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
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.
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
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
·
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
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
·
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
·
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
·
Radelet,
Chapters 4-6
Week 13, April 16-20: The Developing World and
Globalization
·
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.