POL 335-01, Fall 2009
Social Science Building 226, Mondays and Thursdays 12:30-1:50.
Brian Potter, Associate Professor
Social Science 219C potter@tcnj.edu
Office hours: Mondays and Thursdays 9:00-10:00, 11:30-12:30, or by appointment.
The war on terrorism and the current Iraq war display two faces of international organization. In the former, the United States successfully enlisted its allies, other countries and international organizations in a coordinated multinational effort to curb the financing, basing and mobility of terrorist groups. In the latter, the United States chose a largely unilateralist policy (though winning the support of some countries), ignoring international institutions and non-governmental organizations that advocated a more cautious approach. Why was cooperation among nations through international institutions feasible and desirable when facing one threat but not in the other?
In this class, international organization is understood to be the ability of norms, intergovernmental institutions and non-governmental organizations to modify the behavior of states while assisting them in achieving their goals. The course considers how and if global society is governed by formal and informal mechanisms; it is not merely a description of inter-governmental institutions. While polemicists claim that norms and non-state actors are either superfluous to or supplanting state power, the truth lies somewhere in between.
Although the class has no prerequisites, students should have some knowledge of international relations. POL 230 or INT 200 offer great introductions to the subfield of international relations.
Learning objectives.
By the end of the semester, students will be able to demonstrate progress in the following Political Science Department learning goals:
1) Understanding of political science and its links to related fields;
4) Developing critical thinking skills;
5) Conducting original research;
6) Verbal and written communication skills.
Requirements and grading.
Successful students will attend lecture and participate in discussions; complete and give thought to the readings; write six reading evaluations, a paper proposal and a final research paper. It will be difficult to participate in class unless on has given time to understand and reflect on the readings. The readings frame views of international politics and present difficult choices to be made. You may need to read some pieces (especially the articles) more than once. Please note that some weeks‟ assignments are lengthier than others.
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The following books are required reading and are available at the campus bookstore and elsewhere:

Karns, Margaret P. and Karen Mingst. 2004. International Organizations: The
Politics and Process of Global Governance . Boulder: Lynne Rienner. ISBN:
1555879632

Weiss, Thomas G., David P. Forsythe, Roger A. Coate and Kelly Kate Pease.
2007. The United Nations and Changing World Poli tics. Boulder: Westview.
ISBN: 978-0813343471.

Peet, Richard. 2003. Unholy Trinity: The IMF, World Bank and WTO.
London: Zed. ISBN: 978-1842770733.
Other readings are available online (parenthetical notes show what database to use or if they are on SOCS). We may add reading assignments during the semester. In addition to the assignments listed above, students are required to keep up with current events through frequent reading of a major newspaper (i.e. New York Times , Wall Street Journal ) or weekly news magazine (viz. The Economist ).
Contributions to class discussions, scores on unannounced quizzes and other short assignments contribute towards the participation grade. Absences, excused or not, hurt the participation grade.
Written assignments consist of weekly evaluations of the assigned reading, a paper proposal, a research paper, a midterm exam and final exam. In the evaluations of the reading, students will be expected to write a 2-3 page (double-spaced) assessment that synthesizes, compares and contrasts the reading for that week, indicating the major questions raised by the authors and the strengths and weaknesses of each piece. Each reading evaluation should include an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement. A total of six reading evaluations from the twelve weeks of II-XI are required. Evaluations of the reading will be due promptly at the beginning of class on the first day of class that we approach the new topic. Three reading evaluations must be rewritten; the rewrites should be turned in within one week of receiving the original. Late reading evaluations will not be accepted.
The midterm and final will consist of one essay and several short answer questions.
Candidate essay questions will be distributed prior to the exam.
A suggested topic for the research paper is to analyze how and why a particular intergovernmental institution (IO) was created, using the models presented in the readings.
However, papers can explore any topic relevant to the course. Given this freedom, students need to turn in a three-page paper proposal describing the issue to be addressed, the paper‟s thesis, an outline of the paper and potential sources. The proposal is due on
November 2 nd
and the final paper is due on December 3 rd
, all at the start of class. If you would like to hand in an optional draft of your paper, please do so by November 19 th
.
Space permitting, you have the option to participate in TCNJ‟s delegation to the
Model UN organized by the University of Pennsylvania (November 12-15), provided you
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submit the policy position you wrote prior to the conference and a three page debriefing paper assessing your experience at the model. Such participation substitutes for three weekly reading evaluations (15% of your final grade).
Final grades will be based on the following weights:
Six evaluations of the reading
Participation
Midterm exam
30%
10%
10%
Paper proposal
Research paper
Final exam
10%
25%
15%
All assignments are due at the start of class, even if a student arrives late to class.
Late work will be penalized by losing ten percent of its grade for every business day that it is late, up to a maximum of a 50 percent loss; late reading evaluations will not be accepted, without exception. Exceptions to the late penalty are rare and do not include computing, printing or commuting problems, nor other College activities. Incompletes will only be offered in cases of extreme hardship, presented in writing before the final exam.
Text messaging and phone interruptions during class are rude. Similarly, plan ahead on using the restroom. To avoid discouraging discussion, no recording devices are allowed in class.
The distribution of grades varies greatly from class to class and thus the grades given in past semesters do not serve as good predictors of what will happen this semester.
Grades are earned by the student, not given by the instructor. The following descriptions offer expectations for how student performance will be assessed.

Grades of A or A- are marks of excellence. To earn an A or A- a student has to complete all assignments on time and attend and participate in all, or virtually all, class sessions. In addition, a student has to rise above the basic expectations of each assignment, give greater effort to all work and display a passion for learning. An A grade is a special mark that demonstrates not only considerable time invested outside of class but also mastery of the material.

Grades of B+, B and B- indicate work that is good but not outstanding. To earn such a grade, a student must complete all assignments well and on time as well as attend and participate in most class sessions. Students earning grades in this range occasionally, but not consistently, distinguish themselves on graded assignments.

Grades in the C+ through F range indicate shortcomings in one or more components of the course. Merely showing up and turning in the minimum assigned work typically earns a C-range grade. Missing work and poor participation can result in lesser grades.
Students earning grades in this range need to reconsider their academic strategy.
Students with disabilities are encouraged early in the course to discuss with the professor any needed accommodations approved by the Office for Differing Abilities
Services.
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Honor Code.
This course follows the requirements and penalties of the Academic Integrity Policy found in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Any suspected violations will be referred to the appropriate Academic Integrity Officer. All work turned in must be your own. If you have questions about academic honesty, please ask.
Languages Across the Curriculum.
A one credit Languages Across the Curriculum independent study may be added to this course for those students who have intermediate level proficiency in another language and who wish to complement the work in this course by utilizing their language skills. Please visit the LAC website at http://internationalstudies.intrasun.tcnj.edu or contact dcompte@tcnj.edu for more information. Register during the first week of the semester if you are interested.
Weekly topics, readings and study questions.
I: Global governance and types of intergovernmental organizations (8/27, 8/31, 9/3).
Questions: This course is about global governance, not merely intergovernmental organizations. What is the difference? How do the regional organizations described by
Karns and Mingst in chapter five vary according to the criteria listed by Koremenos et al.? Would you favor a presidential candidate how makes more or less use of intergovernmental organizations in conducting US foreign policy? Why?
Readings: Karns & Mingst 1, 3, 5;
Koremenos, Barbara, Charles Lipson and Duncan Snidal. 2001. “The Rational Design of International Institutions.”
International Organization 55, 4: 761-99 (JSTOR).
II: States and intergovernmental organizations (9/8, 9/10).
Questions: What are the functions of intergovernmental organizations and why do states sometimes use them? Why do they sometimes ignore them? Are intergovernmental organizations democratic in procedure or substantive results? Do they serve the interests of individuals as well as states? Which states, individuals or classes?
Readings: Karns and Mingst 2, 7, 12;
Claude, Inis L. 1966. “Collective Legitimization as a Political Function of the United
Nations.” International Organization 20, 3: 367-79 (JSTOR);
Snidal, Duncan. 1985. “The Limits of Hegemonic Stability Theory,”
International
Organization 39, 4: 579-614 (JSTOR);
Strange, Susan. 1987. “The Persistent Myth of Lost Hegemony.
International
Organization 41, 4: 551-74 (JSTOR).
III: MNCs in global governance (9/14, 9/17).
Questions: What are MNCs and how do they compare in strength to states and IOs? Use the BIC website to find current MNC-IO interactions. What do MNCs want from global governance? Should MNCs have some responsibility for human welfare? What obligations and impact do they have now? Find a balanced assessment of the role of
MNCs in global governance.
Readings: Navaretti, Giorgio and Anthony Venables. 2004. Multinational Firms in the World Economy. Princeton. Chapters 1, 2 (pp.1-48) (SOCS); (more below)
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III: MNCs in global governance (continued)
Jensen, Nathaniel. 2003. “Democratic Governance and Multinational Corporations:
Political Regimes and Inflows of Foreign Direct Investment.” International
Organization 57: 587-616 (JSTOR);
Muchlinski, Peter T. 2001. “Human Rights and Multinationals: Is There a Problem?
International Affairs 77, 1: 31-47 (JSTOR);
2004. “Covered for Climate Change,”
Foreign Policy 145: 18 (WilsonOmni).
Bank Information Center: MIGA (http://www.bicusa.org/en/Institution.7.aspx).
IV: Non-governmental organizations in global governance (9/21, 9/24).
Questions : The rise in number of NGOs in the early 1990s was seen by many as a transformation to global democratic governance. How well has this panned out? How does the organization of NGOs impact their collective power? What is the form and strength of their political power vis-à-vis states and other actors?
Readings : Karns and Mingst 6;
Cooley, Alexander and James Ron. 2002. “The NGO scramble: Organizational
Insecurity and the Political Economy of Transnational Action,”
International
Security 27, 1: 5-39 (WilsonOmniFile);
Dowie, Mark. 2006. “Conservation Refugees,” Pages 123-32 in Jerry Mander and
Vicoria Tauli-Corpuz (eds.) Paradigm Wars: Indigenous People’s Resistance to
Globalization . San Francisco: Sierra Club Books (SOCS);
Winston, Morton. 2002. “NGO Strategies for Promoting Corporate Social
Responsibility,” Ethics and International Affairs 16, 1: 71-88 (EBSCO);
Sundstrom, Lisa. 2005. “Foreign Assistance, International Norms, and NGO
Development: Lessons from the Russian Campaign,” International Organization
59, 2: 419-49 (JSTOR).
V: (9/28): Other actors in global governance.
Questions : Arguably, many international controversies are addressed outside of the formal structures and actors that we have looked at so far. Is transgovernmentalism accountable? Can you find evidence of it in other issue areas? Do capitalists enjoy the degree of cooperation Faux describes? By focusing on the formal, is class genderbiased? When can the news media influence policy, and with what result?
Readings : Slaughter, Anne-Marie. 2004. “The Real New World Order.” Foreign Affairs
76 (September/October): 183-97 (EBSCO);
Faux, Jeff. 2004. “Without Consent: Global Capital Mobility and Democracy.”
Dissent 51, 1: 43-50 (EBSCO);
Bretherton, Charlotte. 2003. “Movements, Networks, Hierarchies: A Gender
Perspective on Global Environmental Governance.”
Global
Environmental Politics 3, 2: 103-119 (ProjectMuse);
Robinson, Piers. 2000. “The Policy-Media Interaction Model: Measuring Media
Power during Humanitarian Crisis,”
Journal of Peace Research 37, 5: 613-33
(JSTOR).
Midterm exam 10/1.
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VI: UN history, scope and process (10/5, 10/8).
Questions: Describe the UN‟s goals, organizational structure, adequacy of resources and how these have changed in the last half century. Through what mechanisms do some states enjoy more influence than others? What frustrations do the critics of the UN articulate? What alternatives do they suggest? How feasible are the alternatives?
Readings: Karns and Mingst 4;
Weiss et al. Introduction, Conclusion, browse appendixes;
O‟Neill, Barry. 1996. “Power and Satisfaction in the Security Council,”
Journal of
Conflict Resolution 40, 2: 219-37 (JSTOR);
Brown, Mark. 2005. “Unreformable?”
Foreign Policy 150: 24 (WilsonOmni).
VII: UN security: disarmament and peacekeeping (10/15, 10/19, 10/22).
Questions: How does the UN define security and is this definition broad enough to make you feel secure? How and why has peacekeeping operations changed over the years?
Beyond what it odes now, what actions could the UN take to decrease political violence?
Readings: Karns and Mingst 8;
Weiss, et al. part one,
Cockayne, James and David M. Malone. 2005. “The Ralph Bunche Centenial: Peace
Operations Then and Now.” Global Governance 11, 3: 331-50 (EBSCOHost)
VIII: UN promotion of human rights and development (10/26, /10/29).
Questions: Describe the institutional structure for promoting human rights and economic development? What non-altruistic motives do wealthy countries have in promoting such issues? Do universal human rights infringe on national identity? How have non-state actors participated in global human rights and development?
Readings: Weiss et al. parts two and three;
Rahmani-Ocora, Ladan. 2006. “Giving the Emperor Real Clothes: The UN Human
Rights Council.”
Global Governance 12, 1: 15-20 (EBSCOHost).
IX: The global financial architecture, especially the IMF (11/2, 11/5).
Questions: What role do the bretton Woods institutions play in the broader issues of global economic governance? How has the ideology and role of the IMF changed over the last half century? How did neoliberalism maintain hegemony? Who are the political actors promoting and benefiting from such change?
Readings: Peet 1-3, 6.
Paper proposal due 11/2.
X: Multilateral development banks (11/9, 11/12):
Questions: How does the World Bank differ from the IMF in mission, institutional structure and power? Why is there a need for regional development banks when the
World Bank performs the same role? What alternative solutions to development are proposed by critics of the Bank, both right and left?
Readings: Peet 4;
Karns and Mingst 9;
Engler, M. 2006. “Abandoning the World Bank: Pitfalls When the Right and Left
Agree.” Dissent 53, 4: 57-63 (WilsonOmni).
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Model UN at University of Pennsylvania: November 12-15 (http://www.upmunc.org/)
XI: (11/16, 11/19, 11/23). WTO and FTAs.
Questions: Of all IOs, the WTO is one of the most controversial yet least understood –
Peet gives an excellent description of how it works. Why did the leading powers transform the GATT into the WTO? How well can the WTO address concerns of investment, patents, labor and investment? Could any of these issues be considered part of the WTO‟s limited mandate? Do regional FTAs help or hinder the WTO mission?
Readings: Peet 5;
Nalunga, Jane. 2006. “Trade and Development at the WTO Conference in Hong
Kong: An Assessment from a Southern NGO.”
Global Governance 12, 2: 127-33
(AcademicSearchPremier);
Gordon, Bernard K. 2003. “A High Risk Trade Policy.” Foreign Affairs 82, 4: 105-
118 (WilsonOmniFile).
XII: (11/30, 12/3). The United States and international norms and institutions.
Question : Most pundits assess U.S. power using military and economic measures, which undoubtedly are important. However, how much influence does the United States enjoy abroad due to its informal networks, formal intergovernmental institutions and promotion of norms? Towards what purposes is the United States likely to use such power?
Readings : Slaughter, Anne-Marie. 2009. “America‟s Edge: Power in the Networked
Century,”
Foreign Affairs 88, 1 (January/February): 94-113 (Wilson);
Robinson, William I. 1996. “Globalization, the World System, and
„Democracy Promotion‟ in U. S. Foreign Policy.”
Theory and Society 25, 5: 615-
665 (JSTOR);
Wade, Robert. 2003. “The Invisible Hand of the American Empire,”
Ethics and
International Affairs 17, 2: 77-88 (Wilson).
Final paper due 12/3.
Final exam: TBA.
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