International Politics (PSC 231)
Professor Neda A. Zawahri, Ph.D.
N.Zawahri@csuohio.edu
Online office hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
And by appointment
To contact me please use the email function in BlackBoard--I will respond to all
emails within 24 hours during weekdays. Response to emails on the weekend cannot
be guaranteed and most likely will occur on Monday.
Every Monday I will send out an email summary of our schedule. It is important
that you read the emails because it will include information on our schedule for the
week and upcoming weeks. Reading this email will help you to be organized for this
course.
PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL IN BLACKBOARD DAILY
I. Course Overview:
What causes war and peace? Are democracies more peaceful than other types of
governments? Are the increasing trends towards economic interdependenceglobalization- likely to contribute to world peace or world wars? This course is designed
to analyze these and several other issues. But, before analyzing these issue areas, we will
study international relations theories. These theories are means by which scholars
perceive how the world operates. They also frame how we respond to any changes in the
international system. As a result, it is important to learn these theories and apply them to
issues in world politics.
II. Course Requirements:
1. Discussions:
It is essential that you participate in the class discussions. Discussions
will account for 20 percent of your grade. Each Tuesday a question will be
posted and students have until midnight Monday to post an answer to the
question and reply to two other students’ posts. Students are graded on
the quality of their answers and posts. It is expected that students draw on
information from the course material in their answers. It is essential that
students respect the opinion of others in this course during the discussion.
Any disrespect of another student during the discussions will constitute an
F for the assignment.
2. Two Exams:
Two exams will be given in this course. All students must take the exam
during the scheduled time frames. The exams consist of long essay
questions. The exams will be available for three days, but the actual exam
time will be one hour and fifteen minutes. In other words, once you begin
the exam, you must finish it in one hour and fifteen minutes.
3. Two Quizzes:
Students will be expected to complete two multiple choice quizzes. All
students must take the quiz during the scheduled time frames. The quizzes
will be available for three days but the actual quiz time is one hour. Once
you begin the quiz you will need to finish during the allocated time.
4. Thought Paper:
In this course we will be watching three documentaries. Pick one
documentary and write a thought paper about how it challenges, proves, and
advances the international relations theories we examine in this course. This
paper should be four pages long (12 point font, one inch borders, double
space). The paper should have an introduction, argument statement (thesis)
that explains what you will argue, the argument, and conclusion. If you draw
on any particular reading in the paper, please make sure to cite it. The paper
is due the week after the documentary is assigned. For example, if the
documentary is assigned for week one, the paper is due the Friday of week
two. You will be graded based on your understanding of the theories, the
documentary, and your ability to combine both to do a critical analysis.
III. Grades:
Student performance is assessed on the following basis:
First Exam…………………………………………25%
Second Exam………………………………………25%
Discussion….………………………………………20%
Quizzes……….……………… ……………………15%
Thought Paper………………………………………15%
Grading Scale
95-100 A
77-79 C+
90-94 A-
73-76 C
87-89 B+
70-72 C-
83-86 B
69-60 D
80-82 B-
Below 60 F
Plagiarism Policy: All assignments and discussions will be checked for plagiarism.
Copying a sentence that is written by someone else constitutes plagiarism. Use your
own words in all assignments. If plagiarism is found, you will receive a zero/F for the
assignment.
IV. Course Material:
Karen A. Mingst, Essentials of International Relations (New York: W. W. Norton &
Company, 2011).
V. Statement of General Education: This course meets the Social Science General
Education requirement. This means that this course has a focus on contemporary
International Relations. The course provides students with both theoretical and empirical
frameworks for understanding the behavior of states in the international system and the
cause of war and peace.
The course promotes skill areas related to writing and critical thinking. For writing, 75
percent of the student’s grade is based on an evaluation of answers to major essay
exams. These assignments balance evenly writing-to-learn and writing-to-communicate
objectives for three 840 word essay exams assigned throughout the semester. Critical
thinking is promoted to the extent that the course requires students to attain skill beyond
lower-level knowledge. This course requires students to demonstrate higher-order
thinking in the form of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of problems and issues related
to International Relations. This will be demonstrated through the completion of writing
assignments and the course’s three examinations.
VI. Course Outline
Week One January 19 to January 22
Module One What is International Relations Theory?
Mingst, Chapter One
Discussion begins January 19 and closes January 25 at midnight.
Week Two January 25 to January 29
Module Two Contending Perspective
Mingst Chapter Three
Discussion begins January 26 and closes February 1 at midnight.
Week Three February 1 to February 5
Module Three The International System
Reading: Mingst Chapter Four
Discussion begins on February 2 and closes February 8
Week Four February 8 to February 12
Module Four The State
Reading: Mingst Chapter Five
Documentary: Ghosts of Rwanda
Discussion begins February 9 and closes February 16 (This discussion closes on a
Tuesday because Monday is a national holiday and the university is closed)
Week Five February 16 to February 19
Note that there are no classes February 15 (Presidents’ Day)
Module Five The Individual
Reading: Mingst Chapter Six
Discussion begins February 16 and closes February 22.
Quiz one is due on February 22 by midnight.
If you selected to write a thought paper about the Ghosts of Rwanda, the paper will be
due by midnight February 19th.
Week Six February 22 to February 26
Module Six Intergovernmental Organizations
Reading: Mingst Chapter Seven
Discussion begins February 23 and closes February 29.
Midterm Exam will be available February 24, 25, and 26. Once you begin the exam, you
will have one hour and fifteen minutes to finish.
Week Seven February 29 to March 4
Module Seven The Historical Context of Contemporary International
Relations
Reading: Mingst Chapter Two
Documentary: The Fog of War
Discussion begins March 1 and closes March 7
Week Eight March 7 to March 11
Module Eight War and Strife
Reading: Mingst Chapter Eight
Because spring break is next week, there will be no discussion this week! Enjoy your
break!
If you selected to write a thought paper about The Fog of War, the paper will be due by
midnight March 11.
Week Nine: Spring Break No Classes March 14 to March 18
Week Ten March 21 to March 25
Module Nine International Political Economy
Reading: Mingst Chapter Nine
Documentary: The Other side of Outsourcing
Quiz number two is due on March 28 by midnight.
Discussion begins March 22 and closes March 28.
Week Eleven March 28 to April 1
Module Ten Epidemics, Environmental Security, and Human Rights
Mingst Chapter Ten
Discussion begins March 29 and closes April 4
If you selected to write a thought paper about The Other Side of Outsourcing, the paper
will be due by midnight April 1st.
Week Twelve April 4 to April 8
Module Twelve: Energy Policy
Daniel Yergin, Ensuring Energy Security, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2006
Article can be found at:
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/61510/daniel-yergin/ensuring-energy-security
Discussion begins April 5 and closes April 11
Week Thirteen April 11 to April 15
Module Thirteen: The Rise of China
John Ikenberry, The Rise of China and the Future of the West, Foreign Affairs
January/February 2008
Discussion begins April 12 and closes April 18
Week Fourteen April 18 to April 22
Module Fourteen: Foreign Policy in the The New World Order
Daniel W. Drezner, The New New World Order, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2007
Discussion begins April 19 and closes April 25
Week Fifteen April 25 to April 29
Module Fifteen: Cyber Warfare
Herbert Lin, 2012 “Cyber Conflict and National Security” in Art and Jervis,
International Politics, 476-‐488.
Thomas Rid, 2011. "Cyber War Will Not Take Place," Journal of Strategic Studies, (35) 1,
5-32
Discussion begins April 26 and closes May 2
Week Sixteen May 2 to May 6
Module Sixteen: Future Trends in International Politics
Robert Jervis, “The Era of Leading Power Peace,” in Art and Jervis,
International Politics, pp. 377-‐393.
U.S. National Intelligence Council, “Global Trends 2025,”Ibid., pp. 544-‐553.
There will be no discussion this week
Final Exam will be available on Mary 11, 12, and 13. Once you begin the exam, you will
have one hour and fifteen minutes to finish.
May 6th IS THE LAST DAY OF CLASSES!!