WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
PO 232 Introduction to World Politics II
Winter 2011
Course Director:
Office:
Office Hours:
Email:
Class Location and Time:
Tutorials:
Professor Sarah Dunphy
DAWB 4-129
T 10:00pm - 11:00am or by appointment.
sdunphy@wlu.ca
SBE1220, TR 8:30-9:50am
Tutorial 1: STM 123, W 12:30-1:20pm
Tutorial 2: STM 123, W 1:30-2:20pm
Tutorial 3: 3-105, W 12:30-1:20pm
Tutorial 4: 3-105, W 1:30-2:20pm
Tutorial 5: STM 123, R 2:30-3:20pm
Wilfrid Laurier University uses software that can check for plagiarism.
Students may be required to submit their written work in electronic
form and have it checked for plagiarism.
Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to contact
Laurier's Accessible Learning Office for information regarding its
services and resources. Students are encouraged to review the Calendar
for information regarding all services available on campus.
The Political Science Department’s policy on deferred midterm and final
examinations can be found at http://www.wlu.ca/arts/politicalscience.
Course Description & Overview
Welcome to ‘World Politics II.’ This course builds on many of the conceptual frameworks and analytical
tools employed in PO231 and will be used as building-blocks to help us to better understand and explain
the economic and political behaviour of actors.
These actors include states, international
organizations/institutions, and transnational and non-state actors in both world politics and the global
political economy. Many current events and issues are having and/or have had a profound impact on
international relations and the global political economy which subsequently has influenced levels of
cooperation and interdependence between and among states and non-state actors. Various topics and
case studies will be examined in relation to the themes studied throughout the course including the
Global Financial Crisis, the Global Food Crisis, international trade and finance, development, human
trafficking and the organ trade, environmental and resource issues, geopolitics, and security challenges
in the twenty-first century.
By the end of the course, students should have developed a solid understanding of the topics and
themes associated with global politics and what this means for international relations and prospects for
cooperation in light of a changing geopolitical climate. Understanding these principles and theoretical
approaches will help students to identify why things happen the way they do and the challenges
governments and decision-makers encounter when developing domestic and international policies.
Required Readings:

Baylis, John, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens. The Globalization of World Politics: An
Introduction to International Relations, Fourth Edition (New York: Oxford University
Press, 2008).

Selected Journal Articles available trough the Trellis Library Catalogue as well as various online
web resources noted in the course outline
Course Requirements & Evaluation
Critical Analysis Essay 1
Critical Analysis Essay 2
Midterm Exam
Tutorial Attendance and Participation
Final Examination
Total:
15%
15%
25%
10%
35%
100%
CRITICAL ANALYSIS ESSAYS: Each student is expected to complete Two critical analysis essays
throughout the term of approximately 5-7 double-spaced typed pages in-length and a bibliography.
Students will select a lecture topic, One from Part B AND One from Part C of the syllabus and write a
critical analysis on the selected course readings by using additional sources to support their arguments.
These assignments are due in-class one week following the topic discussed in the syllabus. Further
instructions will be discussed in lecture as well as in tutorials. Students should consult with the professor
or their teaching assistant if they have any questions about these essays well in advance to ensure
adequate completion of the assignment. The late penalty is 5% per day including weekends.
MIDTERM EXAMINATION: The midterm test will be in-class on Thursday February 17th. The exam
covers all the material up to the midterm point. Students are required to write the midterm exam to
receive a passing grade in the course. If a student is unable to write the midterm on the scheduled day
they must submit a medical certificate as per the regulation set out by Wilfrid Laurier University in the
2010/2011 Undergraduate Academic Calendar. Please read these sections carefully for further
instructions.
TUTORIAL ATTENDENCE & PARTICIPATION: Students will be required to participate in weekly tutorial
discussions, debates and group work, reflecting on the literature as well as their interpretation of the
material and how it relates to various discussion topics. The tutorials are a way for students to discuss,
engage and apply the material to gain a better understanding of World Politics. Additionally, attendance
is mandatory unless arrangements have been made with the professor or teaching assistants.
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Tutorial Schedule:
Week 2: Discussion of Critical Essay #1 & IPE, Globalization, International Regimes, Transnational Actors
and International Organizations
Week 3: National Security and Global Political Economy
Week 4: International Trade, Production, the WTO and Multinational Corporations
Week 5: Finance
Week 6: Midterm Test Review, Discussion of Critical Essay #2 & Development
Week 7: No Tutorials
Week 8: No Tutorials-Reading Week
Week 9: Environment, Food, Energy & Resources
Week 10: International Law, International Security and Human Rights
Week 11: International Displacement, Human Trafficking and the Organ Trade
Week 12: Globalization, the State and Civil Society
Week 13: World Politics & the Future & Final Exam Review
FINAL EXAMINATION: The final examination will be scheduled in the exam period set by the Registrar’s
Office and will cover all material addressed throughout the term.
PLAGARISM: Within academia, plagiarism is the most serious offence. A statement on plagiarism is
available in the Political Science Department on the 4th floor of the Dr. Alvin Wood Building (DAWD) and
also in the 2010/2011 Undergraduate Academic Calendar. Please familiarize yourself with this policy to
ensure all materials used for your papers are sourced correctly. Proper sourcing will be discussed in class
to ensure students meet the requirements. If you are caught plagiarizing materials that are not your
own, you will receive a zero on your assignment and a potential failing grade in the course.
**This is a ‘World Politics’ course which means it would be a wise idea to keep up-to-date with the
current events going on in the world by examining various news sources throughout the course of the
term.**
CLASS SCHEDULE
Part A: Introduction to World Politics II - Historical Context
Week 1: (January 4 & 6 )
World Politics: The Historical Context
Required Readings:
 Baylis, Smith and Owens , Chapter 2: The Evolution of International Society

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 3: International History, 1900-90

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 4: From the Cold War to the War on Terror
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Part B: International Political Economy
Week 2: (January 11 & 13)
IPE, Globalization, International Regimes, Transnational Actors and
International Organizations
Required Readings:
 Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 14: International Political Economy in an Age of Globalization

Helen V. Milner, “International Political Economy: Beyond Hegemonic Stability,” Foreign
Policy 110 (Spring, 1998). http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/milner.htm

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 17: International Regimes

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 18: The United Nations

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 19: Transnational Actors and International Organizations in
Global Politics
Week 3: (January 18 & 20)
National Security and the Global Political Economy
Required Readings:
 Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 12: The Changing Character of War

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 13: International and Global Security

Michael T. Klare, “The Empire’s New Frontiers,” Current History 102 (November 2003).
Week 4: (January 25 & 27)
International Trade, Production, the World Trade Organization and
Multinational Corporations
Required Readings:
 Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 26: Global Trade and Finance, pgs. 451-458

Helen V. Milner, “The Political Economy of International Trade,” Annual Review of Political
Science 2:1 (June 1999).

Patrick Low, “Potential Future Functions of the World Trade Organization,” Global Governance,
Vol. 15, No. 3, (July-September 2009).

Samuel J. Palmisano, “The Globally Integrated Enterprise,” Foreign Affairs 85:3 (May/June 2006).
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Week 5: (February 1 & 3)
Finance
Required Readings:
 Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 26: Global Trade and Finance, pgs. 459-467.

J. Lawrence Broz and Jeffrey A. Frieden, “The Political Economy of International Monetary
Relations,” Annual Review of Political Science 4:1 (2001).

Benjamin J. Cohen, “The International Monetary System: Diffusion and Ambiguity,” International
Affairs 84:3 (May, 2008).

Robert Wade, “The Invisible Hand of the American Empire,” Ethics & International Affairs 17(2),
2003, pgs. 77-88
PART C: Current Topics & Challenges in World Politics
Week 6: (February 8 & 10)
Development
Required Readings:
 Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 27: Poverty, Development, and Hunger

United Nations Millennium Development Goals. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

Khaled Fourati, “Half Full or Half Empty? The Contribution of Information and Communication
Technologies to Development,” Global Governance, Vol. 15, No. 1 (January-March 2009).

Nancy Birdsall, Dani Rodrik, and Arvind Subramanian, “How to Help Poor Countries,” Foreign
Affairs 84:4 (2005).
Week 7: (February 15)
Midterm Test Review
Required Readings:
**All the Course Readings-To Date**
Week 7: (February 17)
***In- Class – Midterm Test***
Week 8: (February 22 & 24)
*No Class – READING WEEK*
Week 9: (March 1 & 3)
Environment, Food, Energy & Resources
Required Readings:
 Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 20: Environmental Issues

Ruth Greenspan Bell, “What to Do about Climate Change,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 85, No. 3 (MayJune 2006).
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
Jennifer Clapp, “The Global Food Crisis and International Agricultural Policy: Which Way
Forward?” Global Governance, Vol. 15, No. 2 (April-June 2009).

Jan Shelby, “Oil and Water: The Contrasting Anatomies of Resource Conflicts,” Government and
Opposition, Vol. 40, Issue 2 (Spring 2005).
Week 10: (March 8 & 10)
International Law, International Security and Human Rights

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 18: International Law

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 28: Human Security

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 29: Human Rights

United Nations – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights http://www.un.org/Overview.html

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 30: Humanitarian Intervention in World Politics
Week 11: (March 15 and 17)
Required Readings:
International Displacement, Human Trafficking and the Organ Trade

Ninette Kelley and Jean-Francois Durieux, “UNHCR and Current Challenges in International
Refugee Protection,” Refuge 22:1 (March 2004).
http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/refuge/article/viewFile/21312/19983

United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) http://www.unhcr.org/

Ethan B. Kapstein, “The New Global Slave Trade,” Foreign Affairs 85:6 (Nov-Dec 2006).

World Health Organization, “Organ Trafficking and Transplantation pose New Challenges,”
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/82/9/feature0904/en/index.html
Week 12: (March 22 & 24)
Globalization, the State and Civil Society
Required Readings:
 Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 31: Globalization and the Transformation of Political
Community

Jan Aart Scholte, “Civil Society and Democratically Accountable Global Governance,”
Government and Opposition, 39:2 (April 2004).

Baylis, Smith and Owens, Chapter 32: Globalization and the Post-Cold War Order
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Week 13: (March 29) World Politics & the Future?
Required Readings:
 David Held, “Reframing Global Governance: Apocalypse Soon or Reform!” New Political
Economy, 11:2 (June 2006).

Kenichi Ohmae, “The Rise of the Region State,” Foreign Affairs 72:2 (1993).
Week 13: (March 31)
***FINAL EXAM REVIEW***
Required Readings:
**All Course Readings – To Date**
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