INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
POL 141
Fall 1998

DR. ORTMAYER
"As of yet, no clearly defined system of power relationships has developed in place of the bipolar system and the tight alliances of the cold war period. Rather, a number of regional power centers--Japan in Asia, Germany in Europe, Russia in central Euroasia, the United States in North America--have emerged, each surrounded by a cluster of associated states. These centers cooperate with each other in some matters and complete in others; states not alligned with any of the principal clusters manage as best they can."
--Michael Klare, "New Challenges to Global Security"

GLOBAL AND REGIONAL CHALLENGES IN A NEW ERA
Scope and Objectives of the Course  
An ancient Chinese proverb, "May you live in interesting times," was intended as a curse. In the world of the 1990s, it is an objective necessity. Major changes and dramatic developments are occurring not only in the former Soviet Union, Europe, and East Asia but around the globe, forcing us to reconsider our notions of East and West, North and South. The closing decade of the 20th century merely continues developments which have witnessed exceptionally turbulent relations among nations: great wars have shaken civilization to its roots, and the awesome menance of nuclear destruction remains. Some of the world's most colorful figures stride the stage of international diplomacy: Mandela, Yeltsin, Saddem Hussein, Quaddafi, Deng, Rabin, Castro, etc. The nation-state itself is being challenged by a variety of emerging world actors: MNCs, terrorist groups, regional and international organizations. One thing is certain, international politics take place in a virtual state of nature--there is no governing body or authority with the command and the power to make world law or settle disputes. Power, threats, resources, determination, skill at the bargaining table and in negotiations of all types, and luck (among other factors, including using one's wits) decide the fate of successful and unsuccessful, of powerful and weak, of victor and vanquished.

Given this perspective, POL 141 is designed as a wide-ranging introduction to the fields of international politics and foreign policy. Course readings, materials, and outline emphasize breadth of coverage in order: 1) to present and analyze concepts and frameworks for making the complexity of international relations clearer and more comprehensible; 2) to provide an overview and discussion of the major issues and trends of contemporary world politics; 3) to give the student the opportunity to develop a more critical awareness of the nature and intricacy of international events, and the preceptions and dilemmas of some of the most important international actors; and 4) to encourage the student to develop an interest in and understanding of international phenomena both within the context of the course and for reference in one's future studies, career and lifelong learning.

Readings  
The following are considered required texts to be read in their entirety.

Mark R. Amstutz, International Conflict and Cooperation: An Introduction to World Politics (Guilford, CT: Brown & Benchmark, 1995).
John G. Stoessinger, Why Nations Go To War, 7th ed., (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998)
Rajat Ganguly and Raymond C. Taras, Understanding Ethnic Conflict: The International
Dimension (N.Y.: Longman, 1998)
Alexander, L. George, Forceful Persuasion: Coercive Diplomacy as an Alternative to War (Washington: U.S. Institute of Peace, 1991)

Case: "The Kosovo Crisis" (BBC World News)
Case: "The Struggle for Peace: The Middle East," (Washington Post/ABC News)
*The New York Times or The Washington Post (on-line or hardcopy)

Recommended and on library reserve are the following:

Deborah J. Gerner, One Land, Two Peoples: The Conflict Over Palestine, 2nd Ed. (Boulder: Westview, 1994)
Graham Allison and Gregory Treverton (eds), Rethinking America's Security: Beyond Cold War
to New World Order (NY: Norton, 1992)
Robert Wendzel, International Relations: A Policymaker Focus (N.Y.: Wiley, 1980)
Dennis Pirages, Global Ecopolitics: The New Context for International Relations
Annual Editions: World Politics 1997-98; Global Issues 1998-99
Martin H. Greenberg and Joseph D. Olander, International Relations Through Science Fiction (N. Y.: New Viewpoints, 1978)

*Students should read regularly the international reporting of one or more of the primary national newspapers:
NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, LOS ANGELES TIMES, and especially the London weekly: THE ECONOMIST

Finally, it is strongly recommended that students consult and read periodically from:

FOREIGN POLICY, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, ORBIS, SAIS REVIEW, STRATEGIC REVIEW, SURVIVAL, THE WORLD TODAY, THE WORLD ECONOMY, WORLDVIEW, WORLD POLITICS and WORLD PRESS REVIEW

Requirements 

Students will complete a mid-term exam, primarily in essay format (25%--October 26), and a self scheduled final examination (40%). In addition, occasional quizzes will be given on short (or no) notice to encourage students to stay informed of contemporary international political, economic, and diplomatic affairs, (together with participation 10-15%).

Students will also be expected to read thoroughly and concurrently with class discussion the assigned materials (including any selected library reserve readings and class handouts), and to participate actively in class discussions, exercises, and simulations.

Each student will submit a researched policy paper (approximately 10 pages--20%) and bibliography taking the perspective of a contemporary international decision-maker, dealing with substantive problems of current international political/economic concern:

Middle East peace, Israelis/Palestinians, Arabian Sea/Persian Gulf, Bosnia, ethnic conflicts, Libya, South Africa, China and Taiwan, Central America (El Salvador, Nicaragua), N. Korea, arms control, great power triangles in Asia, oil and energy politics, nuclear proliferation, international economic conflicts, NATO, European integration, break-up of former Soviet Union, NAFTA/trade negotiations, international environment/global warming, etc. (Suggested topics)
The policy paper will take into account modes of analysis and decision making perspectives as well as perceptual variables as illustrated in class and the readings or other relevant information sources.
(Due date: December 2; late penalty: one full letter grade per day; computer "excuses" are not valid.)

Course Outline 

Throughout the term, the central analytical focus of the course will be the POLICYMAKER (national, international, transnational): What are the policymaker's relevant perceptions? And misperceptions? What are his/her key goals and objectives? What capabilities does s/he command? What types of international political response can policymakers expect confronting their own chosen actions? How does one proceed to resolve international crises, disputes, problems? How does one measure success, or failure? How is foreign policy made?

Introduction: International Politics: Setting, Dynamics, and Nature of the Field
A. Political, Socio-Economic, and Technological Dynamics
B. Global Issues: What are the problems/conflicts of the 20th & 21st centuries?
C. Levels of Analysis: The General Framework
D. Realism, Idealism...Alternative Perspectives
E. Applying Perspectives to the Real World: Kosovo and ......
(Read: Case: "The Kosovo Crisis" (BBC World News); Thucydides, "The Melian Dialogue;" Michael Klare, "The New Challenges to Global Security;" Samuel P. Huntington, "The Clash of Civilizations?" Stephen Walt, "International Relations: One World, Many Theories")

Weeks Two-Three: International Political Systems: Comparisons and Concepts
Aug. 31-Sept. 11
A. Historical International Political Systems
B. The Balance of Power (Security, Insecurity, and Power Politics)
C. Simulated Systems: The Classical State System/The Cold War
D. The Contemporary Era: Bi-Polarity, Polycentrism, or Fragmentation?
(Amstutz ch. 9, 3-4;, 16; Science Fiction: Arthur Clarke, "Superiority"; on reserve)

Weeks Four-Five: The Contemporary International System
Sept.14-25
A. East and West/North and South
B. International Actors
1. Nations and Nation-States
2. International and Regional Organizations: Common Markets, Cartels, Complexity
3. Non-State Actors: Multinational Corporations, Terrorist Groups
C. Global Issues Rejoined: Contending Perspectives
D. Problem Areas of Contemporary International Politics: The Systemic Perspective. Middle East, Africa, Central America, Southwest Asia
(Amstutz 2, 5-6; Stoessinger 1-3; Ganguly and Taras 1-3; Handouts on Middle East and Earth Summit/Rio 1992)

Week Six: Causes and Effects of War: Theories, Orientations, Observations
Sept. 28-Oct. 2
A. Social, Political, Historical Roots
B. Multiple Interpretations
C. Why Nations Go to War? Causation and Analysis, Criticism
(Stoessinger 4-7; Amstutz 12; Rosen & Jones, "Causes of War;" and Gordon Eklund, "To End All Wars"- both reserve)

Weeks Seven-Eight:Foreign Policy Making: The Interrelationships of Domestic and Foreign Policy
Oct.5-19
A. Domestic Structure and Foreign Policy
B. The Impact of Foreign Policy on the Domestic Environment
C. Perceptions and Misperceptions in the Modern World
D. Case Study: Israel and the Palestinians/Israeli Foreign Policy
(Amstutz 7-8; Gerner, One Land, Two Peoples, selections; Case: "The Struggle for Peace")

Weeks Nine-Ten: Foreign Policy Making: Variables, Problems and Ideals
Oct. 21-Nov. 2
A. Foreign Policy Process: Variables and Multi-perspectives
B. The Rational Decision Maker and Foreign Affairs
C. Policy-Making Elites: Political, Economic, and Otherwise
D.Perceptions Reconsidered (National "Style"?)
E. Bureaucracies and Bureaucratic Imperative
F. Public Opinion and Interest Groups
G. Resources, Technology, Capabilities
(Amstutz 10-11; Robert Wendzel, "Domestic Influences"--reserve)

"The creative personality is one that always looks on the world as fit for change and on himself as an instrument for change....If the world is perfectly all right the way it is, you have no place in it."
--Jacob Bronowski

Weeks Eleven-Twelve: Foreign Policy Implementation
Nov. 4-16
A. Policy and the Choice Dilemmas: Game Theory Perspectives Zero-Sum Games, Prisoner's Dilemma, Chicken (and more)
B. Strategies and Their Outcomes: The Feedback Cycle
C. Implementing Decisions and Policy
D. Game Theory and Policy Decisions
E. Case: India, Pakistan and Nuclear Proliferation
(Amstutz 13-15; Hayford Pierce, "Unlimited Warfare"--reserve)

Weeks Thirteen-Fourteen: International Conflict and Conflict Resolution
Nov. 18-Dec. 4
A. Conflict and Cooperation: Policy as a Bit of Both
B. The Post-Cold War World Order
C. International Economic Conflicts
D. The Prospects of Negotiation/Diplomacy of Intervention
E. Coercive Diplomacy for a New World Order?
F. Case Studies in Ethnic Conflict and International Affairs
(Amstutz 16-19; Ganguly and Taras, 5-8, 4; Alexander George, all; Case: "The Struggle for Peace: The Middle East")

Week Fifteen Contemporary Policy Focus: Resolving Current IP Conflicts
Dec. 7-9
(complete Ganguly and Taras; case studies; handouts)