Dr. Donald Douglas, LBCC, Fall 2013
POLSC 4
World Politics – Take-Home Essay Assignment
Students are to write a 4-6 page essay, double spaced with 10- or 12-point font, stapled in the upper left-hand corner. The topic is for students to evaluate possible U.S. military intervention in Syria using international relations theory. Students should focus on the following questions: What’s the U.S. interest in Syria? Is this a “vital national interest” or something else? How will American security be advanced by war in Syria? Apply international relations theories to evaluate those questions from different perspectives. And use the following readings for your essay: Michael Crowley, “The Syria Problem (Printer Version)," Time (Sept. 09, 2013); Erica Borghard “Arms and Influence in Syria: The Pitfalls of Greater U.S. Involvement,” Cato Institute (August 7, 2013); Anthony Cordesman, “U.S. Strategy in Syria: Having Lost Sight of the Objective…”, Center for Strategic and International Studies (September 12, 2013); Charli Carpenter, “Responsibility to Protect — Or to Punish: Morality and the Intervention in Syria,” Foreign Affairs (August 29, 2013); Frederick Kagan, “What to Do About Syria,” Weekly Standard (September 13, 2013); and “Experts to Obama: Here Is What to Do in Syria,” Weekly Standard (August 27, 2013). (All readings are available online and will be posted at the class blog and announced in class.)
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Dr. Donald K. Douglas
Long Beach City College: Fall 2013
Office Location: T2361
Office Hours: M-W 10:05-11:05am; T-TH 2:30-4:00pm
E-mail: ddouglas [at] lbcc.edu
Course Outline and Reading Assignments:
I. The Study of World Politics (August 26, 28 and September 4)
James M. Scott, Ralph G. Carter, and A. Cooper Drury, IR (Boston: Wadsworth, 2014), Chapter 1.
Jack Snyder, “One World, Rival Theories,” Foreign Policy (November/December 2004).
II. Anarchy, States and Non-State Actors (September 9 and 11)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 2.
Kenneth Waltz, “The Anarchic Structure of World Politics” (1979), in Robert J. Art and Robert Jervis, eds., International Politics: Enduring Concepts and Contemporary Issues.
Jessica Mathews, “Power Shift,” Foreign Affairs (January/February 1997).
III. Liberalism and Realism (September 16)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 3.
John Mearsheimer, "Structural Realism," in Tim Dunne et al., eds., International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013).
Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye, “Realism and Complex Interdependence,” Chapter 2, in Power and Interdependence, 3rd edition (2001).
*** Midterm Examination – September 18 ***
IV. Alternative Perspectives on IR (September 23 and 25)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 4.
Richard K. Ashley, “The Poverty of Neorealism,” International Organization (Spring 1984), especially pp. 225-230 and 237-281.
Alexander Wendt, "Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics," International Organization (Spring 1992), especially pp., 391-395, 403-407,and the conclusion.
Andrés Velasco, "The Dustbin of History: Dependency Theory," Foreign Policy (November/December 2002).
J. Ann Tickner, "Engendered Insecurities: Feminist Perspectives on International Relations," in Gender in International Relations: Feminist Perspectives on Achieving Global Security (1992).
V. Understanding Conflict and War (September 30 and October 2)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 5.
Joshua Goldstein, "Think Again: War," Foreign Policy (September/October 2011).
*** Midterm Examination – October 7 ***
VI. International Conflict Management (October 9 and 14)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 6.
John Lewis Gaddis, "The Long Peace: Elements of Stability in the Postwar International System,” International Security (Spring 1986).
Charles Kupchan and Clifford Kupchan, "Concerts, Collective Security, and the Future of Europe," International Security (Summer 1991), especially pp. 113-137.
VII. International Institutions and Security Cooperation (October 16 and 21)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 7.
Thomas C. Schelling, "The Diplomacy of Violence" in Karen Mingst and Jack Snyder, eds., Essential Readings in World Politics.
Madeleine Albright, "Think Again: The United Nations," Foreign Policy (September/October 2003).
VIII. Trade, Finance, and Economic Integration (October 23 and 28)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 8.
Helen Milner, "International Political Economy: Beyond Hegemonic Stability," Foreign Policy (Spring 1998).
Benjamin J. Cohen, "Currency and State Power," in Martha Finnemore and Judith Goldstein, eds., Back to Basics: State Power in a Contemporary World (Oxford University Press, 2013).
*** Midterm Examination – October 30 ***
IX. Economic Statecraft (November 4 and 6)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 9.
George A. Lopez and David Cortright, "Containing Iraq: Sanctions Worked," Foreign Affairs (July/August 2004).
Charles Kenny and Justin Sandefur, "Can Silicon Valley Save the World?" Foreign Policy (July/August 2013).
X. Political Economy and Development (November 13 and 18)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 10.
Andre Gunder Frank, "The Development of Underdevelopment," Monthly Review (September 1966).
"The Failure of Economic Development: Interview with William Easterly," Challenge (January/February 2002).
David Dollar and Aart Kraay, "Spreading the Wealth," Foreign Affairs (January/February 2002).
Ruchir Sharma, "Broken BRICs: Why the Rest Stopped Rising," Foreign Affairs (November/December 2012).
XI. Human Rights (November 20 and 25)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 11.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan, "The Politics of Human Rights," Commentary (August 1977).
Kathryn Sikkink, "Transnational Politics, International Relations Theory, and Human Rights," PS: Political Science and Politics (September 1998).
*** Midterm Examination – November 27 ***
XII. The Global Environment (December 2)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 12.
Garrett Hardin, "The Tragedy of the Commons," Science (1968).
Bjørn Lomborg, "Environmental Alarmism, Then and Now. The Club of Rome's Problem – and Ours," Foreign Affairs (July/August 2012).
Steven Hayward, "In Denial: The Meltdown of the Climate Campaign," Weekly Standard (2010).
XIII. Transitional Advocacy Networks (December 4)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 13.
Margaret Keck and Kathryn Sikkink, "Transnational Advocacy Networks in International and Regional Politics," International Social Science Journal (March 1999).
XIV. The Future of World Politics (December 9)
Scott, Carter and Drury, IR, Chapter 14.
Samuel Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations,” Foreign Affairs (Summer 1993).
Robert Kagan, "History's Back. Ambitious Autocracies, Hesitant Democracies," Weekly Standard (August 2008).
*** Final Examination – December 11 ***
