Relations Among Nations
(Introduction to Global Politics)
PSC 2503
Fall 2013
MW 1:30 – 2:45
Nielsen Hall 251
Jonathan Monten
455 W. Lindsey St.
jmonten@ou.edu
Office Hours: Wed. 11-1
Course Description
Relations Among Nations is a survey course designed to introduce students to the Political
Science subfield of International Relations (IR). The goal of this course is to acquaint students
with the key concepts and principles in the study of IR. Through the use of three theoretical
perspectives, the course will examine several areas in international politics, including
international conflict, international organizations, international political economy, and human
rights. Students will learn to critically evaluate these theoretical arguments, and how to apply
them to important problems in contemporary U.S. foreign policy.
Course Requirements
Grading for this course breaks down as follows. The participation mark includes both active
participation in class discussions, and participation in two group projects. Further information on
the midterm and final exams will be given as the semester proceeds.
Midterm Exam #1:
Midterm Exam #2:
Participation/Group Projects:
Take Home Final Exam:
25%
25%
20%
30%
University Policies
Please note the following University policies:
A. Students with Disabilities:
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all
students with disabilities. Any student in this course who has a disability that may
prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact the
instructor personally as soon as possible to discuss accommodations necessary to ensure
full participation and facilitate your educational opportunities. Students with disabilities
must be registered with the Office of Disability Services prior to receiving
accommodations in this course. The Office of Disability Services is located in Goddard
Health Center, 620 Elm Ave., Suite 166, Norman, OK 73019. Voice 405/325-3852, TDD
405/325-4173, Fax 405/235-4491, Email drc@ou.edu.
B. Religious Holidays:
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It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious
observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and
additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays. Please see the
instructor immediately if you will need to miss class any time during this semester.
C. Academic Misconduct
See http://www.ou.edu/integrity for information on student rights with regards to
academic misconduct.
Schedule of Readings
August 19: Course Introduction
August 21: No Class Meeting

Jeffry A. Frieden, David A. Lake, and Kenneth A. Schultz, “What Shaped Our World: A
Historical Introduction,” World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions (W.W.
Norton, 2013), pp. 2-37.

Jeffry A. Frieden, David A. Lake, and Kenneth A. Schultz, “Understanding Interests,
Interactions, and Institutions,” World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions (W.W.
Norton, 2013), pp. 38-73.

Jack Snyder, “One World, Rival Theories,” Foreign Policy (November 2004), pp. 53-62.
August 26 – 28: Realism and the Balance Power

Hans Morgenthau, “Six Principles of Political Realism,” in Robert Jervis and Robert Art,
eds., International Politics (Pearson, 2013), pp. 14-22.

John Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (W.W. Norton, 2001), chapters
1-2.

Robert Jervis, “Offense, Defense, and the Security Dilemma,” in Robert Jervis and
Robert Art, eds., International Politics (Pearson, 2013), pp. 90-110.
September 2: No Class Meeting
September 4: Case Study: Is American Foreign Policy Realist?

Daniel Drezner, “The Realist Tradition in American Public Opinion,” Perspectives on
Politics (March 2008), pp. 51-70.
September 9 – 11: Liberalism and International Institutions

Kenneth Oye, “The Conditions for Cooperation in World Politics,” in Robert Jervis and
Robert Art, eds., International Politics (Pearson, 2013), pp. 76-89.
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
John Mearsheimer, "The False Promise of International Institutions," International
Security (Winter 1994/1995), pp. 5-49.

Robert Keohane and Lisa Martin, “The Promise of Institutionalist Theory,” International
Security (Summer 1995), pp. 39-51.

Jeffry A. Frieden, David A. Lake, and Kenneth A. Schultz, “What Is International Law?”
World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions (W.W. Norton, 2013), pp. 425-434.
September 16 – 18: Liberalism and the Democratic Peace

Michael W. Doyle, “Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs,” in Robert Jervis and
Robert Art, eds., International Politics (Pearson, 2013), pp. 111-125.

Bruce Russett, “Why Democratic Peace?” in Michael E. Brown, Sean M. Lynn-Jones,
and Steven E. Miller, eds., Debating the Democratic Peace (MIT Press, 1999), pp. 82115.

Sebastian Rosato, "The Flawed Logic of Democratic Peace Theory," American Political
Science Review (Fall 2003), pp. 585-602.
September 23 – 25: Constructivism

Jeffry A. Frieden, David A. Lake, and Kenneth A. Schultz, “What Are International
Norms?” World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions (W.W. Norton, 2013), pp.
434-451.

Ian Hurd, “Constructivism,” in Christian Reus-Smith and Duncan Snidal, eds., The
Oxford Handbook of International Relations (Oxford University Press, 2008), chapter 17.

Martha Finnemore and Kathryn Sikkink, “International Norm Dynamics and Political
Change,” International Organization (Fall 1998), pp. 887-917.

Ian Hurd, “Legitimacy in International Politics,” in Robert Jervis and Robert Art, eds.,
International Politics (Pearson, 2013), pp. 73-75.
Sept. 30 – Oct. 9: Group Exercise #1: Explaining International Cooperation
October 14: Review Session #1
October 16: Midterm #1
October 21: International Environmental Cooperation

Jeffry A. Frieden, David A. Lake, and Kenneth A. Schultz, “The Global Environment,”
World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions (W.W. Norton, 2013), pp. 492-525.
October 23: No Class Meeting
October 28 – 30: The Transformation of Sovereignty
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
Susan Strange, “The Declining Authority of States,” in David Held and Anthony
McGrew, eds., The Global Transformation Reader (Polity Press, 2003), pp. 127-135.

Jeffry A. Frieden, David A. Lake, and Kenneth A. Schultz, “Will Economic
Globalization Continue?” World Politics: Interests, Interactions, Institutions (W.W.
Norton, 2013), pp. 557-577.

Jon Western and Joshua Goldstein, “Humanitarian Intervention Comes of Age,” Foreign
Affairs (November/December 2011), pp. 48-59.

Margaret Keck and Kathryn Sikkink, “Transnational Activist Networks,” in Robert Jervis
and Robert Art, eds., International Politics (Pearson, 2013), pp. 456-462.

Kathryn Sikkink, The Justice Cascade: How Human Rights Prosecutions Are Changing
World Politics ((W.W. Norton, 2011).
November 4 – 6: Rising Powers and The Politics of Unipolarity

William Wohlforth, “The Stability of a Unipolar World,” International Security (Summer
1999), pp. 5–41.

John Ikenberry, America Unrivaled: The Future of the Balance of Power (Cornell
University Press, 2002), pp. 1-28.

John Mearsheimer, "China's Unpeaceful Rise," Current History (April 2006), pp. 160162.

Aaron Friedberg, “The Future of U.S. China Relations: Is Conflict Inevitable?”
International Security (Fall 2005), pp. 7-45.

Robert Pape, “Empire Falls,” The National Interest (January/February 2009), pp. 21-34.
Nov. 11 – Nov. 20: Group Exercise #2: Military Intervention in Iran/Syria
November 25: Midterm #2
November 27: No Class Meeting
December 2: Final Exam Handed Out
December 9: Final Exam Due
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