Political Science/International Studies 105

International Relations

Spring 2018

 

Bill Newmann, Political Science Department

Office Hours: 318 Founders Hall: Tuesday and Thursday 12:30-2:00 or By Appointment

Phone: Office: 828-2076 (main POLI number)

e-mail: wnewmann@vcu.edu

Newmann's home page: www.people.vcu.edu/~wnewmann with links to other Newmann syllabi and other fun stuff.

 

 

Introduction

This course is intended to be an introduction to the concepts of international relations theory and the realities of world politics. Don't worry if you haven't taken any courses on international relations before. If you haven't this will get you up to speed on anything you might want to know about international politics. As a required course for the Political Science degree and a core course choice for the International Studies degree, this course is introductory by nature. If you have taken other international relations related courses, this won't be boring: I try to make the discussions we have as relevant to the present world situation as possible. So much has changed within world politics over the past decade that scholars are still trying to understand what it all means. We'll join that discussion over the current state of world politics and the future of the international system.

The premise of this course is that we are living at a momentous time in world history.  Scholars often break up human history into broad eras that may last hundreds or thousands of years. In high school or in other university classes you’ve probably studied the transitions of human society from hunting-gathering to agricultural to an industrialized age. Today we are moving out of the industrial era into the digital or information or computer era (we don’t have a definite word for it yet.). We are 30-70 years into that era (depending on how it’s judged) and it’s unclear how deeply this transforms society, but we do see massive changes already.  Those changes impact our everyday lives and they will have a huge impact on nation-states and the international system. Every aspect of this course will consider that change.  You can’t underestimate how rapidly the world is changing today.

The course will be broken up into three sections. The first section deals with some of the more theoretical aspects of international relations: the nature of the international system, the basic concepts of realism, idealism, and constructivism, the forces of nationalism and transnationalism, national power, and international law. These are mostly theoretical issues, but we need to get a firm grounding in some theory before we venture out into the world and its problems. Essentially, here we lay the groundwork for the substantive discussions to come.  This section will begin with a quick look at how the international system works. We are watching the system change right now. Generally, great powers compete with each other to see who can lead the world.  Sometimes that competition leads to wars (like WW I and WW II) and sometimes one nation can capture a leadership position and make the rules (the UK and the US have done so over the past 200 or so years). Right now, we may be witnessing the transition of leadership from the US to China. Some believe that that transition might include a major war between the US and China or a rivalry that stays just short of direct conflict.  India is the wild care in some views. In short, the betting is that the 21st century is defined by the relationships between the US, India, and China.

The second section is more issue oriented, dealing with issues of international security. We’ll look at these issues on several levels.  First, we’ll on states and why they often go to war and less often seem to find a way to prevent war.  We’ll look at the problems of middle power nation-states that don’t play by established rules of the international system, such as North Korea or Iran. Second, we’ll look at non-state actors.  We’ll look at intergovernmental organizations, such as the United Nations. We’ll also look at organizations (such as al-Qaeda and ISIS). Hopefully we’ll have time to talk about human rights issues here as well. Every aspect of these issues is being changed by the new era: non-state actors have much greater power to set the global agenda; nation-states have lost their monopoly on ideas, on the use of force, and even the control of their own economies.

The third section deals with several issues that have particular relevance to international politics after the Cold War. We will examine international political economy, trade, economic competition, the economics of both the industrialized North and underdeveloped South, the concept of interdependence, the struggle between globalization and regionalism (forces that are pulling nations together or pulling them apart), and international health and demographic issues.  The most obvious economic change is the rapid growth in wealth in the developing world and the emergence of economic powerhouses around the world.  Media generally focuses on bad news, but there is a tremendous amount of good economic news in places where the economic news had typically been bad.  You can find many books and articles that refer to the Chinese economic “miracle” or the Indian economic “miracles” or the African economic “miracle”.  At the same time, the industrialized world -- North America, Europe, and Japan – seem to be witnessing the slowing down of their economies.  We need to understand all of this.

We will also spend time examining current events, as they crop up from time to time.  Though we certainly have a lot to do (the entire world in one semester), we can change the plan of the syllabus as needed. There's no better way to deal with these issues than to watch history happen and discuss its relevance to the issues we deal with in class and readings.

This course is a required course for Political Science majors (and minors) and a core course for both the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness program and the International Studies major (and minor). It also satisfies College of Humanities and Sciences and University General Education requirements.

 

 

Required Texts: Available at Virginia Book Company, the VCU Bookstore, and Bookholders. In general, if you have questions or problems with getting the books or the material in the books, let me know.  Some of the books may be on reserve at Cabell Library room 301.  As I get more info on this, I’ll let you know.

·         Jeffrey Haynes, Peterr Hough, Shahin Malik, and Lloyd Pettiford. World Politics: International Relations and Globalization in the 21st Century, 2nd edition (Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2017) (This will be on reserve eventually; I will keep you posted). JZ 1242.W695 2017

·         Anja Manuel. This Brave New World (New York: Simon and Shuster, 2016) Not on reserve)

·         Joby Warrick. The Black Flags of ISIS (New York: Anchor Books/Penguin, 2016) On reserve HV6433.I722 W37 2015

·         Steven Radelet. The Great Surge (New York: Simon and Shuster, 2015) On reserve  HC59.7 .R235 2015 

 

 

A note on the readings:

Haynes et al is the big IR textbook for the class. We’ll use this book as the big framework for the class.  It is significantly less expensive than other texts, which is one of the reasons I have assigned it.  I think it’s less expensive because it is a British edition. That means it spells some words in the British style: defense is spelled “defence” and globalization is spelled “globalisation.” We’ll get used to it. 

 

Manuel’s book is a great look at the rise of China and India and how that will impact the world. The US has been the clear world power since the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in the late 1980s and early 1990s. That looks like it is going to change.  To understand that, we need to learn about China and India and the political and economic trajectory of those two nations.

Warrick’s book is a Pulitzer Prize winning account of the rise of ISIS.  It’s a lot of history and I don’t expect you to know all the details.  The first point here is to focus on the ideology of ISIS, to understand that it is a political movement that uses a radical interpretation of Islam as its core (an interpretation that is not shared by many Muslims, which is why it has to fight against nearly every nation with a large population of Muslims).  The second point is to focus on how ISIS, a non-state actor, gains its power, power enough to allow it to challenge established nation-states.

 

Radelet’s book looks at the economic growth in the developing world and how that is changing dozens of nation-states and how that is changing the world.  Technology is part of the reason for all the change, but the greater openness of the world economy – expanding free trade – plays a huge part as well. What does this suggest about the future? There are lots of scenarios and Radelet plays around with some of those ideas.

 

Grades

 

Map Quiz Instructions

Printable Blank Maps to use for studying

5% of the grade

January 25

Citation Assignment

10% of the grade

First Draft Due March 1 at the beginning of class in hard copy

Exam 1           

25% of the grade

February 15

Exam 2           

30% of the grade

March 29

Exam 3            (Final)

30% of the grade

May 10 at 8:00 AM (note the time change)

 

How to calculate your grade:  Use the percentages from the above table. So, if you received the following grades, you would calculate your grades in the following manner:

 

Congratulations, you got an A.

 

I give you this very detailed formula for a number of reasons. First, you should never be unaware of what your class average is. You can calculate it at any point in the semester. Second, there are nearly 400 people in this class, so I cannot calculate all your grades for you if you have questions. This way, I don't need to. Third, if your grade is not what you'd like it to be, you should know, and you should come see me about it. Please do not come to me after Exam 3 and say that you're having trouble in the class. It's too late at that point. But any time in the semester that you feel you are having trouble, or not doing as well as you feel you should, come talk to me. During my office hours and by appointment I am happy to talk to you about the class

 

Grading scale: I use a typical scale: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 55-69. Borderline grades are considered in the following manner.

·         If your grade is 69.5, 79.5, or 89.5 or higher, then you may be a candidate for a round up to the higher grade (Notice those numbers in the sentence; do not ask for a higher grade if your average is a 68 or 78 or 88 or lower; those are not borderline averages).

·         You may become a candidate if your grades are borderline and if your grades have been going up during the semester.

·         That means that if you are borderline, but your last exam is lower than the previous exams (you are between a B and C, but your third exam is a C for example), you will probably get the lower grade.

·         If you are borderline, and your last exam is higher than the previous exams (you are between a B and C, but your third exam is a B), you will probably get the higher grade.

·         Another factor I consider is the typical grade you receive. Let’s say we have four grades for the class and three are grades of B and one is a C (bad day) and your average is a 79.6, you are a candidate for receiving a B

·         There is no extra credit for this class.  Please do not ask.

 

Map Quiz

I will explain this the first day of class. For the instructions follow the link.  Here you can find (Printable Blank Maps) to use to study.

 

Exams

The exams will be multiple choice. Before the exam I will place a review sheet on line, linked to this syllabus, below this paragraph. This review sheet should be used as your study guide for the exam. The review sheet will include some terms that are from the readings only, so that you can go back and review those items from the readings. Once you have the review sheet, feel free to ask me questions about the terms. This is the best way to study for the exam. If you understand the terms on the review sheet, you can define each one and see how each one relates to the larger concepts and issues we've discussed in class, you should do just fine on the exam.  After the grades are ready, they will be posted on blackboard.  The reviews will be below this paragraph when they are posted

 

Review I

Review II

Review III

 

 

Citation Assignment

I will explain this the first day of class and you can follow this link to get the detailed instructions. This is due March 1.  This is a super easy assignment, but it will give you some research skills that will be essential to writing research papers in upper level classes. These are skills that a lot of people haven’t received in High School. This assignment provides you with an opportunity to learn these skills in a way that can only help your grade. Everyone will get a 100% on this assignment. See the instructions for what I mean.  . This assignment is due at the beginning of class in hard copy.  If it is late, there is a 50% penalty.

 

 

 

COURSE AND READING SCHEDULE

Important:

1. Do all readings before the assigned class period.

2. The PPT slides will be on line a week before class. I am revising this course, so the PPT slides are not all done yet.  Remember that the PPT slides are not necessarily full of information.  After the first day you’ll see what I mean.  You can’t skip class and then rely on the PPT slides to get you the notes.  Most slides are just illustrations, but some may contain info that can be used in class as a reference.  Take a look at the PPT for the upcoming lecture before class and decide which slides might be useful to bring to class.  If I think something is particularly useful, I will let you know.

 

Week 1: January 15-19: Introduction: The Nature of the International System and Change in the International System

·         Manuel, Introduction and Chapters 1 and 2

·         Nature of the International System PPT

 

 

Week 2, January 22-26: Realism, Idealism/Liberalism, Constructivism (or Power, Law, Identity)

·         Map Quiz

·         Haynes et al, Chapter 6, 7, 11, and 12

·         Manuel, Chapters 3 and 4

 

 

Week 3, January 29—February 2: Realism, Idealism/Liberalism, Constructivism (or Power, Law, Identity) (continued)

·         Theories of International Relations PPT

·         Manuel, Chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9

 

 

Week 4, February 5-9 The Evolution of the International System

·         Evolution of the International System PPT

·         The Future?

·         Haynes et al, Chapters 3, 4, and 5

·         Manuel, Chapters 11 and 12

 

 

 

Week 5, February 12-16: The Future?

·         Exam 1: February 15

·         Manuel, Conclusion (for the second exam)

 

 

Week 6, February 19-23: The Causes of War and Peace

·         Warrick, Chapters 1-7

·         Intro to Security

·         War and Peace.ppt

 

Week 7, February 26—March 2: Non-State Actors: IGOs

·        International Organization PPT

·         March 1: Citation Assignment due at the beginning of class in hard copy

·         Haynes et al, Chapters 13-16

 

 

Spring Break March 5-9

 

 

Week 8, March 12-16: Non-State Actors: NGOs: The Good and the Bad.

·         Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict, and the UN

·         Haynes et al, Chapter 25

·         Warrick, Chapters 8, 9, 17, 18

 

 

Week 9, March 19-23: Modern Terrorism

·         NGOs: The Good

·         NGOs The Bad

·         Warrick, Chapters 19, 20, 21, 22, Epilogue, and Afterword

·         Haynes et al, Chapter 26

 

 

Withdrawal Date March 23

 

 

Week 10, March 26-30: Nuclear Proliferation

·         Exam 2, March 29

·         Haynes et al, Chapter 24

 

 

Week 11, April 2-6: Introduction to International Political Economy

·         Intro to Economics Section

·         IPE

·         William W. Newmann. “A Brief Introduction to Theories of International Political Economy.” Genocide Studies International 10, Number 1 (Spring 2016), pp. 7-26. Available at https://muse.jhu.edu/article/612354/pdf. If the link doesn’t work, go to the VCU libraries main page and look in the “journal finder” search for Genocide Studies International. You can access the article that way. You’ll likely have to log in either way you try to find it.

·         Radelet, Chapters 1-3

 

 

Week 12, April 9-13: The Industrialized World and Globalization

·         Industrial Nations PPT

·         Radelet, Chapters 4-6

 

 

Week 13, April 16-20: The Developing World and Globalization

·         The Developing World PPT

·         East Asian Strategy PPT

·         Radelet, Chapters 7-10

 

 

Week 14, April 23-27: The Environment, Human Rights, and Health

·         Radelet, Chapters 11-13

·         Haynes et al, Chapter 22 and 20

 

 

Week 15, May 1: The Environment, Human Rights, and Health (continued)

·         Haynes et al, Chapter 19

 

 

Exam 3: May 10 from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM (Note the time change!)

 

 

Where can you find information on international affairs? 

This is the questions students always ask me: “Where do I find good information on international affairs? I’m looking for something unbiased and something that doesn’t always look at the world through American eyes (as in how do these developments affect the US).” Here’s the short answer:

For day by day coverage of events in the world:

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/.On a day-by-day basis, no other news organization covers the world as well.  It has separate pages for most regions, links to past stories, links to data bases, all kinds of information that will get you up to speed on anything.

World News Network: http://wn.com/. This is a site which covers day-by-day events by creating links to major news papers around the world.  So if something is happening in Pakistan, for example, there will be several links to stories about the event from web-based sources in S. Asia, E. Asia, Europe, N. America…  It also has links to regional windows with coverage that is more focused.  It even has links to issue-specific compilations of links on various issues.  For example, the science page has sections for stories on AIDS, Biotech, cloning…

On a weekly basis:

The Economist: www.economist.com.  This is a Britain-based weekly which covers world politics and world business.  There really is nothing else like it in the comprehensive nature of its coverage.  You can also buy it on the newsstand, but the web is free.  It covers world politics very well.

Long Term Views of Crisis and Conflict:

International Crisis Group: www.crisisweb.org.  This is the International Crisis Group, a non-profit organization that studies, analyzes, and makes recommendations about how to resolve various crises in the world.  There is nothing better for the in-depth examination of current world events and the dilemmas of problem solving and peace making.  It has reports (30-50 pages), briefings (10-30), and a weekly briefing (Crisis Watch), which you can get on the web site or sign up for e-mail delivery.

 

Students also often ask these questions: How do I deal with all the information out there that is bad information? How do I deal with bad or propaganda or conspiracy theory web sites? How do I find good sources? Real Sources of news? How do I sift through the propaganda and rhetoric of partisan media and of governmental officials and candidates?  This short essay and PPT presentation may help.

 

 

VCU Policies

 

Email Policy

Electronic mail or "email" is considered an official method for communication at VCU because it delivers information in a convenient, timely, cost effective, and environmentally aware manner. This policy ensures that all students have access to this important form of communication. It ensures students can be reached through a standardized channel by faculty and other staff of the University as needed. Mail sent to the VCU email address may include notification of University-related actions, including disciplinary action. Please read the policy in its entirety: http://www.ts.vcu.edu/kb/3407.html

 

VCU Honor System: Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

The VCU honor system policy describes the responsibilities of students, faculty, and administration in upholding academic integrity, while at the same time respecting the rights of individuals to the due process offered by administrative hearings and appeals. According to his policy, "members of the academic community are required to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity." In addition, "All members of the VCU community are presumed to have an understanding of the VCU Honor System and are required to:

·         Agree to be bound by the Honor System policy and its procedures;

·         Report suspicion or knowledge of possible violations of the Honor System;

·         Support an environment that reflects a commitment to academic integrity;

·         Answer truthfully when called upon to do so regarding Honor System cases, and,

·         Maintain confidentiality regarding specific information in Honor System cases.

 

Most importantly, "All VCU students are presumed upon enrollment to have acquainted themselves with and have an understanding of the Honor System." (The VCU INSIDER, VCU Honor System 131-132).

 

The Honor System in its entirety can be reviewed on the Web at http://www.provost.vcu.edu/pdfs/Honor_system_policy.pdf or it can be found in the 2011-12

 

VCU Insider at http://www.students.vcu.edu/insider.html

In this class, because coursework will be collaborative at times, particular issues of integrity arise. You should not copy or print another student's work without permission. Any material (this includes IDEAS and LANGUAGE) from another source must be credited, whether that material is quoted directly, summarized, or paraphrased. In other words, you should respect the work of others and in no way present it as their own.

 

Student Conduct in the Classroom

According to the VCU Resource Guide, "The instructional program at VCU is based upon the premise that students enrolled in a class are entitled to receive instruction free from interference by other students. Accordingly, in classrooms, laboratories, studies, and other learning areas, students are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and cooperative manner so that the faculty member can proceed with their [sic] customary instruction. Faculty members (including graduate teaching assistants) may set reasonable standards for classroom behavior in order to serve these objectives. If a student believes that the behavior of another student is disruptive, the instructor should be informed." Among other things, cell phones and beepers should be turned off while in the classroom. Also, the University Rules and Procedures prohibit anyone from having ".in his possession any firearm, other weapon, or explosive, regardless of whether a license to possess the same has been issued, without the written authorization of the President of the university..." See http://www.students.vcu.edu/rg/policies/rg7conductguide.html and the VCU Resource Guide for more information: http://www.students.vcu.edu/insider.html

 

Certainly the expectation in this course is that students will attend class with punctuality, proper decorum, required course material, and studious involvement.

 

The VCU Resource Guide contains additional important information about a number of other policies with which students should be familiar, including Guidelines on Prohibition of Sexual Harassment, Grade Review Procedure, and Ethics Policy on Computing. It also contains maps, phone numbers, and information about resources available to VCU students. The VCU Resource Guide is available online at the link above or through the Division of Student Affairs.

 

Students with Disabilities

SECTION 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 require that VCU provide an "academic adjustment" and/or a "reasonable accommodation" to any individual who advises us of a physical and/or mental disability. To receive accommodations, students must declare their need for disability-related accommodations with the Disability Support Services Office (DSS). The DSS office is located in the Student Commons, Room 102. The office phone number is 828-2253. The Director of Disability Support Services is Joyce Knight. More information is available at the Disability Support Services webpage: http://www.students.vcu.edu/dss/

 

If you have a physical or mental impairment that requires an academic adjustment or accommodation, arrange a meeting with me at your earliest convenience. Additionally, if your coursework requires you to work in a lab environment, you should advise me or department chairperson of any concerns you may have regarding safety issues related to your limitation(s). This statement applies not only to this course but also to every other course in this University.

 

Statement on Military Short-Term Training or Deployment
Military students may receive orders for short-term training or deployment. These students are asked to inform and present their orders to their professor(s). For further information on policies and procedures contact Military Services at 828-5993 or access the corresponding policies at http://www.pubapps.vcu.edu/bulletins/about/?Default.aspx?uid=10096&iid=30704 and http://www.pubapps.vcu.edu/BULLETINS/undergraduate/?uid=10096&iid=30773.


Excused Absences for Students Representing the University
Please be aware that students who represent the university (athletes and others) do not choose their schedules. Student athletes are required to attend games and/or meets. All student athletes will give you their schedule in the beginning of the semester. The Intercollegiate Athletic Council (IAC) strongly encourages you to treat missed classes or exams (because of a scheduling conflict) as excused absences and urges you to work with the students to make up the work or exam.

Campus Emergency information

1.      What to Know and Do To Be Prepared for Emergencies at VCU: Sign up to receive VCU text messaging alerts (http://www.vcu.edu/alert/notify). Keep your information up-to-date. Within the classroom, the professor will keep her phone on to receive any emergency transmissions.

2.      Know the safe evacuation route from each of your classrooms. Emergency evacuation routes are posted in on-campus classrooms.

3.      Listen for and follow instructions from VCU or other designated authorities. Within the classroom, follow your professor's instructions.

4.      Know where to go for additional emergency information (http://www.vcu.edu/alert).

5.      Know the emergency phone number for the VCU Police (828-1234). Report suspicious activities and objects.

 

VCU Mobile

The VCU Mobile application is a valuable tool to get the latest VCU information on the go. The application contains helpful information including the VCU directory, events, course schedules, campus maps, athletics and general VCU news, emergency information, library resources, Blackboard and more. To download the application on your smart phone or for more information, please visit http://m.vcu.edu/http://m.vcu.edu/.

 

Class registration required for attendance
Please remember that students may only attend those classes for which they have registered. Faculty may not add students to class rosters. Therefore, if students are attending a class for which they have not registered, they must stop attending.