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International Relations (POL 230)
Fall 2014
MTh 9:30-10:50
Social Science Building 225
Nicholas Toloudis
toloudin@tcnj.edu
MTh 11:00-12:00, Th 2:00-3:00, or by appointment
609-771-3412
Social Science Building 220
Course Description
This course provides students with an introduction to some of the concepts, theories, and
accumulated knowledge about international relations in the academic field of political science.
International relations is one of the main subfields in political science. It involves the study of
interactions among states and between states and certain kinds of non-state actors. Starting with
the assumption that we can usefully think of states as relatively autonomous agents, we will
discuss key questions about war, power, order, and the relationship between politics and
economics. Topics include the nature of political realism, alternatives to realism, the changing
nature of state security, the role of international institutions, the relationship between
international and domestic politics, and the importance of economic transactions in
understanding relations between states.
This is not a course about current events, but we will draw from current events from time to time
in order to demonstrate the uses and limitations of the course readings. Toward the end of the
semester, we will discuss some “hot-button” issues that are distinctly contemporary: the
significance of terrorism, the rise of China, and the crisis in the Eurozone. Reading the
newspaper regularly during the semester is essential to getting the most out of this course.
Course Goals and Outcomes
This course is designed to be truly “introductory,” so as to be useful and interesting for students
who have no background in the study of international politics as well as those who have already
taken coursework in political science. In keeping with guidelines set out by Middle States, HSS,
and the political science department, students who successfully complete this course will
accomplish the following:
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demonstrate an understanding of the general boundaries of the discipline, key substantive
knowledge in and the linkages between the four major subfields of political science, and
the connections between political science and related fields, especially economics,
history, international studies, law, and public policy.
demonstrate an understanding of a) central concepts, distinctions, questions, and theories
related to the discipline, b) the in-depth workings of fundamental political processes and
institutions at the national and international level, and c) selected topics important to the
subfield of international relations.
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integrate into their work the meaning and historical evolution of the core, if contested,
values in Western political thought (such as justice, equality, freedom, human rights, and
due process); competing theoretical perspectives; and their own belief systems.
communicate effectively in a variety of formats and settings, presenting oral and written
arguments that are cogent, compelling, and well-substantiated.
develop an understanding of other cultures and/or subcultures (practices, perspectives,
behavior patterns, etc.) is an important focus of instruction in the course, as regards to
learning about patterns of international politics.
critique the arguments of others in the discipline and the construction of one’s own
arguments in the discipline, using data/evidence are a focus of instruction and/or the
ability to analyze linguistic and cultural patterns.
evaluate the validity and/or reliability of source material (many if not all HSS courses
should have this goal)
HSS Fourth Hour: Students are assigned additional learning tasks that make the semester's
learning experience more deeply engaged and rigorous, and no additional classroom space is
needed.
Course Textbook
The following book is on sale at the bookstore:
Steven L. Lamy, John Baylis, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens, Introduction to Global Politics,
2nd edition. Oxford University Press, 2013.
Please make sure that you purchase the correct edition—the 2nd. The book is abbreviated IGP in
the reading schedule. All other readings are available on our course’s Canvas page.
Course Requirements and Evaluation
This course involves a great deal of reading and I expect you to take reading assignments
seriously. Class participation and the written assignments will require a strong knowledge of the
material, and you should only take this course if you are prepared to do the approximately 80100 pages assigned per week (around 40-50 pages per class period on average). The reading load
does vary a bit from week to week; try to use the lighter reading weeks to get caught up if you
fall behind. If you are unfamiliar with social science literature and need some suggestions on
how to read efficiently, I am happy to talk with you about that during office hours.
Your grade is dependent on the following factors:
I.
Midterm (20%)
a. There is an in-class midterm for this course. It will cover all of the material from
the first half of the semester.
b. I will discuss the format of the exam in class. It will require you to identify key
arguments from the reading, the authors associated with those arguments, and
their pertinence to the study of international relations.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
c. The exam will take place on October 20th.
d. I will not give a make-up if you miss the exam (except if there is a serious
medical and/or family emergency for which you can provide appropriate
documentation).
Final Exam (25%)
a. There is an in-class final exam for this course. It will cover all of the material
from the course, although it will emphasize post-spring break readings.
b. I will discuss the format of the exam in class. It will not be substantially
difference from the midterm, although it will be longer and it will require you to
write an essay.
c. The exam will take place on a date TBA, during the official exam period.
d. Please make your travel plans accordingly, because I will not give a make-up if
you miss the exam (except if there is a serious medical and/or family emergency
for which you can provide appropriate documentation).
Expository essays (25%)
a. There will be two expository essays due in this course: the first one is mandatory,
the second one is optional. These essays should be 5 to 7 pages long each. I will
distribute paper topics exactly two weeks before the due date, and I will also
distribute a handout detailing my expectations.
b. Hard copies of your essays are due in class. I will not accept e-mailed versions of
papers, unless special circumstances arise that you have discussed with me well in
advance (meaning 24+ hours). “Special circumstances” do not include
malfunctioning printers or any other hardware-related issues. If you do not turn
your essays at the beginning of class, they will be considered late for grading
purposes. You will be penalized one grade level per 24 hours of lateness.
i. All other requirements pertaining to the essays will appear on the handout
that I distribute.
ii. If you need help with your papers, please consult with me—I will be
happy to talk about them with you.
c. The due date for the first essay is Monday, October 6th.
d. If you are happy with your grade on the first essay, then you do not have to write
the second one. If you opt to write the second essay, the due date is Monday,
November 17th.
e. I will only count the higher of the two paper grades.
Pop quizzes (20%)
a. There will be no fewer than 5 pop quizzes given throughout the semester.
b. The quizzes are designed to make sure that you are reading effectively, so as to
grasp (no less than) the main arguments offered in the texts.
c. Possible grades on pop quizzes are 2, 1, or 0. You will have a maximum of 10
minutes to complete the quizzes, and they will be administered at the very
beginning of class. I do not give makeups.
Class Participation (10%)
a. The first part of your participation grade is based on your participation on in-class
assignments:
i. We will conduct no fewer than five in-class assignments. They are noted
in the reading schedule, below. I reserve the right to add more.
ii. Sometimes these will be individual exercises; other times they will involve
working in groups
iii. Assignments could be based on course readings, on news stories to which
I will direct your attention in advance, or on news stories I will have you
read at the beginning of class
b. The other part of your participation grade is based on your participation in inclass discussions and on our Canvas page:
i. I will not lecture for 80 minutes per class period, and the material that we
cover begs to be talked about. That means that your participation in class
discussion is an important part of this course.
ii. The Discussion Board on our course’s Canvas page is a forum for us to
continue discussions begun in class or take up questions that we do not
have a chance to discuss in class.
iii. In-class and Canvas comments should be relevant to the material at hand
and should display evidence of critical thought. I will sometimes prompt
Canvas discussion with a question or two.
iv. While I do not expect each and every one of you to speak up every single
class period (or post on Canvas every single week), you cannot earn points
simply by showing up. Never speaking in class or posting on Canvas
means earning 0 points for participation.
v. There is a No Laptop policy in this class. Unless there is a documentable
medical reason for you to take notes with your computer, you are not
allowed to do so in the classroom.
vi. I reserve the right to reward meritorious (and punish meretricious)
behavior in the classroom. Students who disturb the class by having
inappropriate conversations, routinely coming to class late, allowing their
cell phones to make noise, or otherwise disturbing the flow of discussion
should not be surprised to find themselves with a lower participation grade
than they had anticipated.
NOTE: Please remember that, in the event of an absence of any kind, the responsibility to find
out what happened in class is yours. In addition, see TCNJ’s official attendance policy:
http://www.tcnj.edu/~academic/policy/attendance.html
Academic Honesty
“The College of New Jersey is a community of scholars and learners who respect and believe in
academic integrity….Academic dishonesty is any attempt by the student to gain academic
advantage through dishonest means, to submit, as his/her own, work which has not been done by
him/her or to give improper aid to another student in the completion of an assignment. Such
dishonesty would include, but is not limited to: submitting as his/her own a project, paper, report,
test, or speech copied from, partially copied, or paraphrased from the work of another (whether
the source is printed, under copyright, or in manuscript form). Credit must be given for words
quoted or paraphrased. The rules apply to any academic dishonesty, whether the work is graded
or ungraded, group or individual, written or oral.”
Please familiarize yourself with the examples of academic dishonesty mentioned here:
http://www.tcnj.edu/~academic/policy/integrity.html, as well as the consequences and
procedures. If you take this course, I will assume that you have read and understood this
material. If you do not understand it, please come speak with me.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy
Any student who has a documented disability and is in need of academic accommodations
should notify the professor of this course and contact the Office of Differing Abilities Services
(609-771-2571). Accommodations are individualized and in accordance with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992.
TCNJ’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policy is available on the web:
http://policies.tcnj.edu/policies/viewPolicy.php?docId=8082
Reading Schedule
Week 1: Why Study IR
Thursday, August 28th: Introduction
No reading.
Week 2: Overview of IR and Global Politics
Tuesday, September 2nd—Overview of the study of IR
*IGP, Chapter 1, pp. 1-25.
Thursday, September 4th—The Evolution of Global Politics
*IGP, Chapter 2, pp. 26-65.
Week 3: Realism
Monday, September 8th—Realism and its variants
*IGP, Chapter 3, pp. 67-83 (plus the “Theory in Practice” section on pp. 84-85)
*Kenneth Waltz, “The Origins of War in Neorealist Theory” Journal of Interdisciplinary History
18, no. 4 (1988): 615-628.
*John Mearsheimer, “Anarchy and the Struggle for Power.” In International Politics: Enduring
Concepts and Contemporary Issues, 10th edition edited by Robert J. Art and Robert Jervis, 59-69
(Longman, 2011).
Thursday, September 11th—Case study: the Iraq war (in-class exercise)
*Donald Snow, “Sovereignty: The Violation and Restoration of Iraqi Authority” in Cases in
International Relations, 6th edition, 3-20 (NY: Pearson, 2015).
*John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, “An Unnecessary War” Foreign Affairs January/February
(2003): 50-59.
Week 4: Liberalism
Monday, September 15th—Liberalism and its variants
*IGP, Chapter 3, pp. 83-100.
*Michael W. Doyle, “Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs” Philosophy and Public
Affairs 12, no. 3 (1983): 205-232.
Thursday, September 18th—How domestic politics can impact international conflicts (in-class
exercise)
*Stephen M. Saideman and David P. Auerswald, “Comparing Caveats: Understanding the
Sources of National Restrictions upon NATO’s Mission in Afghanistan” International Studies
Quarterly 56, no. 1 (2012): 67-84.
*Erik Gartzke, “The Capitalist Peace” American Journal of Political Science 51, no. 1 (2007):
166-191.
Week 5: Critical Theories
Monday, September 22nd—Critical approaches to IR theory
*IGP, Chapter 4, pp. 103-130.
Thursday, September 25th—Applying critical approaches
*Martha Finnemore, “International organizations as teachers of norms: The United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and science policy” International
Organization 47, no. 4 (1993): 565-597.
*Richard Mansbach and Franke Wilmer, “War, Violence, and the Westphalian State System as a
Moral Community,” in Identities, Borders, Orders: Rethinking International Relations Theory,
edited by Mathias Albert, David Jacobson, and Yosef Lapid, 51-72. Minneapolis, MN:
University of Minnesota Press, 2001.
Week 6: Understanding State Security
Monday, September 29th: Security and Military Power
*IGP, Chapter 8, pp. 243-281.
Thursday, October 2nd: The case of regional security in the Middle East (in-class exercise)
*Donald Snow, “Pivotal States: Confronting and Accommodating Iran” in Cases in International
Relations, 6th edition, pp. 125-144 (NY: Pearson, 2015).
*Kenneth Waltz, “Why Iran Should Get the Bomb” Foreign Affairs 91, no. 4 (2012): 2-5.
Week 7: Terrorism
Monday, October 6th: Terrorism I [FIRST PAPER DUE: Mandatory!]
*IGP, Chapter 9, pp. 282-307.
October 8th: Community Learning Day!
Thursday, October 9th: Terrorism II
*Donald Snow, “Terrorism: The Changing Global Threat” in Cases in International Relations,
6th edition, pp. 310-330 (NY: Pearson, 2015).
*Charles Tilly, “Terror, Terrorism, Terrorists” Sociological Theory 22, no. 1 (2004): 5-13.
Week 8: Midterm Review
Monday October 13th: Mid-semester break
*No class
Thursday, October 16th: Midterm Review
*Midterm review: No reading for today, but come prepared with questions for the midterm
Week 9: Midterm / The Cold War
Monday, October 20th: Midterm
*Midterm
Thursday, October 23rd: The Cold War: causes and consequences
*Joseph Nye and David Welch, Understanding Global Conflict and Cooperation: An
Introduction to Theory and History, 9th edition (NY: Pearson, 2013), Chapter 5, pp. 141-191.
Week 10: Global Governance and the UN
Monday, October 27th: Global Governance and International Institutions I
*IGP, Chapter 6, pp. 170-207.
Thursday, October 30th: Global Governance and International Institutions II: The UN
*Thomas G. Weiss, David P. Forsythe, Roger A. Coate, and Kelly-Kate Pease, The United
Nations and Changing World Politics, 3-45. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2010.
Week 11: Global Governance and the EU
Monday, November 3rd: Global Governance and International Institutions III: The EU
*Michael J. Baun, “The Maastricht Treaty as High Politics: Germany, France, and European
Integration” Political Science Quarterly 110, no. 4 (1995-1996): 606-624.
*Martin Feldstein, “The Failure of the Euro” Foreign Affairs 91, no. 1 (2012): 105-116.
Thursday, November 6th: International Political Economy
*IGP, Chapter 11, pp. 346-373.
*Robert Gilpin, “The Nature of Political Economy.” In International Politics: Enduring
Concepts and Contemporary Issues, 10th edition, edited by Robert J. Art and Robert Jervis, 265281. Longman, 2011.
Week 12: International Political Economy
Monday, November 10th: Global Trade and Finance (in-class exercise)
*IGP, Chapter 12, pp. 374-405.
Thursday, November 13th: The Financial Crisis and Global Economic Governance
*Robert Wade, “Emerging World Order? From Multipolarity to Multilateralism in the G20, the
World Bank, and the IMF” Politics and Society 39, no. 3 (2011): 347-378.
*Daniel Drezner, “The System Worked: Global Economic Governance during the Great
Recession” World Politics 66, no. 1 (2014): 123-164.
Week 13: Nongovernmental Actors
Monday, November 17th: Nongovernmental actors in international affairs [SECOND PAPER
DUE: Optional!]
*IGP, Chapter 7, pp. 208-241.
Thursday, November 20th: Transnational social movements
*S. Laurel Weldon, “Inclusion, Solidarity, and Social Movements: The Global Movement
against Gender Violence” Perspectives on Politics 4, no. 1 (2006): 55-74.
*Shareen Hertel, “What Was All the Shouting About? Strategic Bargaining and Protest at the
WTO Third Ministerial Meeting? Human Rights Review 6, no. 3 (2005): 102-118.
Week 14: The Rise of China
Monday, November 24th: The rise of China (in-class exercise)
*Robert J. Art, “The United States and the Rise of China: Implications for the Long Haul”
Political Science Quarterly 125, no. 3 (2012): 359-391.
*John Ikenberry, “The Rise of China and the Future of the West: Can the Liberal System
Survive?” Foreign Affairs 87, no. 1 (2008): 23-37.
Thursday, November 27th: NO CLASS
*Thanksgiving Break
Week 15: The end
Monday, December 1st: Where to from here?
*John Mearsheimer, “America Unhinged” The National Interest (Jan/Feb 2014): 9-30.
*Paul MacDonald and Joseph Parent, “The Wisdom of Retrenchment” Foreign Affairs 90, no. 6
(2011).
*TBA
Thursday, December 4th: Conclusions and course review
*No reading; come prepared with questions about the reading