INTERNATIONAL POLITICS AMIDST ECONOMIC
CRISIS
The City College of New York
Fall 2009
Content Instructor
Michael Busch
Mondays and Wednesdays 11:00-12:15
SH/378
mbusch.fiqws@gmail.com
Writing Instructor
Tonisha Taylor
Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30am-10:45am
SH/376
ttaylor.fiqws@gmail.com
Purpose
This integrated FIQWS course is designed to achieve two chief aims: first, to provide an
introduction to an overview of the most salient issues in current global politics; and
second, to help lay the groundwork for a successful college career by developing your
ability to write a college-level research paper and inculcating the best practices for future
study.
The content of this course examines the politics of international relations in the days
immediately before and after the great economic crisis of 2008. With the decline of
American power in the world and the so-called “rise of the rest” currently underway, we
will investigate the dynamics of world politics as the first decade of the twenty-first
century comes to a close and discuss the implications of the global recession for the
future of international relations. The writing aspect of this course is designed in a
“ladder” process, in such a way that each class builds upon the next, enabling the student
to strengthen his/her composition skills throughout the semester.
Subject Matter
There has not been a more exciting time to study international politics than the current
moment. From September 11th and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that followed, to the
rise of developing world powers like China, India, Brazil and Russia, the greatest
economic crash since the great depression, the election of Barack Obama to the American
presidency, the issue of nuclear weapons production by North Korea and Iran, and the
problem of fragile states like Zimbabwe and pariah governments such as the de facto
coup regime in Honduras, the present moment offers endless and endlessly fascinating
topics to discover, explore, and seek to understand. This course is designed around some
of the most salient and pressing issues in world politics, and is intended to provide
students with an introductory understanding of the complex and ever-changing
environment of international relations.
We will begin the semester by establishing the conventional wisdom concerning the
paradigmatic shift in international politics, namely that the traditional American
hegemony of the past sixty years has begun to recede as “the rise of the rest”—countries
such as China, India, Russia, and Brazil—proceeds unabated. Specifically, we will
examine the causes and consequences of American decline, and look for preliminary
answers to the question of what a “post-American world” holds in store for the future.
Next, we’ll hone in on the question of US decline, and look at the impacts that the
economic crisis of 2008 exacted on America’s place in the world. Along the way, we
will briefly cover the role of the economic crash and international politics more broadly
on the domestic electoral politics that brought Barack Obama to the White House, and
their impact on the two wars that the US currently wages abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Finally, we will conclude the semester by looking beyond the United States, to four of the
most pressing issues consuming students of international politics—“state failure” in
Zimbabwe, troubled democracy in Iran, the prospect of the return of government
overthrow in Latin America embodied by Honduran coup of 2009, and the problem of
understanding political decision making in North Korea. What do these situations tell us
about the future of international relations? How, if at all, has the economic crisis affected
these countries during the past year? Are things getting better in the international arena,
as some commentators claim? Or is the world hurtling toward more conflict, chaos and
anarchy, as others fear?
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

Gain an understanding of economic crises and resulting effects as they relate to
several nation-states.

Employ methods of critical thinking to interpret and respond to
informative/persuasive literature, such as readings distributed during the course.

Construct essays and research papers that are concise and reflective of critical
analysis.
Required and Other Texts
One book has been chosen to form the core of required reading for the content section of
this class, and one for the writing component. Both are available in the City College
Bookstore, and should be purchased by those enrolled in this course:
Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World (New York: W.W. Norton, 2008).
Charles Bazerman and Harvey Wiener, Writing Skills Handbook (New York:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003).
All required readings (minus those from the Zakaria and Writing Skills Handbook book,
obviously) can be accessed through your Blackboard account, and printed. They are
located in the “Assignments” folder. Also, all of the required articles can be downloaded
from the electronic journal resources available on the City College Library website. If
you are unfamiliar with the electronic journals available at City College, PLEASE do not
hesitate to contact Michael Busch for assistance.
Course Requirements and Expectations
While some of the readings may seem demanding at times, we nevertheless expect that
you will read all the required assignments attentively. Not only will this enhance what
you get out of lectures and discussions, but will prepare you to participate actively and
meaningfully in class. 10% of your course grade will be based on class participation,
which will be judged by the quality of your contributions, not the quantity. Obviously, in
order to participate, you need to be in class. Therefore, attendance will also constitute 10
% of your final grade. If you cannot make a class, please make sure to let both instructors
know ahead of time. Remember: Attendance is crucial to your education. If you
were absent from a job without excuse, you’d be fired. Accordingly, for each class
missed unexcused, a whole grade will be deducted from your overall attendance grade.
Lateness is likewise not tolerated. Each group of three latenesses will count as an
absence.
In addition, there will be two short essays, a series of in-class pop quizzes, and a final
research paper. The paper will count for 30% of your final grade, the essays will count
for 20%, quiz grades will make-up 10%, and journals will constitute the remaining 20s%.
If you need an extension on your paper, and have a good reason, please let us know in
advance. Unapproved late submissions of papers will be docked a grade per day for each
day overdue.
Please note that any violation of academic honesty will not be tolerated. Your work
should conform with CUNY’s Policy on Academic Integrity (available on City College’s
website). If cheating or plagiarism is discovered, course failure will be the minimum
punishment.
Finally: Wikipedia. While it’s a convenient source for quick information on just about
anything, it is NOT an acceptable source for your papers. The quality of information
available on Wikipedia varies widely, and does not constitute real research. If you’re
having difficulty locating information you need, please contact me, and we’ll find it
together.
Office Hours
Michael Busch’s office hours are on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:00-3:00 and by
appointment in Shepard Hall, Room 550. Tonisha Taylor’s office hours are on Mondays
and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 and by appointment in room NAC 6/339. If you’re
experiencing difficulties with the readings, your writing, the course in general, or your
instructors, please come see us. Conversely, if you’re so outrageously interested in a
particular topic covered, and are thirsting for more to read and explore, or would like
more criticism of your writing projects as they develop, we’d be more than happy to
suggest further articles, books or websites.
Writing Course Outline
Week 1
August 31
Introduction and Discussion of Course Outline
Read for next class:
Bazerman: pp 3-17
September 2
Composition: The Writing Process
In Class Assignment
Read for next class: Bazerman: pp 19-32
Week 2
September 7
No Class
September 9
Constructing a Paragraph
Read for next class: Bazerman: pp 34-41
Week 3
September 14
Constructing an Argumentative Essay
Handout will be given
September 16
Constructing an Argumentative Essay (cont’d)
Week 4
September 21
Using Logic in Writing (Bazerman pp: 59-64)
September 23
Essay Due
Choosing a Topic
Read for next class: Bazerman: pp 45-57
Week 5
September 28-No Class
September 30
Using Sources & In-Text Citations
Week 6
October 5
Using Sources & In-Text Citations (cont’d)
October 7
Thesis Statement Due
Creating a Bibliography
Week 7
October 14
Library Visit
Week 8
October 19
Review of Thesis Statements
Inkshedding
Week
October 21
Constructing a Compare/Contrast Essay
Week 9
October 26
Constructing a Compare/Contrast Essay (cont’d)
October 28
Reviewing literary sources with an analytical lens
Handout will be given
Week 10
November 2
Reviewing lit sources (cont’d)
November 4
Compare/Contrast Essay Due
Reviewing lit sources (cont’d)
Week 11
November 9
Creating an Outline for your paper
Essay Reviews
Inkshedding
November 11
Library Visit (Tentative)
Journals Due
Week 12
November 16
Mid Semester Conference
November 18
A Model Research Paper
Handout will be given
Week 13
November 23
First Draft of Final Paper Due
Model Research Paper (cont’d)
November 25
Grammar Workshop Using Bazerman Text
Week 14
November 30
Grammar Workshop (using Bazerman text)
Journals Due
December 2
Grammar Workshop (using Bazerman text)
Second Draft of Research Paper Due
Week 15
December 7
Research Paper Workshop
December 9
Research Paper Workshop
December 16: Final Papers Due
Content Course Outline
PART ONE: Setting the Stage
Introduction and Discussion of Course Outline (August 31)
A Post-American World? (September 2)
1. Fareed Zakaria, “The Rise of the Rest,” in The Post-American World (New York:
W.W. Norton, 2008), 1-5.
2. Parag Khanna, “Waving Goodbye to Hegemony,” The New York Times
Magazine, 27 January 2008.
3. Parag Khanna, “Here Comes the Second World,” Prospect, May 2008.
Economic Affairs Amidst Political Crisis (September 9)
1. Fareed Zakaria, “The Cup Runneth Over,” in The Post-American World (New
York: W.W. Norton, 2008), 6-48.
History’s Impact on the Current Moment (September 14)
1. Fareed Zakaria, “A Non-Western World?” in The Post-American World (New
York: W.W. Norton, 2008), 49-87.
The Rise of the Rest: China (September 16)
1. Fareed Zakaria, “The Challenger,” in The Post-American World (New York:
W.W. Norton, 2008), 87-128.
The Rise of the Rest: India (September 21)
1. Fareed Zakaria, “The Ally,” in The Post-American World (New York: W.W.
Norton, 2008), 129-166.
The Rise of the Rest: Russia (September 23)
1. Marshall Goldman, “Putin and the Oligarchs,” Foreign Affairs 83, no. 6 (2004):
33-44.
2. Dmitri Trenin, “Russia Leaves the West,” Foreign Affairs 85, no. 4 (2006): 87-96.
3. Kathryn Stoner-Weiss, “Russia: Authoritarianism with Authority,” Journal of
Democracy 17, no. 1 (2006): 104-118.
The Rise of the Rest: Brazil (September 30)
1. Stanley Gacek, “New Hope for Brazil?,” Dissent (Spring 2007): [TK]
2. Juan de Onis, “Brazil’s Big Moment,” Foreign Affairs 87, no. 6 (2008): 110-122.
PART TWO: The Economic Crisis of 2008 and American Power
The Great Crash, 2008 (October 5)
1. Roger Altman, “The Great Crash, 2008,” Foreign Affairs 88, no. 1 (2009): 2-14.
2. Henry Blodget, “Why Wall Street Always Blows It,” Atlantic Monthly 302, no. 5
(2008): 50-60.
The Future of American Power (October 7)
1. Fareed Zakaria, “American Power,” in The Post-American World (New York:
W.W. Norton, 2008), 167-214.
The Future of American Purpose (October 14)
1. Fareed Zakaria, “American Purpose,” in The Post-American World (New York:
W.W. Norton, 2008), 215-259.
An Introduction to Research: Library Visit (October 19)
The Economic Crisis and the Presidential Election of 2008 I (October 21)
1. George Packer, “The Choice,” New Yorker, 28 January 2008.
2. George Packer, “The Fall of Conservatism,” New Yorker, 26 May 2008.
The Economic Crisis and the Presidential Election of 2008 II (October 26)
1. George Packer, “The Hardest Vote,” New Yorker, 13 October 2008.
2. George Packer, “The New Liberalism,” New Yorker, 17 November 2008.
America under New Leadership (October 28)
1. Barack Obama, “Renewing American Leadership,” Foreign Affairs 86, no. 4
(2008): 2-16.
2. Christian Brose, “The Making of George W. Obama,” Foreign Policy 107 (2009):
52-55.
America in Afghanistan I (November 2)
1. Barnett Rubin, “Saving Afghanistan,” Foreign Affairs 86, no. 1 (2007): 57-78.
2. Jon Lee Anderson, “The Surrender,” New Yorker, 10 December 2001.
The Problem of Iraq I (November 4)
1. Tariq Ali, “Re-Colonizing Iraq,” New Left Review, May/June 2003.
2. Larry Diamond, “What Went Wrong in Iraq?” Foreign Affairs 83, no. 5 (2004):
34-56.
3. James Dobbins, “Iraq: Winning the Unwinnable War,” Foreign Affairs 84, no. 1
(2005): 16-25.
The Problem of Iraq II (November 9)
1. Stephen Biddle, Michael O’Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack, “How to Leave a Stable
Iraq,” Foreign Affairs 87, no. 5 (2008): 40-58.
Assignment Due Date: Literature Review
America in Afghanistan II (November 11)
1. Dexter Filkins, “Right at the Edge,” New York Times Magazine, 5 September
2008.
2. Ahmed Rashid, “Afghanistan: On the Brink,” New York Review of Books, 22 June
2006.
3. Barnett Rubin and Ahmed Rashid, “From Great Game to Grand Bargain: Ending
Chaos in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Foreign Affairs 87, no. 6 (2008): 30-44.
PART THREE: International Relations since the Crisis
Zimbabwe: A Country in Turmoil (November 16)
1. Mark Gevisser, “Zimbabwe Reeling,” The Nation, 24 April 2008.
2. Michael Bratton and Eldred Masunungure, “Zimbabwe’s Long Agony,” Journal
of Democracy 19, no. 4 (2008): 41-55.
Zimbabwe: The End of Authoritarianism? (November 18)
1. Jon Lee Anderson, “The Destroyer,” New Yorker, 27 October 2008.
2. Basildon Peta, “Will Power Sharing in Zimbabwe Work, and Is It Time to Lift
Sanctions?” The Independent, 4 February 2009.
Iran: The Era of Ahmadinejad (November 23)
1. Ray Takeh, “Time for Détente with Iran,” Foreign Affairs 85, no. 2 (2007):
2. Christopher de Bellaigue, “Iran and the Bomb,” New York Review of Books, 27
April 2006.
Iran: Crisis of Democracy? (November 25)
1. Casey Addis, “Iran’s 2009 Presidential Elections,” Congressional Research
Report, 6 July 2009.
2. Interview with Hamid Dabashi on Democracy Now! Transcript and audio
available online at
www.democracynow.org/2009/6/24/hamid_dabshai_on_iran_protests_this
3. Roger Cohen, “Iran: The Tragedy and the Future,” New York Review of Books, 13
August 2009.
Honduras: Back to the Future (November 30)
1. [TK]
Honduras: Is Power Sharing A Good Idea? (December 2)
1. [TK]
North Korea: A State Obscured (December 7)
1. Victor Cha, “Korea’s Place in the Axis,” Foreign Affairs 81, no. 3 (2002): 79-83.
2. Victor Cha and David Kang, “Think Again: The Korea Crisis,” Foreign Policy
Vol. 136 (2003): 20-24, 26, 28.
3. Christian Caryl, “The Other North Korea,” New York Review of Books, 14 August
2008.
North Korea: Sanctions, Nukes, and Bill Clinton’s Great Rescue (December 9)
1. James Laney and Jason Shaplen, “How to Deal with North Korea,” Foreign
Affairs 82, no. 2 (2003): 16-31.
2. Evan Ramstad and Jay Solomon, “North Korea Frees Americans,” Wall Street
Journal, 5 August 2009.
3. Michael Hirsh, “Clinton’s Second Chance in Pyongyang,” Newsweek, 4 August
2009.
Final Papers Due (December 16)