Spring 2012
Texas A&M University
3 credits
Professor: Erica Owen
Email: ericaowen@pols.tamu.edu
Phone: (979) 845-1578
Office: 2124 Allen Building
Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 11:05-12:05 in Library Annex or by appointment.
Class time: Tuesday, Thursday 9:35-10:50 am
Class location: Military Sciences Building 214
Course website: E-learning, access through http://howdy.tamu.edu
Course Description and Objectives: World Politics (also called International Relations) is a major field of political science that examines all aspects of relations between countries, including political, military, and economic interactions. In this course, you will be introduced to major approaches to the study of International Relations, including the causes of war, determinants of economic interactions between countries, and the role of international institutions such as the United Nations and the
International Monetary Fund. By the end of the semester, students should have the ability to:
• define, understand, and use concepts and terms relevant to the study of contemporary international relations;
• apply a body of factual knowledge directly relevant to understanding causes and effects of international conflict and cooperation;
• analyze empirical evidence to evaluate different points of view on historical and contemporary problems in world politics;
• critique and apply major theses about patterns of conflict and cooperation between nation-states.
Prerequisites: None
Texts:
Frieden, Jeffrey and David Lake and Kenneth Schultz. 2009.
World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions.
New York: W.W. Norton.
1st edition .
Additional required readings are posted securely through the Library’s electronic course reserves.
They can be accessed and downloaded at http://library-reserves.tamu.edu
. (You will need to login with your NetID.)
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Grading
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Two in-class (non-cumulative) exams (30% each).
The tests will be closed-book and will include multiple choice and essay questions. The exams can cover anything that is covered in class, as well as anything in the assigned readings. Make-up exams will be given only if you have a university excused absence.
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In-class quizzes/assignments (20%).
We will have periodic in-class quizzes. They will not be announced ahead of time and will draw from assigned readings and lecture. We will periodically have in-class writing assignments (also unannounced) designed to ensure you are keeping up with the reading. If you are not in class that day, you will receive a zero for that quiz/assignment, unless you have an university excused absence. The lowest two scores from quizzes/assignments will be dropped. No make-ups will be allowed (since 2 will be dropped from your final grade).
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Three page policy brief (20%).
This assignment is designed to encourage you apply the material you will learn in this course to understanding political events occurring around the globe. You will choose a recent political event from the past year (2011 thru present) that happened involving the United States and (at least) one other country. In a policy brief for the president, discuss which US interests are threatened, alternative policy options, and which alternative is the best. Draw on the theoretical arguments covered in the course that help explain or account for this event. You should follow the story over time, and consult multiple articles from various sources. You must attach a copy of at least one newspaper or magazine article that reports on the event.
Start reading the international section of a major news outlet today!
Additional details will be provided.
The following grading scale (%) will be used to assign final grades:
A = 90
−
100
B = 80
−
89
C = 70
−
79
D = 60
−
69
F = < 60
Course Expectations and Policies
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Readings : I expect that you will have done the reading prior to class. Keeping up with the course readings is essential if you wish to get the most out of this class. Moreover, to do well on the exams, you will need a solid command of the material covered both in the readings and in lectures. Courses are most successful when students attend after having carefully read the assigned readings, and then actively debate ideas presented in the readings and/or present new ideas to be pursued. Additionally, in-class quizzes and assignments will cover reading. As such, students are expected to read assigned material before class and bring readings to class.
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Attendance : I do not take or require attendance. That being said, regular class attendance is critical to success in this course. Lecture content will not always overlap with your textbook and is supplemented with videos, class discussions, etc. I will not give out copies of my notes or distribute overhead presentations. It is your responsibility to obtain the notes and announcements from colleagues if you are absent during the class. Additionally, missing in-class quizzes and assignments will negatively impact your grade.
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Exam absences : Make-up exams will be permitted only in the case of university-excused absences, in other words, only if the student presents original written documentation of legitimate circumstances that prevented the student from taking the exam on time. Except in the case of the observance of a religious holiday, to be excused, the student must notify his or her instructor in writing (acknowledged e-mail message is acceptable) prior to the date of absence if such notification is feasible. In cases where advance notification is not feasible (e.g. accident, or emergency) the student must provide notification by the end of the second working day after the absence. This notification should include an explanation of why notice could not be sent prior to the class. Accommodations sought for absences due to the observance of a religious holiday can be sought either prior or after the absence, but not later than two working days after the absence. Legitimate circumstances include religious holidays, illness (verified by a doctor), serious family emergencies and participation in group activities sponsored by the University, etc.
See http://student-rules.tamu.edu/rule07 for additional information. Please note that I do not accept Xeroxed copies of medical excuses from students.
Unexcused absences from either exam will result in a score of 0 for the exam.
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Late policy : An assignment will lose 10 percentage points for each day that it is late (an assignment turned in after the beginning of class is considered one day late). Turn in late assignments to the instructors mailbox in the political science department office in 2010 Allen Building (ask for it to be time-stamped). Late papers will be accepted without penalty only in the case of university-excused absences. You must turn in a hard copy of your paper. Emails will not be accepted.
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Contacting me : Outside of my office hours, the best way to reach me is via email. As with all business related correspondence, please address me by name, identify yourself (and the course), and write in complete sentences.
I am happy to answer clarification questions via email, but questions about course material, grades, or short papers are best dealt with in office hours where we can have a more productive conversation than over e-mail. If my office hours do not work for you because of your class schedule, work schedule, or another important commitment, please do not hestitate to contact me for an appointment.
I cannot guarantee that if you e-mail me shortly before an exam or assignment is due that I will be able to answer your questions, so please make sure and e-mail me early if you have a time-specific question. You can also call my office phone, but please note that I do not have voicemail.
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Grade appeals: If a student wants to appeal an assigned grade, they must submit a written statement to me, along with the original graded item. I retain the right when re-grading to raise, lower or maintain your original grade. One exception to this policy is if I have made an arithmetic mistake, in which case I am happy to fix my error without a written statement.
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Extra credit : There will be no exam re-takes, or extra credit offered in this course.
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Accommodations for students with disabilities: All discussions will remain confidential. University policy is in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Policy Statement.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities.
If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact Disability Services, in Cain Hall, Room B118, or call 845-1637. For additional information visit http://disability.tamu.edu
.
Reasonable accommodations will be made for all students with disabilities, but it is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor early in the term. Do not wait until just before an exam to decide you want to inform the instructor of a learning disability; any accommodations for disabilities must be arranged well in advance.
Academic Integrity Statement and Policy
“An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do.”
The instructor, the Department of Political Science, the College of the Liberal Arts and the University, take violations of academic dishonesty seriously. Observing basic honesty in one’s work, words, ideas, and actions is a principle to which all members of the community are required to subscribe.
All course work by students is to be done on an individual basis unless an instructor clearly states that an alternative is acceptable.
Any reference materials used in the preparation of any assignment must be explicitly cited.
Please ask the instructor or writing center if you have questions!
As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one’s own the ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong to another. In accordance with the definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have the permission of the person. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues without which research cannot be safely communicated. If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please consult the Aggie
Honor System Office website ( http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor ) or the latest version of the Texas A&M University Student Rules, under the section “Scholastic Dishonesty.”
Course Materials Copyright The handouts used in this course are copyrighted. By “handouts,” I mean all materials generated for this class, which include by are not limited to syllabi, tests, quizzes, and review sheets. Because these items are copyrighted, you do not have the right to copy handouts, unless I expressly grant permission.
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COURSE SCHEDULE : Please note that all dates are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor, with sufficient advance notice provided to students. I will announce changes in class and post an updated syllabus on the course e-learning website.
Background and Framework
1/17-1/24: Introduction and History
– Syllabus
– FLS Introduction
– FLS Chapter 1
1/26-1/31: Interests, Interactions and Institutions
– FLS chapter 2
2/2: Game Theory and Expected Utility
– FLS chapter 2 appendix p. 75-79
War and Peace
2/7-2/9: Bargaining and War
– FLS chapter 3
2/14-2/16: Domestic Politics and War
– FLS chapter 4
2/21 - 2/23: International Institutions and War
– FLS chapter 5
– Glennon, Michael. 2003. “Why the Security Council Failed.” Foreign Affairs 82(3): 16-35.
2/28: Review Exam 1
3/1: Exam 1 in class
Globalization
3/6-3/8: International Trade
– FLS chapter 6
– Coughlin
3/13-3/15: Spring Break. No class.
3/20-3/22: International Finance
– FLS chapter 7
3/27-3/29: International Monetary Policy
– FLS chapter 8
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Current issues
4/3: No class (ISA conference).
4/5-4/10: Development
– FLS chapter 9
– Excerpts Frieden, A History of Global Capitalism.
4/12: China, the United States and Globalization
– Policy brief is due at the beginning of class.
– FLS p. 500 - 518
4/17-4/19: Global Environment
– FLS chapter 12
– Garrett Hardin, The Tragedy of the Commons, Science, 162 (1968): pp. 1243-48.
Tuesday 4/24: Review Exam 2
Thursday 4/26: Second Exam in class
Tuesday 5/1 No class. Redefined day (Friday).
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