PLSC 342
International Organization
Eastern Michigan University
Department of Political Science
Fall 2013
MW, 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m., 419 Pray-Harrold
Dr. Volker Krause
Office: 602J Pray-Harrold
Phone: 487-0061
Email: vkrause@emich.edu
Office Hours: MW, 12:30-2:00 p.m., 3:30-4:30 p.m., or by appointment
Course Description:
World politics involves not only about 200 sovereign states but also more than 200
intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and over 7,000 nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs). While some opinions suggest that international organizations make significant
independent contributions to global governance by promoting cooperation and providing
critical operational services, others see them merely as instruments of great power
politics. Understanding the role of international organizations generates insight into how
states and non-state actors manage common problems and issues in the context of
globalization and international interdependence.
The objective of this course is to enhance your knowledge of international organizations
and your ability to analyze and evaluate their contributions to global governance. To this
end, the course examines the structures, decision-making processes, functions, and
politics of international organizations while considering multiple ways in which they
relate to sovereign states and other actors in world politics. After providing an
introduction and presenting theoretical approaches to global governance and international
organizations, the course addresses historical sources of international organizations. Next,
the course focuses on the United Nations, regional organizations, NGOs, networks, and
social movements, as well as states. Subsequently, the course gives you an opportunity to
contribute to a global policy discussion dealing with global governance and international
organizations in regard to various policy issues, including security and peace, economic
well-being and human development, as well as human rights and the environment.
Following some thoughts about future challenges to global governance and the future of
international organizations, the course gives you an opportunity to participate in a global
governance conference, presenting positions on specific global issues. Upon completion
of the course, you will be able to:
Understand and critically reflect on the diversity of actors and issues involved in
the politics of international organizations in the context of global governance.
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Explain how different theoretical, historical, and institutional analytical
approaches help to view and interpret the structures, decision-making processes,
and politics of international organizations.
Appreciate the variety and ethical implications of the institutions and policies
involved in the politics of international organizations.
Evaluate the extent to which international forces and human conduct interact in
international organizations to form a basis for a global, or at least regional,
community of shared values and objectives.
Think about ways in which international organizations deal with such diverse
issues as security and peace, economic well-being and human development, as
well as human rights and the environment.
Course Structure:
Class meetings combine lectures and discussions. While lectures introduce and explain
key concepts, ideas, arguments, and evidence, discussions address critical questions,
problems, and issues identified during lectures. You are expected to be active participants
in class discussions and contribute meaningfully to the explanation, evaluation, and
application of the concepts and issues covered in the course. To this end, you are
expected to read the assigned material and be well prepared for each class session.
In this class, we will have a global policy discussion and a global governance conference.
In the global policy discussion, you will in teams talk about global governance and
international organizations in relation to (1) security and peace, (2) economic well-being
and human development, as well as (3) human rights and the environment. In the global
governance conference, each of you will represent a country’s government, formulating
and defending a position on a specific global issue. Each country’s position in the global
governance conference will be reported in a global governance resolution.
Required Text:
In pursuit of the course objectives, the following text is required:
Margaret P. Karns and Karen A. Mingst, International Organizations: The
Politics and Processes of Global Governance, 2nd edition, Boulder, CO: Lynne
Rienner Publishers, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-58826-698-9
Course Requirements:
A midterm take-home exam, a global policy discussion, a global governance conference,
and a global governance resolution will give you opportunities to demonstrate critical and
analytical thinking by applying the material covered in class and in the readings.
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Midterm Take-Home Exam: There will be a midterm take-home exam including about
four double-spaced type-written pages of text as well as a title page and a reference list.
Depending on quality, the exam will be worth up to 30 points. The exam will be available
on Wednesday, October 16, and is due on Wednesday, October 23.
Global Policy Discussion: Contributing to a global policy discussion, you will in teams
talk about global governance and international organizations in relation to (1) security
and peace (Team A), (2) economic well-being and human development (Team B), as well
as (3) human rights and the environment (Team C). While you may prepare for the global
policy discussion by working with one another, each individual team member is expected
to be an active discussant. Depending on quality, a clear contribution to the global policy
discussion will be worth up to 30 points. For their contribution, each team will submit an
outline, which may be a set of PowerPoint slides. Each outline will present a team’s
discussion points and make clear what each student’s individual part is in the team effort
so that each student receives appropriate credit. Each outline is due in class when a
contribution is scheduled. Please note that you can get up to 30 points for the global
policy discussion only if you submit an outline (worth up to 15 points) and make an
active and high-quality contribution (worth up to 15 points). Please cite relevant sources
and provide a list of references.
The global policy discussion is expected to address the following questions:
Questions for the Global Policy Discussion on Security and Peace (Team A)
1. What are specific concerns about security and peace?
2. What are specific policies to deal with concerns about security and peace?
3. What global actors – (a) organs of the United Nations, (b) regional
organizations, (c) NGOs, networks, and social movements, or (d) states, by
themselves or in combination with one another, have the greatest likelihood of
success regarding security and peace? Why?
Questions for the Global Policy Discussion on Economic Well-Being and Human
Development (Team B)
1. What are specific concerns about economic well-being and human
development?
2. What are specific policies to deal with concerns about economic well-being
and human development?
3. What global actors – (a) organs of the United Nations, (b) regional
organizations, (c) NGOs, networks, and social movements, or (d) states, by
themselves or in combination with one another, have the greatest likelihood of
success regarding economic well-being and human development? Why?
Questions for the Global Policy Discussion on Human Rights and the
Environment (Team C)
1. What are specific concerns about human rights and the environment?
2. What are specific policies to deal with concerns about human rights and the
environment?
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3. What global actors – (a) organs of the United Nations, (b) regional
organizations, (c) NGOs, networks, and social movements, or (d) states, by
themselves or in combination with one another, have the greatest likelihood of
success regarding human rights and the environment?
Please mention specific examples of relevant organs of the United Nations, regional
organizations, NGOs, networks, and social movements, or states. Examples of organs of
the United Nations would be the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations
Economic and Social Council. Examples of regional organizations would be the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN). Examples of NGOs, networks, and social movements would be Human Rights
Watch and Oxfam. Examples of states would be the United States and Thailand.
Global Governance Conference: Making a presentation in a global governance
conference, each of you will address four questions in formulating and defending a
position as a representative of a country’s government at the United Nations. Depending
on quality, formulating and defending a position in a clear presentation will be worth up
to 20 points. For their presentation, each student will submit an outline, which may be a
set of PowerPoint slides. Each outline is due in class when a presentation is scheduled.
Please note that you can get up to 20 points for the global governance conference only if
you submit an outline (worth up to 10 points) and make a high-quality presentation
(worth up to 10 points). Please cite relevant sources and include a list of references.
Global Governance Resolution: Each country’s position in the global governance
conference will be reported in a global governance resolution of about six double-spaced
type-written pages of text in the format of a United Nations resolution. Examples of
United Nations resolutions will be distributed in class. Depending on quality, the global
governance resolution will be worth up to 20 points. The global governance resolution is
due on Wednesday, December 11.
Both the global governance conference and the global governance resolution are expected
to address the following questions:
What specific global issue is of greatest concern to “your” country? Why?
What previous action has been taken on the issue? By whom?
What objective(s) does “your” country have with respect to the issue? Why?
What is “your” country’s policy to achieve its objective(s) with respect to the
issue? Why?
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Grading Scale:
Through the midterm take-home exam, global policy discussion, global governance
conference, and global governance resolution, you can obtain a possible total number of
100 points, which are divided as follows:
Midterm Take-Home Exam: 30 points
Global Policy Discussion: 30 points
Global Governance Conference: 20 points
Global Governance Resolution: 20 points
Your course grade will be based on your total number of points on the following scale:
95-100 A
90-94 A87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C67-69 D+
63-66 D
60-62 D0-59 F
Course Outline:
Week 1: September 4
Topic: Introduction to Global Governance and International Organizations
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapter 1, pp. 3-33)
Week 2: September 9 and September 11
Topic: Introduction to Global Governance and International Organizations (continued)
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapter 1, pp. 3-33)
Week 3: September 16 and September 18
Topic: Theoretical Approaches to Global Governance and International Organizations
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapter 2, pp. 35-60)
Week 4: September 23 and September 25
Topic: Historical Sources of International Organizations
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapter 3, pp. 63-93)
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Week 5: September 30 and October 2
Topic: The United Nations
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapter 4, pp. 95-143)
Week 6: October 7 and October 9
Topic: Regional Organizations
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapter 5, pp. 145-218)
Week 7: October 14 and October 16
Topic: NGOs, Networks, and Social Movements; States
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapters 6 and 7, pp. 219-254 and 255-285)
Week 8: October 21 and October 23
Topic: Global Policy Discussion on Security and Peace
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapter 8, pp. 289-385); Individual Research
Week 9: October 28 and October 30
Topic: Global Policy Discussion on Economic Well-Being and Human Development
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapter 9, pp. 387-446); Individual Research
Week 10: November 4 and November 6
Topic: Global Policy Discussion on Human Rights and the Environment
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapters 10 and 11, pp. 447-495 and 497-534); Individual
Research
Week 11: November 11 and November 13
Topic: Future Challenges to Global Governance and the Future of International
Organizations
Reading: Karns and Mingst (Chapter 12; pp. 537-553)
Week 12: November 18 and November 20
Topic: Global Governance Conference
Reading: Individual Research
Week 13: November 25
Topic: Global Governance Conference (continued)
Reading: Individual Research
Note: No class on November 27!
Week 14: December 2 and December 4
Topic: Global Governance Conference (continued)
Reading: Individual Research
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Week 15: December 9 and December 11
Topic: Global Governance Conference (continued)
Reading: Individual Research
Course Policy:
Late exams, late resolutions, or absence from the global policy discussion or global
governance conference will be accepted only in cases of documented medical or family
emergencies.
Incomplete grades will be given only for documented medical or family emergencies, and
must be negotiated before final grades are due.
Since I respect students’ observance of religious holidays, nobody will be penalized or
disadvantaged for missing class on such days.
I will work hard to help anyone who has to miss class due to illness, religious holidays, or
unavoidable conflicts.
I will try to offer extensive support in office hours and schedule appointments at other
times for any student who is staying up-to-date but has questions. Conversely, I will give
only basic guidance to a student who lets the course go for no important reason.
I recommend that students take this class only if they are seriously committed to doing
the course work.
Academic dishonesty (including plagiarism and cheating) will not be tolerated and is
prohibited by the EMU Code of Student Conduct. Academic dishonesty evident in any
assignment will result in a score of zero for the assignment.
Violations of the EMU Code of Student Conduct or the University’s Safe Working and
Learning Environment may result in sanctions up to removal from the course or
expulsion from the university.
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