M September 15 Q [Financial deadline for dropping courses.] Neorealisms Can one resolve the 'security dilemma'? Is prolonged international cooperation possible? 10. W September 17 Q A [BS 10] Marxism Essential (abstract) concepts and key claims Leninism World Systems Theory 11. Th/F Discussion 4 Q Many Marxisms: disputes within the family 12. M September 22 Q [BS 8] Liberalism Essential (abstract) concepts and key claims Public international goods and the problem of 'free riders' The evolution of liberalism: four periods 13. W September 24 Q [BS 9] Marriage of two families? Neo-liberal institutionalism 14. Th/F Discussion 5 Q A Has Liberalism triumphed? 15. M September 29 Q Review and comparison of the Big 3 Why not a Big 4th or 5th, or Little 6th family of theory? 16. W October 1 Q [KR Introduction & 1] The beginnings of the interstate system. Time travel to October 1, 1603: What was the "international system" like then? Five major sources of instability (pick your perspective!) 17. Th/F Discussion 6 [KR 2] Q Proximate causes of the 30 Years' War M October 6 [KR 3] No class on Yom Kippur. Idealism, power politics, "enormities" and exhaustion [KR flunk history] Test questions announced on this page. 18. W October 8 Q [KR 4, 5] Making peace The Treaties of Westphalia Aftermath 19. Th/F Discussion 7 Q Are there any lessons from the 30 Years' War? What are some similarities and differences between 1648 and 2002? 20. M October 13 Addition Q [BS 12] National and international security 21. W October 15 Q [BS 23] Economic and political integration 22. Th/F Discussion 8 optional BS 16, 23] Discussion of test questions. 23. M October 20 Test 1 Answers (held in the lecture room) 24. W October 22 Q A [BS 13] International political economy (IPE) Contrasts among the Big 3: what does IPE mean? Emphasis upon the Marxist theory family 25. Th/F Discussion 9 Q A Reasons why one must separate politics from economics; reasons why one cannot -- which reasoning is more persuasive? 26. M October 27 Q [BS 17] Transnational relations Do even the Boy Scouts tend to subvert the interstate system? The varieties of boundaries in 2002: from the Korean DMZ to the Schengen zone 27. W October 29 Q [BS 20] Nationalism As ideology As practice Is the nation-state stable and peaceful? (Do any exist?) 28. Th/F Discussion 10 Q What is the future of nationalism? (Bring your favorite national -- not state -- flag!) 29. M November 3 Q [BS 21, 25] Should we replace IR by 'intercultural relations' or even 'intercivilization relations'? Do distinctive cultures remain, or is it all jeans and MP3 players? Do we observe a 'clash of civilizations'? 30. W November 5 Q [BS 22, 26] 'Failed states' The problem of anarchy within states Do all states 'fail' in important regards? 31. Th/F Discussion 11 Q A Intervention for state building: What are some justifications? What are some objections? [At any date after November 9, the makeup quiz may occur in lecture or section(s).] 32. M November 10 Q [BS 25, 28] Humanitarian intervention Does the enforcement of basic human rights necessarily undermine state sovereignty? If it does, is that good or bad? 33. W November 12 Q A [BS 14, 16] International organizations Orders and partial orders Regimes (as the term is used in the study of international affairs) 34. Th/F Discussion 12 Q A The "United Nations system" -- structures and practices [F November 14 Last day to withdraw from a course.] 35. M November 17 Q International law Customary law Negotiated (treaty) law Can law restrain power? Disputes among Realists By popular (well, 2 persons') request, try this link. 36. W November 19 Q [BS 15] Diplomacy and statecraft Do cookie pushers pull their weight? Diplomacy by non-state entities Test questions announced. 37. Th/F Discussion 13Q Careers in international affairs 38. M November 24 Q [BS 24] Managing the international economy Cautionary lessons of the Great Depression Aspirations, machinery, recent record of successes and failures Debates between Liberals and Marxists [Eid el Fitr and Thanksgiving vacation {at last!}] 39. M December 1 Q This class meeting is cancelled. Managing international insecurities Lessons of WW1 and WW2 The new 900 pound gorilla: unilateralism by the sole Superpower Debates between Realists and Liberals 40. W December 3 [KR 8]Q Retrospective and rash predictions Test questions announced on this page. 41. F December 5 Optional Review sessions for the test, 1-2:45 and 3-4:45 in {room PB 104}. Test 2 during scheduled final examination for 124-100, Mon, Dec 8, 2:45 - 4:45 pm, Eggers 010 Answers If you have a time conflict between final examinations, or if you are scheduled to take three finals in one day, then contact me BEFORE DEC 4 to arrange a different time for the exam.
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