Political Science 4605
Dr. Walid Kazziha
Fall 2019
Office hours Mon. and Thur., 1:00-2:00, or Tues. 12:00-2:00 by appointment.
Office 2018 in HUSS.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MOBILE IS CLOSED AND KEPT OUT OF SIGHT, NOT
ON YOUR DESK, AT ALL TIMES DURING CLASS MEETINGS. USE OF MOBILES FOR ANY
PURPOSE IS UTTERLY PROHIBITED IN THE CLASSROOM.
International Politics in the Middle East
The Purpose of this seminar is to explore the relationships of the Middle East to the Great
powers of our time, with emphasis on the political , military , economic and cultural impact of
these powers on shaping the region , and determining its future, from colonial times until the
present. It is also the purpose of the seminar to familiarize the students with the current issues
which form the basis of the strained relations among the countries of the Middle East as well as
with those outside the region.
The course will examine the various phases of IR in the ME from WWI until the present. We will
analyze three major factors that interact to produce basic political trends, namely: 1. The
domestic setting in each ME state; 2. The politics of regional powers; and 3. The role of Great
powers.
Furthermore, we will concentrate in our study of the region on a number of topics: emergence
of state systems, the impact of ideological trends, and the current status of regionalinternational politics in particular in Syria and Iraq, Palestine , Turkey, the Gulf region, and the
growing influence of political Islam.
Requirements of the seminar
The course will be divided into three major parts. In the first part our focus will be on a critical
study of some of the theories which attempted to find an explanation for the emergence of a
new world order, particularly since the collapse of the bipolar system in the early 1990s. In the
second part of the course, we will concentrate on the historical and political evolution and
development of the state system in the ME, under the impact of the West, and invite, whenever
possible, representatives of the foreign diplomatic missions in Cairo to present the political
position of their countries toward the region. In the third part of the course we will examine a
select number of current issues that seem to have a direct impact on the Contemporary
Relationships of the ME with the rest of the world. Furthermore, we will stage a simulation
exercise in which the class will enact one of the major crises engulfing the region such as the
civil war in Syria, the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia, or the Palestinian Israeli conflict.
In order to meet the requirements of the course, students are required to complete the following
tasks:
1- (a)Read the weekly assignments and (b)attend the lectures by outside speakers in
preparation for 2 one hour exams. 35 % each exam.
Please read the assignments on time so as to be able to participate intelligently in the
discussions. You will find that you have no substitute to reading the assignments and attending
classes regularly for you to pass the two exams with a decent grade.
2- Each Student will be assigned a political party in the simulation exercise to represent. The
exercise is a serious academic experience which requires consulting sources, and also utilizing
negotiating skills, as well as employing the powers of persuasion. It is not simple play acting, but
an attempt to immerse one self in an interactive political experience of substantial educational
value. Each student at the end of the simulation will be evaluated for his/her performance and
contribution to the exercise. 30%.
Grading:
1- Exam # 1.
Mon., Oct. 7,
2- Exam # 2
Min., Nov. 18
3- Simulation Exercise. Last two weeks of classes 30%
35%
35%
Textbooks:
1- John Baylis, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens, The Globalization of World Politics, Oxford
University Press, 6th edition, 2014.
1- Louise Fawcett, International Relations of the Middle East , Oxford University Press, 2009
2-Fred Halliday, The Middle East in international Relations: Power, Politics and Ideology,
Cambridge University Press, 2005
3- Tareq Y. Ismael, The International Relations of the Middle East in the 21st century: Patterns
of continuity and change, Ashgate, 2000.
Weekly Schedule:
Week 1 - 5.(assignments will be announced at the beginning of each week): The New World
Order:
Clash of civilizations -Huntington
Pivotal State- Kennedy
End of History - Fukuyama
From the End of the Cold War to a New Global Era, Michael Cox.
The Future of the American Liberal Order? YouTube, Joseph Nye, 2017.
The state: Globalization in the Middle East – Richard Falk in Ismael.
Shift of Global power to the East- Kayshour Mahbubani
The Age of Nonpolarity, Richard Haas (Foreign Affairs, May-June 2008
The World Order, New York Times review of Henry Kissinger's recent book.
The Unravelling, by Richard Haass, in Foreign Affairs,November/Dec.2014
Week 6,
Week 7:
Approaches to the study of the ME in IR:
a. Halliday PP 1-17, and PP 21-40.
b. Realism, Liberalism, Marxist theories of IR, pp. 91-129, in Baylis.
Week 8: The Impact of Colonialism.
Fawcett.pp. 21-43, The Arab Entry into International Relations, by Eugene Rogan.
Week 9:
The US in the ME
a. Anthony H. Cordesman, Is There An Obama Doctrine? Online: https://csisprod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fspublic/legacy_files/files/publication/160310_Cordesman_Obama_Doctrine.pdf
b. Mersheimer and Walt: The Israel Lobby and American Foreign Policy
Week 10,
Major Non-State Actors in the Middle East
A. Reinoud Leenders, Know Thy Enemy: Hizbullah and the Politics of Perception
B. Charles Lister, Profiling the Islamic State
Week 11-13, Major Issues in Middle East Politics, and Simulation Exercise in Class.
Some basic guidelines to be observed:
1. According to university regulations, a total of 3 week absences could result in an F in the
course no matter what the reason is. This rule will be strictly adhered to.
2. Make ups should not be expected.
3. No extra credit will be offered to improve a grade unless it applies to the whole class.
4. A student may appeal his grade to the instructor IN WRITING, within one week of receiving
his/her exam booklet.
"ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND PLAGIARISM
Students are expected to commit to the principles of academic integrity.
Academic integrity includes a commitment to not engage in or tolerate acts of falsification,
misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty include cheating or copying,
plagiarizing, submitting another persons' work as one's own, using Internet or other sources
without citation, fabricating field data or citations, stealing examinations, tampering with the
academic work of another student, facilitating other students' acts of academic dishonesty, etc.
Plagiarism for assignments and/or reports may result in a zero grade for the assignment and/or
the report in question. Cheating during an examination may result in a zero grade for this
examination. Further action, according to university regulations, would also be implemented.
You should be aware that all written work might be submitted to “Turnitin.com”, the detection
prevention software. By signing this syllabus, you will acknowledge that you have understood
that any detected plagiarism will have to be reported.
The University's statement on academic integrity, from which the above statement is drawn, is
available at http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/integrity/Pages/default.aspx
DISCLAIMER
THIS SYLLABUS IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE. YOU
CANNOT CLAIM ANY RIGHTS FROM IT. IN PARTICULAR, SCHEDULING AND DATES MAY
CHANGE. I MAY ALSO CHOOSE TO ADD OR DELETE SOME OF THE READINGS.
THE SYLLABUS SHOULD BE A RELIABLE GUIDE FOR THE COURSE, AND IF ANY
CHANGES ARE MADE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL ALWAYS BE MADE IN CLASS
OR ON BANNER OR BLACKBOARD