INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS Politics 120 (CRN 1107) fall 2010, Oberlin College Tu & Th 11:00-12:15 P. M. King 239 Eve Sandberg, Ph.D. Offic...
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INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS Politics 120 (CRN 1107) fall 2010, Oberlin College Tu & Th 11:00-12:15 P. M. King 239 Eve Sandberg, Ph.D. Office: Rice 207: Wed 1:45-3:45 or by appointment

Upon completion of the course, it is hoped that you will have a richer understanding of the dynamics of international relations and a skills base upon which to build when conducting future research. This course will address such questions as: >How have international politics evolved? >How have national security strategies changed since the end of the Cold War and since 9/11/01? >What role does state economic power play in our international system? >How was our current international monetary system structured and how have the rules evolved? >What role can ideas play in a world often governed by military power? >Under what conditions can states achieve cooperation? >How are regional and multilateral organizations changing international politics among states? >How can we understand the changing nature of the state and the resultant changes in international affairs? >Do not-for-profits have any impact on the international relations among states? Students will be required to attend and participate in class, to complete assignments, and to attend any scheduled talks or movies that take place in the evening. Grades will be based on the following percentages: General participation including speakers, cases, documentaries, group participation, and class (you cannot participate if you do not attend class) 15% Policy Memo 15% Essay annotated bibliography 15% Two response postings on Blackboard: one on guest speaker, one on documentary (5% each) 10% Essay 15% Final exam 30%.

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If you travel with a dance troupe or sports team/club and expect to occasionally miss a class, please advise the professor in writing/email in advance of your absence. If you have a disability that needs accommodation please notify the professor and arrange to present documentation from the Oberlin College Office of Disability Service. Your course books Joshua Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York: Longman ninth edition 2010-2011 update) and Parag Khanna, The Second World. Empires and Influence in the New Global Order (New York: Random House, 2008) are available for purchase at the bookstore. Your readings that are not from the textbook are posted on blackboard (access code: polt120). If you do not know how to log on to blackboard please consult a computer assistant. Each of your course assignments must be submitted in hardcopy. Additionally, you must submit an electronic copy of each of your assignments on blackboard within 20 minutes of the assignment deadline. You are responsible for the information in the readings and also for class and related material from speakers, documentaries, etc. The day each reading is due is noted on your syllabus. When the material is presented in class that is not included in the reading, you are responsible for that material as well. If you miss class get the notes or you will not be able to offer complete answers to questions asked on the final exam. Please familiarize yourself with the Oberlin Honor Code which guides your work in this and all your classes. http://www.oberlin.edu/students/student_pages/honor_code.html

You are responsible for researching and writing your own assignments. However, you may share resource leads, discuss the readings, and help one another to edit each other’s work. You may also/are encouraged to consult with the college writing tutors (you will find their hours posted at Mudd library). Remember that using another author’s work without proper attribution is criminal theft. According to the Oberlin College honor code, you must inform the student honor committee if you have knowledge of any infraction of the honor code. The honor code applies to all work, not just exams. You must sign your work as indicated on the honors website before submitting it. You may type the inscription for an electronic submission. Sandberg: Introduction to International Politics Fall 2010

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As is normal college policy, you may not alter the date or time of your final exam to accommodate travel plans. I CANNOT reschedule your exam for ANY reason. Only Dean Kathryn Stuart (Dean of Studies) can alter your exam time in the case of an exceptional reason (she will not consider it exceptional if you failed to secure a plane ticket after all of your exams are completed). Please check the college exam schedule of your classes before purchasing airline tickets home. You must take exams at the official times scheduled except when you have a take-home exam and the professor is willing to allow you to turn in the material early. Your scheduled final exam for this class is: Sunday Dec 19, 2010 9-11 A.M.

"We have, I fear, confused power with greatness." Stewart Udall “Give a member of Congress a junket and a mimeograph machine and he thinks he is Secretary of State.” Dean Rusk

"The management of a balance of power is a permanent undertaking, not an exertion that has a foreseeable end." Henry Kissinger

“War is politics by other means.” Karl von Clauswitz “The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” Plato Tuesday September 7, 2010 Overview of the Course Review of the syllabus Studying IR vs. Comparative Politics Studying IR vs. Current Events Thursday September 9, 2010 No class as it is a religious holiday. As a make-up session, you will be required to attend one of the lectures in the Oil and International Relations one-credit Sandberg: Introduction to International Politics Fall 2010

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course being offered by the Politics Department this semester. The speakers and times are listed on blackboard. Under assignments in blackboard there is a response guide that you will complete and post on backboard in which you evaluate the material in the lecture that you attended. Tuesday September 14, 2010 Understanding the International System I. Some Core Terms and Concepts of International Politics Collective Goods Problem/Anarchy; Dominance; Reciprocity Identity; The State; Institutions; The International System; IGOs; NGOs; MNCs; GDP; Levels of Analysis (Individual; Domestic; Interstate; Global); East-West Relations; North South Relations. Joshua Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York: Longman ninth edition 2010-2011 update) pp. 3-39 Thursday September 16, 2010 Understanding the International System II. Some Core Terms and Concepts of International Politics (pay careful attention to the case of India) Realism; Sovereignty; Deterrence; Compellence; Balance of Power; Power Distribution; Multi-polar system; Hegemony; Alliances; Bandwagoning and Balancing; Rationality; Zero-Sum Game; NATO; Alliance Cohesion; Game Theory (Prisoner‟s Dilemma PD); Arms Race; Non Aligned Movement: Marshall Plan. Joshua Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York: Longman ninth edition 2010-2011 update) pp. 43-79. Parag Khanna, The Second World. Empires and Influence in the New Global Order (New York: Random House, 2008) pp. xiv-xxvii. X (George Kennan), "The Sources of Soviet Conduct", Foreign Affairs 65 (New York: The Council on Foreign Relations, Spring 1987), pp. 852-868.

Tuesday September 21, 2010 Understanding the International System III. Some Core Terms and Concepts of International Politics Liberalism; Kantian Peace; Liberal Institutionalism; Regimes; Collective Security; Democratic Peace; Military Industrial Complex; Collective Security; Rally Round the Flag Syndrome; Decision Making Models; Postmodernism; Constructivism; Sandberg: Introduction to International Politics Fall 2010

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Marxism; Peace Studies; Gender and International Relations; Liberal Feminism; Difference Feminism; Positive Sum Game. Joshua Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York: Longman ninth edition 2010-2011 update) pp. 82-117; 120-149. Annick T.R. Wibben, “Feminist International Relations: Old Debates and New Directions” The Brown Journal of World Affairs (Winter/Spring 2004.Volume X. Issue 2: pp. 97-114. Thursday September 23, 2010 Readings on U.S. Afghanistan Policy Making in the International System Peter Baker, “How Obama Came to Plan for the „Surge‟ in Afghanistan” New York Times December 6, 2009 Richard Haas, “Rethinking Afghanistan” Newsweek July 26, 2010 Tony Blair, A Journey My Political Life (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010) pp. 341-391. What were the alternatives open to President Obama? Who supported which option? What context/extra information does Baker provide in his article that addresses the art of policy making rather than data about Afghanistan? What does Richard Haas believe was done incorrectly by the Obama administration? To what degree does domestic politics influence our policy options in Afghanistan? To what extent is Afghanistan an issue in the upcoming November 2010 election? Tuesday September 28, 2010 The Use of Military Force in International Politics Joshua Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations. (New York: Longman ninth edition 2010-2011 update) pp. 195-331 (includes North Korea debate). Some Core Terms and Concepts: Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs); Conventional Weapons; Chemical and Biological Warfare; Land Mines; Stealth Technology; Terrorism; Command and Control; Counter Insurgency; Cyberwar/Electronic Warfare; Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs); Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM); Nuclear Proliferation; Non Proliferation Treaty1968; International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); MAD; SDI; ABM Treaty 1972; Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty 1996.

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Questions: How do we evaluate/calculate military power? Which capabilities are appropriate for which kinds of warfare? How can we decide how much to spend on military capability? Thursday September 30, 2010 Globalization, Finance, and World Trade Joshua Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York: Longman ninth edition 2010-2011 update) pp. 280-351. Some Core Terms and Concepts: IMF; World Bank (IBRD); National Accounts; International Currency Exchange (fixed/floating); Exchange Rates; Gold Standard; MNCs; Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); Hyperinflation; Keynesian Economics; Off shore Headquarters, Washington Consensus; GATT, WTO, Cartels, Mercantilism, Comparative Advantage, Uruguay Round, Doha Round, Free Trade Area of the Americas; OPEC; Liberal Economics. Questions: How is a country‟s currency valued? Why does it rise and fall? What role can central banks play in a country‟s financial affairs? How do states become indebted? Tuesday October 5, 2010 Discussion about class assignments: writing an annotated bibliography; writing a policy memo; writing a political essay (Reminder: the policy memo is due Monday Oct.18, 2010) Thursday October 7, 2010 Globalization and Integration Joshua Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York: Longman ninth edition 2010-2011 update) pp. 353-381. Financial Times: “Turkey‟s Regional Initiatives” July 20, 2010 and “Turkey Throws Sanctions Lifeline to Iran” July 25, 2010 Some Core Terms and Concepts: International Integration; Regionalism; Neofunctionalism; European Union; Europe‟s Monetary Union; EFTA; NATO; OSCE; Information Technology; Maastricht Treaty 1991; Lisbon Treaty 2007; Common Agricultural Policy; Customs Union vs. Free Trade Area.

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Questions: Why are some states members of NATO but not the EU? What are the issues surrounding Turkey‟s admission to the EU? What steps is the Turkish government taking to establish Turkey as an independent, important regional power and what are likely to be some of the consequences? Tuesday October 12, 2010 Europe as a Power Pole Parag Khanna, The Second World. Empires and Influence in the New Global Order (New York: Random House, 2008) pp. 3-116 According to Khanna, Europe is a power pole that has emerged and must now determine its relations with Russia, Turkey, the Ukraine, Balkans, and the Caucasian Corridor. How did the European pole emerge? What are the issues Khanna identifies? Who are the important players? What are the stakes in the international politics that Khanna sketches? According to Khanna, what is the new bamboo curtain? How do the countries of Central Asia play a role? What role does oil and terror play in the international system today?

Walter Laqueur, Pierre Hasner, Richard Burt, Michael Stürmer, Kurt Volker, Ivan Krastev, Michelle A. Orenstein, and Ana Palacio, “What Happened to „Europe‟? The American Interest Vol. V. No. 6. July/August 2010 pp. Senator Chuck Hagel, Damon Wilson and Ross Wilson, Behind the Eight Ball: Deciding on an OSCE Summit Washington, D.C., Atlantic Council United States, July 2010.

Thursday October 14, 2010 The International Politics of the Middle East and South Asia Parag Khanna, The Second World. Empires and Influence in the New Global Order (New York: Random House, 2008) pp. 171-268.

Policy memo due at 5pm Monday October 18, 2010 Hardcopy and electronic copies are due.

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Tuesday October 19, 2010 The International Politics of the Middle East and South Asia (continued) Stephanie Sanok and Nathan Freier, “The End of Operation Iraqi Freedom and DoD‟s Future in Iraq” September 1, 2010 Center for Strategic and International Studies (http://csis.org) Kenneth M. Pollack, “Deterring a Nuclear Iran” Council on Foreign Relations May 2010 India‟s Foreign Policy (embassy of India) Thursday October 21, 2010 China’s Emerging Empire Parag Khanna, The Second World. Empires and Influence in the New Global Order (New York: Random House, 2008) pp. 269-341. What are the supports for and obstacles to China‟s emerging empire? What geopolitical strategies is China pursuing?

Fall Recess October 26, 2010 to October 28, 2010 Tuesday November 2 , 2010 Election Day – Documentary Each semester, I show a documentary the first class after fall recess. This year, some of you may be working on election day as it comes just after fall recess. You will need to borrow the dvd/cd at a later date and view it on your own time if you are absent due to election work or for other reasons. On blackboard you will find a reaction form that you need to complete and post. Thursday November 4, 2010 What are the consequences of the November election for U.S. Foreign Policy? What key foreign policy committee leadership positions were at stake? 2008 Republican Party Platform: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=78545 2008 Democratic Party Platform: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/print.php?pid=78283 US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and subcommittees http://www.senate.gov/general/committee_membership/committee_membersh ips_SSFR.htm House Foreign Affairs Committee Sandberg: Introduction to International Politics Fall 2010

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http://www.internationalrelations.house.gov/members.asp Tuesday November 9, 2010 The End of the Monroe Doctrine Parag Khanna, The Second World. Empires and Influence in the New Global Order (New York: Random House, 2008) pp. 121-167. Some Core Terms and Concepts: Monroe Doctrine, Hegemony, Manifest Destiny, Dirty War, Open Door Good Neighbor Policies, New International Economic Order (NIEO), dependency, Organization of American States (OAS), North American Free Trade Agreement, Central America Free Trade Agreement, Bolivarian Revolution. Thursday November 11, 2010 International Organization, Law, and Human Rights Joshua Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York: Longman ninth edition 2010-2011 update) pp. 233-279. Some Core Terms and Concepts: The United Nations System, UN Charter, General Assembly, Security Council, Peacekeeping Forces, International Court, International Criminal Court, ECOSOC, Autonomous Agencies, UN Programs, international civil servants, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Just War Doctrine, collective security, war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity; regimes

Tuesday November 16, 2010 Human Rights: Realists and Constructivists William F. Schulz, In Our Own Best Interest: How Defending Human Rights Benefits Us All (Boston: Beacon Press, 2002) pp. xiii-xviii; 1-16. Ted Hopf, “The Promise of Constructivism in International Relations Theory” International Security Vol. 23, No. 1 (Summer 1998) 171-200. Kathryn Sikkink, “The Power of Principled Ideas: Human Rights Policies in the United States and Western Europe” in Judith Goldstein and Robert O. Keohane, Ideas and Foreign Policy Beliefs, Institutions, and Political Change (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1993) pp. 139-170 J. Scott Carpenter, “Challenging Tehran on Human Rights” The Journal of International Security Affairs No. 18, Spring 2010.

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Thursday November 18, 2010 Non Governmental Organizations and International Politics Margaret E. Keck and Kathyrn Sikkink, Activists Beyond Borders Advocacy Networks in International Politics (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998) pp. 1-38. The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law ( ICNL) “Barred From The Debate: Restrictions On Ngo Public Policy Activities” Global Trends in NGO Law pp. 1-12.

Annotated Bibliography due Friday November 19, 2010 Hardcopy and electronic copies are due.

Tuesday November 23, 2010 Environmental Issues Peter Haas, "Do Regimes Matter? Epistemic Communities and Mediterranean Pollution Control" International Organization 43 3 Summer 1989 John W. Meyer, David John Frank, An Hironaka, Evan Schofer, and Nancy Brandon Tuma, “The Structuring of a World Environmental Regime 1870-1990” International Organization Vol. 51 No 4. (Autumn 1997): 623-651. Mark Lynas, “How do I Know China Wrecked the Copenhagen Deal? I Was in the Room.” guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 22 December 2009 Thursday November 25, 2010 Happy Thanksgiving (no class)

Tuesday November 30, 2010 Water Conflicts James Nickum, “A Waterless World?” Foreign Affairs September/October 2010 vol. 89. No. 5 pp. 130-137. Mark Zeitoun and Naho Mirumachi , “Transboundary Water Interaction I: Reconsidering Conflict and Cooperation” International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Vol. 8, Issue: 4, December 2008. pp. 297 – 316 Aaron T. Wolf, “Conflict and Cooperation Along International Waterways” Water Policy, Volume 1, issue 2 (April, 1998), p. 251-265 Sandberg: Introduction to International Politics Fall 2010

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Thursday December 2, 2010 Theories of Foreign Policy Making Graham Allison and Morton Halpern, “Bureaucratic Politics Paradigm and Some Policy Implications” World Politics 24: 1972 40-79. Yen Foong Khong, Analogies at War (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992) "The Analogical Explanation (AE) Framework" pp. 19-46 and the Chapter on Korea, pp. 97-146. Samuel P. Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations? Foreign Affairs Vol. 72 no. 3, Summer 1997. Tuesday December 7, 2010 Power Politics in the Twenty-First Century G. John Ikenberry “America‟s Imperial Ambition” Foreign Affairs Vol 81 no.5 September/October 2002: 44-60. Molly Cochran, “Charting the Ethics of the English School: What „Good‟ is There in a Middle-Ground Ethics?” International Studies Quarterly (2009) 53: 203-225. Thursday December 9, 2010 – Wrap Up Essay due Friday December 10, 2010 Hardcopy and electronic copies are due. Tuesday December 14, 2010 – Classes End

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