WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO IN THIS CLASS? What three big questions (units) will we study?– Why do countries do what they do? When/how do

states work together, what “game changes” are emerging in the 21st C?

What assignments will you have?: – 2 unit tests that use weighted grading (20+10=30%)– 1 (or two) analytical essays (15%)– 1 (or two) film assignments (10%)– Op-ed (10%)– Final examination (20+15=35%)– Participation (can be +/- half a grade)

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO IN THIS CLASS?

Are there any course policies I should pay special attention to?– The honor code– Early examinations– Assignments must also be e-mailed by

attachment– Late assignments– Electronic devices

WHAT DO YOUNG AMERICANS KNOW ABOUT IR? (Nat. Geo., 2002, 18-24yrs)

WHY STUDY IR?Why is IR important?• Is American empire in decline? Will “our”

institutions go with us?• The will rise of the rest will transform global politics• How is globalization challenging the intl. system

that has allowed the west to dominate global politics for half a millennium?

• Can we fight terrorism and crime any more?• Does global development have a dark side?

Warfare, illness, & environmental pressurse• Are human beings making progress over time?

Human rights and moral obligations

WHY STUDY IR?Is this all study and no action?• The contradiction that is US politics: We don’t care

about the world, but we matter so much– Example: trade policy

• Much of IR deals with “Collective action” problems and “public goods” problems: Can one state or even just you really make a difference? Can your country make a difference?– California and fuel efficiency: When big markets

change their behavior, global policies can change

HOW DO POLITICAL SCIENTISTS STUDY IR?

What’s the problem with taking IR from a political scientist?

• Where does IR fit into the discipline of political science? What are the benefits and costs of subdisciplines?

How do political scientists study IR?• What is scientific about the social sciences?• What do theories do for us?• Why do we make generalizations and use categories?• Is it ok to let feelings play a role in the study of

politics?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY CONCEPTS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW?

• What is the international system?: The set of institutions, rules, norms that govern the power relationship between different societies. To some degree, the present intl. system has existed for around 500 years.

• What is power and what forms does it take?:– Hard, soft, diplomatic, & sticky– Is power “absolute” or “relative”?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY CONCEPTS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW?

• States, nations, & regimes: What’s the difference?• IGOs, NGOs, and MNCs• What is sovereignty?• What are the defining features of the present intl.

system? Anarchy , self-help, and hegemony• Why do these features create the security

dilemma?• What are the two main approaches to IR :

traditionalism (realism) and idealism (liberalism)?• What other two will we look at?: Constructivism

and Marxism (aka strucutralism)