IAFF 6173: Security and Development
Professor Joanna Spear
Elliott School of International Affairs
Email: jspear@gwu.edu
Office: 605J 1957 E Street, NW
Telephone: 202-994-1088
Fall Semester 2014
Classroom: 1776 G Street, room 104.
Teaching Hours: 5.10-7.00
Teaching Day: Tuesday
Office Hours: Tuesday 3-4pm & by
appointment.
Course Aims and Objectives:
This course aims to consider the relationship between security and development across a number
of issue areas. Its objective is to enable you to create your own ‘map’ of the relationship and help
you to understand some of the connections and disconnections between the two fields. The
course will also allow you to deepen your understanding of one developing country and to
demonstrate that knowledge through a range of products.
The existence of this course reflects the fact that there is growing interest from the security field
in issues that have traditionally been the purview of development. At the same time, the
development field has become engaged in security issues, for example, by taking on board the
idea of “human security”. This cross-fertilization and convergence of agendas seems to be a postCold War innovation as prior to that there were clear “stovepipes” between the fields. A lot of the
interest in the connections between security and development in the United States has been
spurred by policy questions about how to deal with armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq
(though that interest is now fading), but there has also been longer-term international concern
about how to cope with “failed states.” Consequently, there is a rich policy and academic
literature developing where writers from the development and security arenas tackle issues of
common interest.
Much of the literature that claims a positive relationship between development and security tends
to focus on the issue of armed conflict and post-conflict peace-building. Once that is not the
major focus it is less clear that a positive relationship – or even what type – of relationship exists.
Indeed, even the apparent “agenda convergence” around conflict cannot be taken as a sign of real
agreement; there are differences of approach, focus, understanding of causality, and level of
analysis that means the literatures are not completely compatible. Apparent agreement on what
the issues are belies serious differences of substance with implications for understanding the
issues and the design of policy options. In sum, interestingly, much of the literature presumes a
relationship between security and development that is – at best – unproven.
This seminar course will investigate various aspects of the relationship between security and
development. Although it looks at armed conflict and failed states, it seeks to look beyond these
issues as well to areas such as demography, the environment, urbanization, and trade, to see how
the development-security relationship looks in these issue areas.
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The course is also designed to have you consider not just the problems, but potential policy
solutions to them.
Skill and Knowledge Development:
Class participation provides an opportunity for you to work through these interesting issues and to
learn from the perspectives of others. This involves continued development of incisive verbal
skills, debating abilities, and good listening skills (a very valuable – and often underestimated
ability) through practice in the classroom. The policy memoranda will provide valuable practice
in writing short, focused policy pieces, one on setting out a problem, the other a decision memo.
Presenting the memorandum to the class will allow you to practice your formal briefing skills.
The midterm paper is an opportunity for you to distill the key elements of security and
development as they relate to your country of choice. This involves exercising skills in foreign
language translation, summation, analysis and focused academic writing. Extensive feedback on
these midterm papers will help you to develop these skills. The research paper provides an
opportunity for you to use primary and secondary sources to create a substantive analytical piece
of work relating to an issue covered in the course. This paper involves you further developing
your research skills, your analytical abilities and honing your individual academic style and
interests. Rubrics for the written assignments are laid out below.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course you will be familiar with the literature on core thematic issues in security
and development (trade, aid, governance etc.). This will be demonstrated by your contributions
to discussions and be reflected in your grade for class participation. You will also have gained indepth knowledge of the security and development issues in one country and will have
demonstrated this learning through your mid-term paper and policy memorandum. You will have
also learned more about editing your own and other people’s work. This will be shown through
the feedback on your performance in the editing exercise (and hopefully in your final paper!).
Finally, you will have enhanced your knowledge of a relevant issue of your choice and
demonstrated your academic knowledge, research, and writing skills through the research paper.
Learning outcomes will also be demonstrated in the ‘distance traveled’ between the midterm and
research paper feedback and grades.
Deadlines
The deadline for the midterm paper is 5.10pm (EST) Tuesday October 7, 2014.
The deadline to submit a two-page outline of your final paper is 5.10pm (EST) Tuesday
November 11, 2014.
The deadline for the decision memoranda is the Tuesday after you presented the original
memoranda setting out the problem.
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The deadline for the final paper is 5.00pm (EST) Wednesday December 10, 2014.
Late submissions will be penalized. Please make sure you store your work in a cloud as loss of
work due to technology failures is both a pain for you and an inadequate excuse to me!
Grading
Your course grade will be computed as follows:
Midterm
Class Participation
Policy Memorandums
Final paper
30%
10%
20 %
40%
The mid-term assignment is to write about issues in security and development in terms of the
country that you are following. The paper should be no more than ten, well edited, double-spaced,
12-point typed, pages in length (plus endnotes and bibliography). The question is “What are the
key security and development challenges in……?” [Insert the name of the country you are
studying]. The paper will use the primary research you have been doing about your particular
country. Unlike other writing products for this class, the midterm is primarily a reporting
exercise, designed to demonstrate your understanding of country you are studying. The emphasis
should be on what you learn from local sources and how they understand the security and
development issues they are dealing with, rather than on what Western sources focus on. Please
do not use Western media or Western academic sources for this piece. Late submission of the
mid-term paper will be penalized.
Policy memorandums: You will also complete two three-page, double spaced, 12-point typed
policy memorandums on the country you are studying. The first memo will set out a problem in
your country. Each week one or two students will present their memos to the class, explaining
the issue the class has been studying in terms of the country they have been following. The
memo should be circulated the day before class so that everyone can read it. Another classmate
will ask the briefer a couple of questions about the problem in that particular country. Then the
class will use the readings for that week to decide what would help to solve the problem.
A week after the memo is presented to the class you will submit a second decision memorandum,
focused on what should be done. This will briefly outline the problem you discussed in class, but
will emphasize policy solutions for that problem. Aim for policy solutions that are "PAIR" -Practical, Actionable, Innovative, and Realistic.
An example of a good policy memorandum is under “editing class” in electronic resources on
Blackboard.
The final research paper is an essay on a topic of your choice (agreed on by me). The paper
should grow out of the readings and issues we have covered in the course. Your assignments
should reflect more extensive reading than is expected in preparation for the seminars. The paper
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should answer a question, and should involve you making analytical judgments. This means that
it needs to be more than a narrative; telling the story is only a part of what you need to do. There
is a style guide at the end of the syllabus that will help you find a good question (and you must
have a question and not just write about a subject!) The paper should be not less than eighteen,
nor more than twenty, well edited, double-spaced, 12-point typed, pages in length (plus endnotes
and bibliography). If the paper exceeds the page limit, the grade will be reduced. The substance
of the paper should show evidence of your having read the required books and relevant articles.
You may find the online version of the Chicago Manual of Style of use:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html some of the content can be freely accessed.
Class participation is not just attendance; it is about what you contribute. Your participation
grade will come in part from your contributions to the discussion from the perspective of the
country you will follow, and the rest from your general participation in class. Participation is not
just about how much you speak, but about the quality of the contributions, how it helps the
discussion. Thus, asking a good question is of equal value to bringing some new information to
our collective attention.
In terms of the written work, in the age of the Internet it is not enough to think that you have done
good work if you have found a range of sources; anyone can do that. What is important is the
analysis you produce from those sources, the arguments that you develop, and the causality that
you draw.
I am a tough grader; I expect your papers and memoranda to be the product of significant effort
and to be thoroughly researched, properly thought-through and well written. Last minute work
rarely meets these standards, so please plan ahead. I have included a style guide at the end of this
syllabus that will assist you in writing your papers. Also at the end of this syllabus is the marking
sheet that will be used to grade the midterm and the final essay, and a set of rubrics to help you
understand what a good performance in this course would look like.
Requirements
I expect you to have completed the required readings (from Blackboard and from the live links in
this syllabus) prior to each class. I also encourage you to be adventurous and see what interesting
readings (from reputable sources) you can find for yourself. If you miss a class, I expect a five
page overview of the readings to be submitted within seven days of the missed class. This is so
that I can see that you have understood the readings for that week’s class.
There is no single recommended text for this course because I am keen for you to hear a variety
of perspectives on the issues we study, so that they can make up your own mind, and thus my
preference is for you to read widely and well from a variety of sources. A variety of sources are
on Blackboard and some of them will disagree with each other. As you read, I expect you to be a
critical reader, and consider each author’s arguments on its merits.
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Each of you will select a country to follow for the whole semester. You are expected to use
language skills (if you have them) and to follow your chosen country through its local media -not through Western media sources. This exercise is designed to help you appreciate the
security and development challenges faced by different countries, giving you a perspective not
often gained in Washington, DC. You will be briefing the class on your country through a policy
memo setting out how a problem plays out in your country and then writing a decision memo on
that problem.
Late papers – the midterm, policy memorandum, and the final paper - will be penalized one-third
of the grade per day (from A to A-, from A- to B+, etc.) Incompletes will not be allowed. Since
computers seem to sense deadlines, anxiety, and writer’s block, and crash accordingly, it is wise
to cloud compute or often save the draft and regularly email it to yourself as you write. Problems
with technology are not an acceptable reason for late work.
You must abide by the strict standards of the George Washington University Code of Academic
Integrity. This is found online at http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.html . Failure to abide by
the code will be heavily penalized. Please note that using writing from one class (whether at GW
or not) in another class is also plagiarism and is not acceptable. The Gelman Library has a
number of useful resources about the problem of plagiarism and how to avoid available at:
http://libguides.gwumc.edu/c.php?g=27773&p=170276 Of particular relevance is the link to the
tutorial on How to Recognize Plagiarism from Indiana University.
If you feel you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability you should
contact me privately to discuss specific needs. Please also contact the Disability Support Services
office at 202.994.8250 in the Marvin Center, Suite 242, to establish eligibility and to coordinate
reasonable accommodations. For additional information please refer to:
http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss/.
Classroom Emergency Preparedness and Response Information
 To Report an Emergency or Suspicious Activity call the GW Police Department at
202‐994‐6111. If the line is unavailable dial 911.

Shelter in Place – General Guidance Your first reaction in an emergency should be to
stay where you are. Evacuate only if you hear the fire alarm or someone instructs you to
evacuate. If you are outdoors during an incident, proceed into the closest GW building
unless you are told to do otherwise. No matter where you are on campus, the basic steps
of “sheltering in place” are:

Shelter‐in‐place in an interior room, above ground level, and with the fewest windows. If
there is a large group of people inside a particular building, several rooms may be
necessary.

Shut and lock all windows (locking will form a tighter seal), close exterior doors, and
stay away from glass doors and windows.
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
Turn off air conditioners, heaters, and fans. Close vents to ventilation systems as you are
able (Facilities staff will turn off ventilation systems as quickly as possible).

Make a list of the people with you and call the list in to GWPD (see numbers above) so
they know where you are.

Visit GW Campus Advisories http://CampusAdvisories.gwu.edu or call the GW
Information Line at 202‐994‐5050 for incident updates. If possible, turn on a radio or
television and listen for further instructions. If your e‐mail address or mobile device is
registered with Alert DC, check for alert notifications.

Make yourself comfortable and look after one other. You will get word as soon as it is
safe to come out.

Evacuation We will always evacuate if the fire alarm sounds or if 1776 G Street
becomes unsafe. In the event of an evacuation, please quickly gather your personal
belongings (purse, keys, cell phone, GWorld card, etc.) and proceed to the nearest exit.
Do not use the elevator.

Once we have evacuated the building, proceed to: the Marvin Center, Food court. If the
first location is unavailable, we will meet at the University library, on the ground floor.

Alert DC Alert DC provides free notification by e‐mail or text message during an
emergency. Visit GW Campus Advisories for a link and instructions on how to sign up
for alerts pertaining to GW. If you receive an Alert DC notification during class, please
share the information immediately.

GW Alert GW Alert provides popup notification to desktop and laptop computers during
an emergency. In the event that we receive an alert to the computer in our classroom, we
will follow the instructions given. You are also encouraged to download this application
to your phone and personal computer.
Class Schedule
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9.
Introductory class
Core Problems: Conflict and Underdevelopment
Poverty
Governance
Environment
Demographics
Editing class
Aid
Alternatives to Traditional Aid: FDI, Remittances and Microfinance
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10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Alternatives to Traditional Aid: New Economic Tools and Approaches
Trade & resources
Food
Urbanization
Organizational cultures
Websites
Clingendael Institute, www.clingendael.nl
Department for International Development, www.dfid.gov.uk
FCO Conflict Prevention Pools, http://www.fco.gov.uk
GFN.SSR, http://www.ssrnetwork.net
GRSDRC, http://www.gsdrc.org/go/topic-guides/security-and-development/crime-and-policing
Human Rights Watch, www.hrw.org
Human Security Gateway, http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/index.php
International Crisis Group, www.crisisweb.org
Security Assistance Monitor, http://www.securityassistance.org/
Stimson Center, http://www.stimson.org/pubs/
World Bank, www.worldbank.org
United Nations Development Programme, www.undp.org
United Nations Data Hub data.un.org
United States Institute of Peace, www.usip.org
World Bank, Online Atlas of the Millennium Development Goals:
http://devdata.worldbank.org/atlas-mdg/
American Human Development Project: http://measureofamerica.org/ This is a useful point of
comparison and contrast to the reports focused on the developing world.
Seminar Topics, Key Questions and Readings
If for any reason you miss a class, I will ask you to submit a five page overview of the readings
for that session. I want to see that you have read and understood the readings for that week.
The overview should be submitted to me by email within seven days of the missed class.
Class 1: Introductory class
We will begin the course by discussing the syllabus, followed by student introductions and
discussion of student’s selections for their country cases.

Have we made progress in improving security? Whose security?

Have we made progress in development? Whose development?

What still needs to be done?

How should security and development be prioritized?
The Human Security Report Project, “Chapter One: Why International Wars Have Become
Exceedingly Rare”, “Chapter Two: Peace, War, and Numbers: A Nontechnical Guide to Recent
Research on the Causes of War and Peace”, and “Chapter Four: Explaining the Global Decline in
Civil Wars”, in Human Security Report 2009/2010: The Causes of Peace and the Shrinking Costs
of War (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011).
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Patricia Justino, “Research and Policy Implications from a Micro-Level Perspective on the
Dynamics of Conflict, Violence and Development”, Households in Conflict Network HiCN
Working Paper 139 (January 2013).
United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2013: The Rise of the
South Human Progress in a Diverse World Summary (New York: UNDP, 2013).
Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, A
New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies Through Sustainable
Development Executive Summary (New York: United Nations, 2013).
Class 2: The Core Problems: Conflict and Under-Development
At the start of this class each of you will make your report on what you have discovered about the
media sources available in the country you are following, the biases, approach to news stories
etc. You will also explain one story to the class.

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What core problems does the development field try to address?
Has the problem or the approach changed over time?
What core problems does the security field try to address?
Has the problem or approach changed over time?
What is the role of the state in security and development?
Peter Uvin, “The Development Peacebuilding Nexus: A Typology and History of Changing
Paradigms”, Journal of Peacebuilding and Development Vol. 1, No. 1 (2002), pp. 5-24.
Jonathan Goodhand, “Armed Conflict in Theory”, in Jonathan Goodhand, Aiding Peace? The
Role of NGOs in Armed Conflict (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2006), pp. 27-47.
Katie Willis, “Introduction: What do we mean by development?”, in Katie Willis, Theories and
Practices of Development (Oxford: Routledge, 2011), pp. 1-35.
Jennifer Milliken and Keith Krause, “State Failure, State Collapse and State Reconstructions”,
Development and Change, Vol. 33, No. 5 (November 2002), pp. 753-774.
(General Sir) Rupert Smith, “Trends: Our Modern Operations” in The Utility of Force: the Art of
War in the Modern World (London: Penguin, 2005), pp. 267-305.
Schultz, T.W. 1980. “Nobel Lecture: The Economics of Being Poor”, Journal of Political
Economy, Vol. 88, No. 4. pp. 639-651.
James M. Cypher and James L. Dietz, “The Development Imperative”, in James M. Cypher and
James L. Dietz, The Process of Economic Development (London: Routledge, 2009), pp. 3-29.
Class 3: Poverty
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
Does poverty cause terrorism?

What is the relationship between poverty and internal conflict?

Does poverty cause violence?

Is development a means to prevent violence?

In what other ways is poverty an important problem?
Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
Patricia Justino, “On the Links Between Violent Conflict and Chronic Poverty: How Much Do
We Really Know?” Households in Conflict Network, HiCN Working Paper 18 (July 2006).
Alan B. Krueger, “Where Does Terror Emerge? Economic and Political Conditions and
Terrorism” in What Makes A Terrorist: Economics and the Roots of Terrorism (Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press, 2007), pp. 53-103.
Susan E. Rice, Corrine Graff and Janet Lewis, Poverty and Civil War: What Policymakers Need
to Know (Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 2006).
Susan E. Rice, “Poverty Breeds Insecurity”, in Lael Brainard and Derek Chollet (eds.), Too Poor
for Peace? Global Poverty, Conflict, and Security in the 21st Century (Washington, DC: The
Brookings Institution, 2007), pp. 31-49.
David Keen, “Incentives and Disincentives for Violence”, in Mats Berdal and David M. Malone
(eds.), Greed and Grievance: Economic Agendas in Civil Wars (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner,
2000), pp. 19-41.
Jonathan Goodhand, “Enduring Disorder and Persistent Poverty”, World Development, 31:3
(2003), pp. 629-646.
Caroline Thomas, “Poverty” in Paul D. Williams (eds.), Security Studies: An Introduction
(London: Routledge, 2008), pp. 244-259.
The Chronic Poverty Advisory Network, The Chronic Poverty Report 2014-2015: The Road to
Zero Extreme Poverty (London: Overseas Development Institute, 2014). Executive Summary:
Extreme Poverty, pp. 1-10.
Class 4: Governance
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How is governance defined? What are the key elements?
How has the international community sought to restore or improve governance in failed /
failing states?
How does governance contribute to development?
How does corruption affect both security and development?
What role does governance play vis-à-vis conflict?
What role do elections play in post-conflict governance?
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Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
UN Development Programme (UNDP), Governance Indicators: A Users’ Guide (no date), at:
http://www.undp.org/oslocentre/docs04/UserGuide.pdf Please skim through this – do not try to
read it all!
Ken Menkhaus, “Governance without Government in Somalia”, in International Security, Vol.
31, No. 3 (Winter 2006/7), pp. 74-106.
Michael Barnett, “Building a Republican Peace: Stabilizing States after War”, International
Security, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Spring 2006), pp. 87-112.
Oliver P. Richmond and Jason Franks, “Liberal Peacebuilding in Timor Leste: The Emperor’s
New Clothes?” International Peacekeeping, Vol. 15, No. 2 (April 2008), pp. 185-200.
Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh and Michael Schoiswohl, “Playing With Fire? The International
Community’s Democratization Experiment in Afghanistan”, International Peacekeeping, Vol. 15,
No. 2 (April 2008), pp. 252-267.
Terrence Lyons, “The Role of Postsettlement Elections”, In Stedman, Rothchild and Elizabeth
Cousens (eds.), Ending Civil Wars: The Implementation of Peace Agreements (Boulder, CO:
Lynne Rienner, 2002), pp. 215-235.
Paul Collier, TED Talk on “New rules for rebuilding a broken nation.”
Working Group on Security and Corruption, “Corruption: The Unrecognized Threat to
International Security”, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, June 6, 2014. At:
http://carnegieendowment.org/2014/06/06/corruption-unrecognized-threat-to-internationalsecurity/hcts
Class 5: Environment
 What is the relationship between development and the environment?
 What challenges does the environment pose to development?
 Is the environment a security issue?
 What challenges does the environment pose to security?
Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
J.R. McNeill, “Diamond in the Rough: Is There a Genuine Environmental Threat to Security?”
International Security, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Summer 2005), pp. 178-195.
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Jon Barnett and W. Neil Adger, “Climate Change, Human Security and Violent Conflict”,
Political Geography, Vol. 26 (2007), pp. 639-655.
Lindsey R. Ross, “Climate Change and Immigration: Warnings for America’s Southern Border”,
American Security Project Perspectives (September 2010) 8pp.
Clionadh Raleigh and Henrik Urdal, “Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Armed
Conflict”, Political Geography, Vol. 26 (2007), pp. 674-694.
Oli Brown and Alec Crawford, “Climate Change and Security in Africa”, A Study for the NordicAfrican Ministers of Foreign Affairs Forum (2009).
Deborah Sick, “Environment and Development”, in Paul A. Haslam, Jessica Schafer and Pierre
Beaudet (eds.), Introduction to International Development: Approaches, Actors and Issues
(Oxford: oxford University press, 2009), pp. 305-322.
Jared Diamond, TED Talk “On why societies collapse”.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2014 Impacts, Adaptation and
Vulnerability: Summary for Policy Makers, 5th Assessment Report (2014), 32pp.
Class 6: Demographics
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What effects do demographics have on development?
What effects do demographics have on security?
What are the implications of the “demographic transitions” that many states are going
through?
 What types of policy solutions are there to these various demographic challenges?
Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
Hans Rosling, TED Talk “The best stats you’ve ever seen”.
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html
Fiona B. Adamson, “Crossing Borders: International Migration and National Security”,
International Security, Vol. 31, No.1 (Summer 2006), pp. 165-199.
Jack A. Goldstone, “The New Population Bomb: The Four Megatrends That Will Change the
World”, Foreign Affairs (January/February 2010).
Henrik Urdal, “A Clash of Generations? Youth Bulges and Political Violence”, International
Studies Quarterly, Vol. 50 (2006), pp. 607-629.
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Elizabeth Leahy et al., The Shape of Things to Come: Why Age Structure Matters to a Safer,
More Equitable World (Population Action International).
Khalid Koser, “International Migration and Development” in Paul A. Haslam, Jessica Schafer
and Pierre Beaudet (eds.), Introduction to International Development: Approaches, Actors and
Issues (Oxford: oxford University press, 2009), pp. 406-424.
The Girl Effect – video.
Rich Cincotta, “Tunisia’s Shot at Democracy” and responses from other demographers.
BBC, Head-to-head debate: Is Africa’s Young Population a Risk or an Asset? BBC News Africa
January 29, 2014, at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-25869838
David Pilling, “How Japan Stood Up To Old Age”, Financial Times, January 17, 2014. At:
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/07d4c8a8-7e45-11e3-b409-00144feabdc0.html#slide0
Class 7: Editing Class
This will be an active learning class in which each student will be assigned an editing exercise.
Lynn Quitman Troyka, “Drafting and Revising” in Simon and Schuster Workbook for Writers
(Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999), Fifth Edition, pp.10-14.
Lynn Quitman Troyka, “Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing; Writing Argument”, in Simon
and Schuster Workbook for Writers (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999), Fifth Edition,
pp. 49-58.
FYI: an example of a good policy memorandum (albeit one about the U.S.) has been put in this
week’s readings too.
Class 8: Aid
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What does the development field think that aid can do?
What are new donors trying to achieve?
What does the security field want aid to do?
Why has traditional development assistance come under fire from critics?
How can you measure aid effectiveness?
Task for the class: Look up the aid and assistance your country gets at the Security Assistance
Monitor http://www.securityassistance.org/ Please bring this information to class with you.
Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
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Alan Beattie, “Development Aid: ‘tis the season to be cutting”, Financial Times Blog, December
23, 2014. At: http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2014/12/23/development-aid-tis-the-season-to-becutting/
Foreign Policy Magazine review of trends in aid, 2011.
Janet Reitman, “How the World Failed Haiti”, Rolling Stone, August 4, 2011. At:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-the-world-failed-haiti-20110804 and
“Sean Penn Responds to Rolling Stone’s Haiti Story” Rolling Stone, September 30, 2011. At:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/sean-penn-responds-to-rolling-stone-s-haiti-story20110930 and
Rolling Stone Editors respond to Sean Penn, Rolling Stone, September 30, 2011. At:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/rolling-stone-editors-respond-to-sean-penn20110930#ixzz2pw3JDYhY
Stacey White, Emerging Powers, Emerging Donors: Teasing Out Developing Patterns Center for
Strategic and International Studies (February 2011). 10pp.
Stewart Patrick and Kaysie Brown, The Pentagon and Global Development: Making Sense of the
DoD’s Expanding Role Center for Global Development, Working Paper No. 131 (November
2007), 18pp.
The OECD, Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (DAC, OECD, 2005).
Eli Berman, Joseph H. Felter, and Jacob N. Shapiro, “Aid for Peace: Does Money Buy Hearts and
Minds?” Foreign Affairs, January 2015. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/142803/eliberman-joseph-h-felter-jacob-n-shapiro/aid-for-peace?cid=nlc-foreign_affairs_this_week012215-aid_for_peace_5-012215&sp_mid=47868180&sp_rid=anNwZWFyQGd3dS5lZHUS1
(Need to get this for BB)
Owen Barder, “Reforming Development Assistance: Lessons from the U.K. Experience”, in Lael
Brainard (ed.), Security By Other means: Foreign Assistance, Global Poverty, and American
Leadership (Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 2007), pp. 277-320.
Andrew S. Natsios, “The Nine Principles of Reconstruction and Development”, Parameters,
(Autumn 2005), pp. 4-20.
Sarah Kenyon Lischer, “Collateral Damage: Humanitarian Assistance as a Cause of Conflict”,
International Security, 28:1 (2003), pp. 79-109.
Reuben E. Brigety, II, Humanity as a Weapon of War: Sustainable Security and the Role of the
U.S. Military, Center for American Progress (June 2008), 25pp.
13
Dambasia Moyo, “Aid is Not Working” in Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working And How There Is
Another Way For Africa (London: Penguin Books, 2010), pp. 29-47.
Class 9: Alternatives to Traditional Aid: Remittances and Microfinance

What development initiatives are coming from the developing world? How successful
are they?
 What role is there for Faith Based Communities in development?
 Is microfinance “scalable” to the developmental needs of poor countries?
 What are the positive and negative impacts of remittances / Microfinance?
 How have Conditional Cash Transfers and Unconditional Cash Transfers changed the
way development is done?
 Does it matter who does development as long as it is done?
Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, The Boy Who Harmnessed the Wind: Creating Currents
of Electricity and Hope (New York: Harper Perennial, 2010), pp. 1-2, 79-83, 160-177, & 194209.
Finally, a good idea from the developing world to report: http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/waterlight-bulbs/ And it has spread to Kenya: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/africamideast/let-there-be-light-plastic-bottles-illuminate-kenyas-slums/article2248335/
Nicholas D. Kristof, “D.I.Y. Foreign-Aid Revolution“, The New York Times, October 20, 2010.
At: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/magazine/24volunteerism-t.html?_r=1
Carol Adelman, “Global Philanthropy and Remittances: Reinventing Foreign Aid”, Brown
Journal of World Affairs Vol. 15, No. 2 (Spring/Summer 2009), pp. 23-33.
Dayo Olopade, “Gatekeepers”, American Prospect (October 2010), pp. 12-16.
Jonathan Benthall, “Islamic Charities, Faith-Based Organizations, and the International Aid
System”, in Jon B. Alterman and Karin von Hippel (Eds.), Understanding Islamic Charities
(Washington, DC: CSIS Press, 2007), pp. 1-14.
Grameen Bank: Banking for the Poor, at: http://www.grameen-info.org/ This provides an
overview of microfinance.
Ivan Watson, “Hezbollah Takes Lead in Rebuilding Lebanon”, National Public Radio, August
17, 2006, at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5662485 .
David Kestenbaum and Jacob Goldstein, “The Charity That Just Gives Money to Poor People”,
Planet Money podcast. August 23, 2013. At:
14
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/08/23/214210692/the-charity-that-just-gives-money-topoor-people
Ricardo Hausmann, “Venezuela’s Economic Collapse Owes a Debt to China”, Financial Times,
January 20, 2015. At: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6f6436a2-a0ae-11e4-8ad800144feab7de.html#axzz3PUiPGQaF
David Kestenbaum, “What Happens When You Just Give Money to Poor People?” Planet Money
podcast. October 25, 2013. At: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/10/25/240590433/whathappens-when-you-just-give-money-to-poor-people
“Pennies From Heaven”, The Economist, October 26, 2013. At:
http://www.economist.com/news/international/21588385-giving-money-directly-poor-peopleworks-surprisingly-well-it-cannot-deal?fsrc=scn/tw_ec/pennies_from_heaven
Class 10: Alternatives to Traditional Aid: New Economic Tools and Approaches
 What role is there for the private sector in development?
 Can entrepreneurs spark development?
 How can Foreign Direct Investment aid development?
 What deters FDI?
Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
The post-Cold War period has seen the embrace of market-based solutions to a range of
development issues. Multilateral organizations (such as the UN Global Compact) largely see
corporate social responsibility initiatives by firms as development policy delivered by the private
sector. Firms can bring in new resources and skills, and the market is seen as an alternative to the
shortcomings of developing states.
Alain Nkontchou, “African Private Sector Credit, The Missing Investment Driver”, Guest post for
the beyondbrics blog, Financial Times, December 9, 2014. At: http://blogs.ft.com/beyondbrics/2014/12/09/guest-post-african-private-sector-credit-the-missing-investment-driver/
Rhys Jenkins, “Globalization, Corporate Social Responsibility and Poverty”, International
Affairs, Vol. 81, No. 3 (May 2005), pp. 545-60.
Stephen Kosack and Jennifer Tobin, “Funding Self-sustaining Development: The Role of Aid,
FDI and Government in Economic Success”, International Organization, Vol. 60, No. 1 (Winter
2006), pp. 205-243.
15
Ronald U. Mendoza and Nina Thelen, “Innovations to Make Markets More Inclusive for the
Poor”, Development Policy Review, Vol. 26, No. 4 (2008), pp. 427-458.
http://chrisblattman.com/2013/05/30/can-entrepreneurship-transform-the-lives-of-the-poor-andhow-new-research-you-shouldread/?ftcamp=crm/email/2013530/nbe/AlphavilleHongKong/product
Ireness.net, “Somali Business: Private Sector Development in a Stateless [Space]” (January
2008), at: http://www.irenees.net/fr/fiches/analyse/fiche-analyse-786.html
Matthew Bishop and Michael Green, “Philanthropreneurship the eBay way”, in Matthew Bishop
and Michael Green, Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Save the World (London: A & C
Black, 2010), pp. 116-137.
Aubrey Hruby, “Investment and Ingenuity: Overcoming Obstacles to Doing Business in SubSaharan Africa”, Africa Center (Washington, DC: Atlantic Council, August 2014), 12pp.
Ghani, Kerr and Tewari, “Growing Through Cities in India”, Vox, July 2014. At:
http://www.voxeu.org/article/growing-through-cities-india
Robert Smith and Gregory Warner, “Humanitarians, For A Price”, Planet Money Podcast,
National Public Radio, April 30, 2014. At:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/04/30/308069967/episode-535-humanitarians-for-a-price
Class 11: Trade and Resources
 What is the relationship between trade and development?
 What are the alternative approaches to the trade-development relationship?
 What is the relationship between trade and security?
 How is the relationship between resources and development conceived?
 How is the relationship between resources and conflict conceived?
 What is the “resource curse” and how can it be avoided?
Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
There are problems with both scarcity and plenty. Recent academic and policy research has
focused on what is being called the “resource curse”; where riches seem to bring conflict.
Another aspect of this is where an economy reliant upon one profitable commodity remains so;
rather than kick-starting a diversified economy it remains dependent on that one commodity.
This situation is also known as “Dutch disease” (named after the negative effects of North Sea
gas production on the economy of the Netherlands). In it, as a result of a key commodity (such as
oil) there is an influx of hard currency that pushes up prices, squeezing the competitiveness of
16
non-oil businesses and starving them of capital. It can also make a countries’ other exports too
expensive and thus uncompetitive.
Mark Curtis, “Designing Conflict-Sensitive Trade Policy”, in Oli Brown, Mark Halle, Sonia Peña
Moreno and Sebastian Winkler (eds.), Trade, Aid and Security: An Agenda for Peace and
Development (London: Earthscan, 2007), pp. 18-40.
Martin Sandbu, “Refined Thinker: The Iraqi Who Saved Norway from Oil”, Financial Times,
August 29, 2009. At http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/99680a04-92a0-11de-b63b-00144feabdc0.html
Accessed September 9, 2009. This is a short piece on how to avoid Dutch disease.
Planet Money Podcast “How to Avoid the Oil Curse”, September 6, 2011. At:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/09/06/140110346/how-to-avoid-the-oil-curse
Paul Collier, “Doing Well Out of War: An Economic Perspective”, in Mats Berdal and David M.
Malone (eds.), Greed and Grievance: Economic Agendas in Civil Wars (Boulder, CO: Lynne
Rienner, 2000), pp. 91-111.
William Reno, “Shadow States and the Political Economy of Civil Wars”, in Mats Berdal and
David m. Malone (eds.), Greed and Grievance: Economic Agendas in Civil Wars (Boulder, CO:
Lynne Rienner, 2000), pp. 43-68.
Leiv Lunde and Mark Taylor, “Regulating Business in Conflict Zones: Challenges and Options”,
in Karen Ballentine and Heiko Nitzschke (eds.) Profiting from Peace: Managing the Resource
Dimensions of Civil War (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2005), pp. 317-343.
Planet Money Team “The Friday Podcast: The Cotton Wars”, National Public Radio, October 29,
2010. At: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/10/29/130917279/the-friday-podcast-cottonwars
Jon Rosen, “U.S. Legislation Targets Minerals in Congo Crisis”, The Washington Diplomat
(November 2010).
Nancy Neiman Auerbach, “Delicious Peace Coffee: Marketing Community in Uganda”, Review
of Radical Political Economics, Vol. 44, No. 3 (2012), pp. 337-357.
Saleem Ali, “Beyond the Resource Curse: Minerals and Global Development”, The Pardee
Papers No. 12 (Boston University, Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future,
January 2010).
Class 12: Food

What constitutes “food security”?
17

How is food security different from “food sovereignty”?
Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
Louise Lucas, “From Boycotts to Business Briefs”, Financial Times, March 18, 2013. At:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e296676e-8ce5-11e2-8ee000144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=crm/email/2013319/nbe/UKBusiness/product#axzz2Nuqd1mhr
Arianna Fogelman, “The Changing Shape of Malnutrition: Obesity in sub-Saharan Africa”, The
Pardee Papers No. 7 (Boston University, Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range
Future, December 2009).
Jack Farchy and Emiko Terazono, “Carlyle Finds Cashew Group to its Taste”, Financial Times,
November 13, 2012. At: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/5bb7c8fe-2db4-11e2-8ece00144feabdc0.html#axzz2CGHZ0vBb
“If Words Were Food, Nobody Would Go Hungry”, The Economist, November 19, 2009. At:
http://www.economist.com/node/14926114
“Food Security”, AusAID website. At: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/keyaid/food_security.cfm
Elizabeth L. Bennett, et. al. “Hunting for Consensus: Reconciling Bushmeat Harvest,
Conservaton, and Development Policy in West and Central Africa”, Conservation Biology, Vol.
21, No. 3 (2006).
Joel K. Bourne, Jr., “The Next Breadbasket”, National Geographic Magazine, July 2014. At:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/land-grab/
Brendan Maton, “Play a Part in an African Investment Story”, Financial Times, September 16,
2012. At: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/9e705738-fc13-11e1-aef900144feabdc0.html#axzz2CGHZ0vBb
Freakonomics Radio podcast, “Which Came First, the Chicken or the Avocado”, on criminal
gangs trafficking avocados. April 24, 2014. At: http://freakonomics.com/2014/04/24/whichcame-first-the-chicken-or-the-avocado-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/ The avocado story
begins at 14 minutes.
A useful site is: Foodtank www.foodtank.com
Class 13: Urbanization

What are the advantages of urbanization?
18

What are the development challenges that urbanization poses?
 What are the security challenges that urbanization poses?
Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
Stephen Johnson, Overview of The Ghost Map TED Talk at: http://www.theghostmap.com/ (at
the foot of the web page).
Stephen Johnson, “Epilogue: Broad Street Revisited”, The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s
Most Terrifying Epidemic – and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
(Riverhead Trade, 2006).
“Guns in the City: Urban Landscapes of Armed Violence”, Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and
the City (Cambridge; Cambridge University Press, 2007), pp. 161-195.
“Mapping the Divide: Firearm Violence and Urbanization in Brazil”, Small Arms Survey 2007:
Guns and the City (Cambridge; Cambridge University Press, 2007), pp. 227-255.
Blair A. Ruble, “How Cities Can Foster Tolerance and Acceptance”, Wilson Center Brief, June
2014.
Jonathan Kalan, “Ten Million Sardines in a Sea of Skyscrapers”, Foreign Policy Magazine, May
8, 2014. At:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/05/08/think_again_sprawling_megacities_lagos_mu
mbai_urbanization
Frauke Krass, “Megacities and Global Change: Key Priorities”, Geographical Journal The Royal
Geographical Society (2007), pp. 79-82.
Ben Wisner, “Disaster Risk Reduction in Megacities: Making the Most of Human and Social
Capital”, In Alcira Kreimer, Margaret Arnold and Anne Carlin (eds.), Building Safer Cities: The
Future of Disaster Risk (Washington, DC: World Bank Publications, 2003), pp. 181-194.
Paul Miles, “Special Treatment”, Financial Times, April 9/10, 2011, p. 9.
Liliana Bernal Franco and Claudia Navas Caputo, “Urban Violence and Humanitarian Action in
Medellin”, Households in Conflict Network, HiCN Working Paper 148 (June 2013).
Singapore Journal of the Armed Forces, “The Citizen-Soldier and the City Fight”, at:
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/publications/pointer/journals/2007/v33n4/The_CitizenSoldier_and_the_City_Fight.html
19
Class 14: Organizational Cultures: Bringing Security & Development People Together




What manifestations of organizational culture do we see in the security community?
What manifestations of organizational culture do we see in the development community?
What types of government actors versus non-government actors issues arise?
What problems are experienced in the field and back at home?
Policy Memo 1:………………... Country………………….
Policy memo 2…………………. Country………………….
Alan Doss, “Eyewitness: Crisis, Contention and Coherence – Reflections from the Field”,
International Peacekeeping, Vol. 15, No. 4 (August 2008), pp. 570-581.
David P. Forsythe, “The ICRC after the Cold War” and Annexes B & C, The Humanitarians: The
International Committee of the Red Cross, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), pp.
96-128 & 317-318.
Michael A. Cohen, Maria Figueroa Küpçü, Parag Khanna, “The New Colonialists”, Foreign
Policy (July/August 2008), 3pp.
Michael J. McNerney, “Stabilization and Reconstruction in Afghanistan: Are PRTs a Model or a
Muddle?” Parameters (Winter 2005-6), pp. 32-46.
Touko Piiparien, “A Clash of Mindsets? An Insiders Account of Provincial Reconstruction
Teams”, International Peacekeeping, Vol. 14, No. 1 (January 2007), pp. 143-157.
Jane Nelson, “Operating in Insecure Environments”, in Lael Brainard and Derek Chollet (eds.),
Too Poor for Peace? Global Poverty, Conflict, and Security in the 21st Century (Washington,
DC: The Brookings Institution, 2007), pp. 128-152.
Foreign Policy Magazine, “The List: The World’s Most Powerful Development NGOs”, Foreign
Policy (July 2008), http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4364
“The Expert’s Blindspot”, Humanitarian Futures Project, King’s College London. Video:
http://vimeo.com/19451156
Style Manual
Please use this in addition to the sources noted in the ‘requirements’ section at the beginning of
the syllabus.
A common structural problem with student papers is that they lack sufficient focus. There are
some easy ways to avoid this problem. The first and best is to give yourself a question to answer
and to make the question a real one that forces you to be analytical.
20
The worst case: A paper where you do not have a question, where you write an paper on
everything you have learnt about the topic. Thus it may have a general title like “The Kosovo
Crisis”. This makes it likely that the paper will be an unstructured, discursive wander around the
issues. You may show some research skills in answering in this fashion, but you will not
necessarily show any structuring or analytical skills – which are valued in academic writing.
A better case: Where you have a question, but it allows you to just give a narrative answer. For
example, “What role did the U.S. play in the Kosovo crisis?” This at least suggests a structure for
the paper and could be used to establish some categories (for example, political role, military role,
peacemaking role, reconstruction role). In an answer to this you would certainly display some
research skills, but not the analytical skills that bring you closer to a grade of ‘A’.
The best case: Where the question is a real one, is more focused, and forces you to make
judgments about causality, importance etc. For example, “Why did the U.S. become involved in
the Kosovo crisis?” What is important about this type of a question is that there are a number of
contending answers, so you really have to think about what you include, how you approach it,
what you argue and how persuasive that argument is. This type of question also encourages a
more sophisticated structure than merely a narrative. Thus, in answering this, you would have to
decide what the key factor was (the independent variable, the necessary and sufficient condition)
as opposed to what were the dependent variables (necessary but not sufficient). You would then
use your research and argument to justify your conclusions about what really mattered.
The skills you wish to showcase in a paper include:






Your understanding of the materials and the breadth and depth of your research
Your ability to comprehend and use official documents
The ability to judge what is important and what is not
Your ability to situate your knowledge in the wider discipline and draw insights across
areas
Your ability to make judgments about what causes what – what are dependent variables
and what is the independent variable
Your ability to present work in a suitable academic format, for example, to write an paper
with a strong introduction and conclusion, to effectively footnote to providing an accurate
‘paper trail’ and an alphabetized bibliography.
Please use a mix of sources for your paper; books, articles, original documents (where available)
and online sources. You should always approach sources as a critical reader. Make your own
judgment about the credibility of what they say and critically evaluate the sources they use and
whether the empirical evidence justifies the conclusions that they reach. The Gelman
Library's research guides for political science and international relations are available online at
http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/guides/social/polsci.html and
http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/guides/social/intrel.html, respectively.
21
Also, please do not use Wikipedia as a source; it lacks key academic features such as clear
authorship, stable text etc. Internet sources can be suspect (anyone can put materials up on the
web) so please approach these cautiously. A good guide to evaluating the quality of Internet
resources is available at http://www.sosig.ac.uk/desire/internet-detective.html
Sources should be cited. It is expected that graduate papers will use some documentary and
primary sources. The proper style for footnotes or endnotes and bibliography is indicated in The
Chicago Manual of Style and Kate L. Turabian, Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and
Dissertations. An online overview is available at:
http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/turabian.pdf
Students must abide by the strict standards of the George Washington University Code of
Academic Integrity. This is found online at http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.html Failure to
abide by the code will be heavily penalized. A good guide to the problem of plagiarism and how
to avoid it is available at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/ It even has a
plagiarism exercise!
Rules for Writing Papers to be graded by Professor Spear
1. Email papers will not be accepted.
2. Papers should be written in the third person.
3. Assume that your reader is clever, but not necessarily knowledgeable, so you need to
explain terms and acronyms on first use.
4. Do not begin sentences with ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so’ or ‘because’.
5. Avoid using ‘its’ especially in the possessive. Either use ‘it is’ (if appropriate) or rephrase your sentence.
6. Papers must have appropriate citations (footnotes or endnotes) these act as the ‘paper
trail’ so the reader can re-trace your steps. These are a vital part of the academic
framework of your paper. Please also ensure that all quotations are in quotation marks, a
failure to acknowledge when you are quoting is a form of plagiarism – even if you
provide the reference. Please also provide the exact page number for all quotes, so it is
clear where you found it. Citing a chapter or article in total is not appropriate when you
are actually quoting or using a specific idea.
7. You must also provide an alphabetized bibliography.
8. Make sure that you strike a balance between academic and more policy-oriented sources
(from the Internet etc.). It is not acceptable to write a paper that does not draw on
academic sources from books and journals.
22
9. Internet sites should be cited with the name of the site, the name of the article / document,
the author, the full web address and the date that you accessed the information. It is
always a good idea to take a hard copy of a web piece, as they move frequently and you
may need to revisit the site or provide a copy of the piece to your Professor.
10. Make sure that you ask and answer a question. This will force you to be analytical in
setting up and ordering the information in order to answer the question.
11. Always provide an introduction that includes a ‘road map’ for the paper. You are not
writing a mystery story; tell the reader up front what the paper is about, how it is
organized and what your answer is. This then ‘flags’ the important things for the reader
to look for.
12. Never hand in the first draft of an paper; edit your work and you will improve your grade.
Aim to produce at least two drafts before the final version.
Twenty Basic Rules
These are derived from Stephen Van Evera, Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science
(Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1997), pp. 123-128 and Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb
and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995).
Selecting a Topic, Making an Argument and Organizing Your Work
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Pick an important topic
Pick a manageable topic
Say something new and important
Concentrate on making a single set of arguments
Do not over-state or under-state your claims
Acknowledge other viewpoints and treat them with respect
Anticipate and pre-empt counter-arguments
Outline everything before writing anything
Start with a proper introduction and end with a proper conclusion
Use headings and sub-headings to provide structure and to convey your main points.
Writing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Identify – and write to – your audience
Get to the point
Stick to the point
Stay out of the weeds
Be precise
Be concise
Avoid jargon
Always write second and third drafts+
Never plagiarize
23
10. Proofread every single word.
Sample Grading Sheet for Written Work:
Student Name:
Course: IAFF 6173 Security and Development
Fall 2014.
Title of Midterm / Research Essay:
Grade for Midterm / Research Essay:
Comments on Research Essay:
Very Good
Good
Fair
Needs
Improvement
Structure
Analysis
English and
Grammar
Footnoting,
citation and
bibliography
Grade for Mid-term:
Grade for Participation:
Grade for Memo:
Grade for Research Essay:
Overall grade for Course:
30%
10%
20%
40%
Rubrics
Rubrics are common standards by which to judge performance. They enable you to understand
what professors are looking for in your work. They also enable you to assess your own
performance and decide where you might need to focus your efforts at improvement. There are
rubrics here for both written work and for oral presentations.
When completing all your written assignments and presentations for this course, please keep in
mind these rubrics below. They are designed to help you understand what is required in your
24
written work and presentations. They show what standards you should aim towards. I will be
grading your work on the basis of these rubrics.
A grade A writing performance:
Context of and Purpose for Writing
Demonstrates a thorough understanding of context, audience, and purpose in keeping with the
assignment and focuses all elements of the work. Shows an ability to situate work in the wider
discipline. Stays on topic.
Content Development
Uses appropriate, relevant, and compelling content to illustrate mastery of the subject, conveying
deep understanding, and shaping the whole work. Organizes the work appropriately and through
that shows analytical rigor. Demonstrates knowledge of the field and – where appropriate – cites
key authors and writings.
Disciplinary Conventions
Demonstrates detailed attention to and successful execution of a wide range of conventions
particular to the International Affairs discipline and to those specific to the writing tasks including
organization, content, presentation, footnotes and bibliography, formatting, and stylistic choices.
Sources and Evidence
Demonstrates skillful use of high-quality, credible, relevant sources to develop ideas that are
appropriate for International Affairs scholarship and the specific type of writing. Is able to
identify causality effectively.
Control of Syntax and Mechanics
Use graceful language that skillfully communicates meaning to readers with clarity and fluency,
and the essay is virtually error-free.
A grade B writing performance:
Context of and Purpose for Writing
Demonstrates adequate consideration of context, audience, and purpose and a clear focus on the
assignment, but sometimes wanders off topic or fails to sufficiently integrate arguments into the
essay.
Content Development
Uses appropriate and relevant content to explore ideas within the context of the International
Affairs discipline but misses some key arguments or literatures. The work fails to make
connections to appropriate authors and writings from the field. Work is not optimally organized
and therefore does not show much analysis.
Disciplinary Conventions
Demonstrates consistent use of important conventions particular to the International Affairs
discipline and to the writing tasks, including organization, footnotes and bibliography, content,
presentation, and stylistic choices.
Sources and Evidence
Demonstrates consistent use of credible, relevant sources to support ideas that are situated within
25
the International Affairs discipline and the specific type of writing. Makes some mention of
causality, but does not develop it sufficiently.
Control of Syntax and Mechanics
Uses straightforward language that generally conveys meaning to readers. The language in the
essay or memorandum has few errors.
A grade C writing performance:
Context of and Purpose for Writing
Demonstrates some awareness of context, audience, purpose, of the assignment (e.g., begins to
show awareness of audience's perceptions and assumptions).
Content Development
Uses appropriate and relevant content to develop and explore ideas through most of the work.
Lacks sufficient focus, argument and organization. By choice of content makes some judgments
about what is important. Does not move beyond narrative.
Disciplinary Conventions
Follows expectations appropriate to a specific discipline and/or writing task(s) for basic
organization, footnoting and bibliography, content, and presentation. Footnoting and citation
may be inadequate.
Sources and Evidence
Demonstrates an attempt to use credible and/or relevant sources to support ideas that are
appropriate for the International Affairs discipline and the specific type of writing.
Control of Syntax and Mechanics
Uses language that generally conveys meaning to readers with clarity, although writing may
include some errors. In the worst case, uses language that sometimes impedes meaning because
of errors in usage.
In terms of your presentations (both the memo and the reporting assignments), you will be
assessed on the basis of the following rubrics:
A grade A oral presentation performance:
Delivery
The delivery captures and holds the attention of the audience. Speaker makes eye contact with
the audience and does not look at their notes often. Body language appropriate and positive. The
vocalizations are engaging, appropriately varied and keep the interest of the audience.
Content & Organization
Impressive and appropriate content, condensed to the right degree (neither too short nor too long).
Shows analytical rigor in organization. Arguments are supported by appropriate examples or data.
Able to answer audience questions fully and well.
Interest & Audience Awareness
Demonstrates real and consistent interest in the issues covered in the presentation. The
audiences’ understanding and knowledge of the topic is increased by the presentation.
26
Arguments are convincing and the case for the importance of the topic is effectively made.
A grade B oral presentation performance:
Delivery
The performance is reasonably interesting. The presenter makes some eye contact with the
audience, but returns to notes a lot. The vocalizations are satisfactorily varied and of the right
volume.
Content & Organization
There is a reasonably clear organization of the work and the presentation supports arguments and
points with some facts, examples and data. The presenter is able to answer the questions but
without much elaboration.
Interest & Audience Awareness
Shows some enthusiasm for the topic. The presentation raises audience understanding and
awareness of most of the issues and points covered.
A grade C oral presentation performance:
Delivery
The performance is not engaging. Presenter spends most of the time reading from notes and
makes little eye contact with the audience. The vocalization is monotonous, sometimes not at the
right volume with little or no inflection. Body language is either overstated or very defensive.
Content & Organization
Attempts to lay out the purpose and subject and make some arguments. Arguments not
adequately supported by appropriate evidence. Thin data or evidence. In answering questions the
presenter is not at ease with the information and can answer only in a rudimentary way.
Interest & Audience Awareness
The presenter displays low levels of interest in the topic. The presentation does raise the
audience’s understanding and knowledge on some points.
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