INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - POLS 221 – 3 Credit Hours
Syllabus
Lee Ann Hagan
Spring 2008
CSI Mission Statement
The College of Southern Idaho, a comprehensive
community college, educates the diverse residents
primarily of South Central Idaho and encourages
them to lead full, effective lives in a changing
world.
Office: Aspen Bldg. 126
Extension: 6867
Hours: M W 10:50 - 11:50
F 10:00 - 11:50
T Th 10:50 - 11:50
& by appointment
General Education Criteria: This course satisfies all eight criteria for general education. It is designed to:
1. provide a broad-based survey of a discipline and show the interconnectedness of knowledge.
2. develop a discerning individual.
3. practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
4. promote awareness of social and cultural diversity in order to appreciate the commonality of mankind.
5. foster the balance between individual needs and the demands of society.
6. reinforce reading, writing, speaking, and/or quantitative skills.
7. encourage and inspire life-long learning.
8. encourage creativity.
Social Science Department Mission Statement
The mission of the Social Science Department is to provide educational, social, and cultural opportunities which
encourage enriched, productive and responsible lives primarily by instructing students to understand, interpret, and apply
Social Science discipline coursework.
Social Science Department Goals: This course addresses the following Social Science Department goals, which are to:
1. help students understand important facts, concepts and theories of Social Science subjects.
2. help students acquire techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge in the disciplines.
3. help students learn to distinguish between fact and opinion.
4. teach students to use evaluation, analysis and synthesis to interpret and solve problems.
5. teach students to use different perspectives from the social sciences to make better-informed decisions
6. help students acquire an informed understanding of various cultures.
7. prepare students to transfer to a university.
Political Science Program Mission Statement
The Political Science Program prepares students to examine the theory and practice of politics and the description and
analysis of political systems and political behavior.
Political Science Program Objectives: Students will…
1. comprehend political theories, structures and processes.
2. think, integrate, and logically organize, not just memorize, political information.
3. gather knowledge from other disciplines to interpret political situations.
4. apply insights from the study of political science to understand local, state, national and international developments.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: A basic international relations course that explores the primary causes that
maintain or destroy international peace and cooperation.
This course introduces students to the study of world politics. Its principal objective is to enable
students not only to understand contemporary world politics, but to analyze, independently, changes that take
place.
Why is war a recurring phenomenon on this planet? Why do states not resort to it more frequently than
they have so far? Why are terrorist attacks and civil strife becoming part of our daily lives? What are the
effects of large scale natural disasters on international relations? What are the means for avoiding degeneration
into chaos and collapse? What is the scope for evolving non-violent modes of conflict? Why are nations so
unequal, not only in power but in wealth and well-being? What determines the nature of economic competition
among states? Are economic domination and dependence inevitable?
The set of questions above are among the "great issues" of international politics that have been
addressed by scholars and statesmen alike. They provide the major substantive concerns of this course. Our
major theme is international conflict, an unfortunately pervasive reality of world politics. The first part of the
course will analyze contending arguments about the causes of war. The two world wars are among the cases we
will consider to test the adequacy of those arguments.
This is an introductory course designed to meet the needs of any student with a general interest in the
subject. It is in part a "current events" course, and attempts to provide a set of conceptual tools for more
intelligent understanding of contemporary international affairs.
In addition this course will meet the following:
Students with Disabilities
Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for related accommodations. To determine eligibility and
secure services, students should contact the coordinator of Disability Services at their first opportunity after registration
for a class. Student Disability Services is located on the second floor of the Taylor Building on the Twin Falls Campus.
208-732-6260 (voice) or 208-734-9929 (TTY), or email AccessAbility@csi.edu
Student Evaluations
Students are strongly encouraged to complete evaluations at the end of the course. Evaluations are very
important to assist the teaching staff to continually improve the course. Evaluations are available online at
http://evaluation.csi.edu . Evaluations open up two weeks prior to the end of the course. The last day to
complete an evaluation is the last day of the course. During the time the evaluations are open, students can
complete the course evaluations at their convenience from any computer with Internet access, including in the
open lab in the library and in the SUB When students log in they should see the evaluations for the courses in
which they are enrolled. Evaluations are anonymous. Filling out the evaluation should only take a few minutes.
Your honest feedback is greatly appreciated!
Outcomes Assessment
Outcomes Assessment is intended to address whether and how your experience in this course has been effective
in achieving the objectives as stated above.
Matrix of Course Outcomes Aligned with GE criteria (GE) Social Science Goals (SS) and Political Science
Objectives (POLS)
Students Will...
Understand the basic structure of interactions in International
Politics.
Be able to critically interpret and articulate thoughts about
International Government and Politics.
Apply course concepts in a personal and everyday context.
GE
1, 2, 3, 4, 6
SS
1, 2, 3, 4,
POLS
A, B, C, D
2, 3, 4, 5, 6
1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7
1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7
A, B, C, D
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7,
A, B, C, D
Outcomes Assessment: Alignment of course outcomes with assessment methods.
Current Events Discussion Worksheets/Quizzes Paper Interview Essay Exam (s) War Assignment
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Reading Outline
Evaluation will be based on performance as listed on the attached grade sheet including an in-class (partially
comprehensive) exam(s). LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED WITH A PENALTY WITHIN 2
WEEKS OF THE DUE DATE. STUDENTS WHO ARE NO LONGER ATTENDING CLASS ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR WITHDRAWING BY THE END OF THE 12TH WEEK OR AN "F" GRADE WILL
BE GIVEN! (Last day to drop is April 4th, 2007)
Readings listed below are required. The textbooks for the course are:
Great Decisions, 2008 Edition. (This is your current events textbook.)
The Global Future: A Brief Introduction to World Politics, 2nd Edition by Kegley Jr., Charles W. and
Raymond, Gregory A.
Additional readings will be in the form of handouts, including readings from:
International Conflict and Cooperation, by Armstutz, Mark
The Logic of International Relations by Jones, Walter (8th Edition)
I.
II.
The order of Reading Assignments in the Great Decisions handbook will be selected by
class vote beginning the second week of the semester.
Lecture Topics and Reading Assignments
A. Introductory Overview -- The Realm of Relations
What is the game? Who are the players? What are the rules?
Why isn't there just one scorecard?
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Kegley, Jr., and Raymond, Chapter 1, "Exploring Twenty-First Century World Politics"
Kegley, Jr., Chapter 6, “Nonstate Actors and the Challenge of Global Government”
Kegley, Jr., Chapter 2, “Theories of World Politics”
Kegley, Jr., Chapter 9, “Realists Paths to Peace”
Holsti, "Models of International Relations"
Soroos, "The Tragedy of the Commons in Global Perspective"
Ophuls and Boyan, "The International State of Nature and the Politics of Scarcity"
Kegley, Jr., Chapter 10, “Liberal Paths to Peace”
Kegley, Jr., Chapter 3, “Foreign Policy Decision Making”
Jones, Chapter 7, "Power" & Kegley, Jr., Chapter 8 “Military Power and National Security”
Other readings as assigned
B. Why War?
1. Analytic Framework: Causes of War
Kegley, Jr., Chapter 7, “Armed Conflict in the Twenty-First Century” Chapter 4, pgs. 83-90
Jones, Chapter 10 "Fifteen Causes of War"
Levy, "War in the Post-Cold War Era"
2. Case 1: World War I, Kegley, Jr., Chapter 4, pgs 72-78 “Great Power Rivalry and the Lure of
Hegemony”
Articles by Barnes, Fay and Fischer
(These readings represent different explanations for the outbreak of
WWI.)
3. Case 2: World War II
Kegley, Jr., Chapter 4, pgs. 79-83
A.J.P. Taylor, The Origins of Second World War, Chapters 1, 2, and 6
NAME____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
GRADE SHEET POLS 221
SPRING 2008
Current Event Spotlights (10 point scale) (10% Total Grade)
1
Week
Topic
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
7
8
9
10
Substitute
Pretest - Map
and leaders
Score
Great Decision Quizzes/Worksheets (10 points Scale) (10% Total Grade)
1
Week
Topic
2
3
4
5
6
Substitute
Causes of War
List
Score
Causes of War Assignment (15 point Scale) (5% of Total Grade)
International Interview (25 Point Scale) (15% of Total Grade) – (An assignment sheet is included with
your first day handouts. This is due by April 23, 2008.)
Midterm Exam(s) (100 Point Scale) (25% of Total Grade)
Final Term Paper (Letter Grade) (25% of Total Grade) – (Your topic can be current or historical. The
only requirements are that it must cover interaction between at least two countries and your paper must
be 6-8 pages and include at least 6-8 sources. This paper is due by April 30, 2008.)
Additional Assignments and/or Discussion (10% Total Grade)
Extra Credit