A. Nationalism
and the Rise of the Nation State (9/10)
John Herz,
"The Rise and Demise of the Territorial State" and Russett,
Starr, Kinsella, World Politics, pgs. (43-55)
Discussion
Questions: What is the nation-state. What functions does it serve? It is commonly
argued that nationalism is an important factor holding nations together. Is
this true? Is nationalism a natural phenomenon or does it have to be created
by national leaders? Think about both the good and the bad effects of nationalism.
Is the nation-state the ultimate form of human collectivity, or is there something
beyond the nation-state?
B. National
Interests and Goals (9/12)
Hans Morgenthau,
Politics Among Nations, Chapter 1 and Arnold Wolfers, "The Goals
of Foreign Policy" in Discord and Collaboration, Chapter 5
Discussion
Questions: What is the national interest? Whose interest is it really? Is Morgenthau
correct in saying a general national interest exists for all nations, and that
this national interest can be defined in terms of the accumulation of power?
What is this power of which he speaks? If this were true, would it make the
world a more dangerous place or peaceful place? What are Wolfer's "goals
of foreign policy?" Do they make the world more dangerous or more peaceful?
NOTE: Computer
Workshop on Microsoft Word (9/14)
C. Theories
of International Politics
1. International
Anarchy and Realism: Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, Chapter 13 and Art, Jervis,
International Politics, pgs (1-16, 49-82) (9/17)
Discussion
Questions: The Realist school of international politics has traditionally looked
to Hobbes' Leviathan as an intellectual precursor. In Chapter 13 Hobbes paints
a picture of what a community would be like without central organization or
rule. How would you describe this state-of-nature existence? What is anarchy
all about? Can we draw realistic parallels between this state of nature and
the world of international politics?
2. Alternatives
to Realism: Hedley Bull, The Anarchical Society, Chapter 2 and Russett,
Starr, Kinsella, World Politics, pgs. (24-42) and Art, Jervis, International
Politics, pgs (17-29) (9/19)
Discussion
Questions: What are the alternatives to Realism? Are idealism and feminism a
better way to approach world politics?
D. The Means
of Foreign Policy
1. Power:
Arnold Wolfers, "Power and Influence" in Discord, Chapter 7 and Hans
Morgenthau, Politics Among Nations, Chapter 3 (9/21)
Discussion
Questions: What is the national interest? Whose interest is it really? Is Morgenthau
correct in saying a general national interest exists for all nations, and that
this national interest can be defined in terms of the accumulation of power?
What is this power of which he speaks? If this were true, would it make the
world a more dangerous place or peaceful place? What are Wolfer's "goals
of foreign policy?" Do they make the world more dangerous or more peaceful?
2. The Use
of Force: Art and Jervis, International Politics, pgs (157-167, 229-244)
(9/24)
Discussion
Questions: In the nuclear age, is the large scale use of force still a useful
means of statecraft?
E. Balance
of Power (9/26)
Art and Jervis, International Politics, pgs (110-117) and Richard Elrod, "The Concept of Europe" World Poltics (January 1976) and Russett, Starr, Kinsella, World Politics, pgs (76-87)
Discussion
Questions: What is a balance of power? How does it differ from Elrod's Concert
of Europe? When will nations prefer to bandwagon as opposed to balance according
to Walt? What are the necessary conditions for a balance of power? Do we have
a balance of power today?
NOTE: Class
will be in PAC Data Lab 2-3. Computer Workshop on the Net and Internet
Research (9/28)
1st Paper Due on October 1
F. Strategic
Interaction: Bargaining and the Games States Play
1. Game
Theory (10/1 and 10/3): Robert Jervis, "Cooperation Under the Security
Dilemma" and Robert Axelrod, The Evolution of Cooperation, Chapters
1,4
Discussion
Questions: We will discuss our experience in the simulation game. Think are
fully about how the Prisoner's Dilemma can be used to explain world politics.
What reasons can you give for why you followed the strategy that you did? What
relation does this have to international politics?
2. Bargaining
(10/5): Thomas Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, Chapter 2 up to p.
46 and Chapter 3 up to p. 58 and Russett, Starr, Kinsella, World Politics,
pgs (107-115)
Discussion
Questions: Schelling presents numerous strategies for bargaining. Especially
interesting are his concepts of "the power through binding oneself,"
"the advantage of the last clear chance," and the whole idea of the
rationality of irrationality. What are these strategies saying? How can they
be used to win a chicken game?
2. Determinants of Foreign Policy
A. The Levels
of Analysis (10/8)
Russett,
Starr, Kinsella, World Politics, Chapter 1 and Kenneth Waltz, Man,
the State, and War, Chapters 2,4,6
Discussion
Questions: What is the whole concept of levels of analysis? How does Waltz'
3 levels (which he calls images) explain war? Russett and Starr present an alternative
"menu" of levels. Which of Russett and Starr's levels do Waltz' levels
correspond to?
B. Structural
Causes of Foreign Policy (10/10)
Russett,
Starr, Kinsella, World Politics, Chapter 4 and John Mearsheimer, "Why
We Will Miss the Cold War"
Discussion
Questions: How does the structural level explain foreign policy? What are its
advantages and disadvantages? How would you explain the Gulf War on a structural
level? Why does Mearsheimer say we will miss the Cold War? Do you agree with
his argument?
C. Domestic
Causes of Foreign Policy (10/12/00)
Russett,
Starr, Kinsella, World Politics, Chapter 6 and Woodrow Wilson, excerpts
from Public Papers, in Wolfers and Martin, Anglo-American Tradition
in Foreign Affairs (look under Wilson "Excerpts" in Reserve
Room)
Discussion
Questions: Woodrow Wilson, former teacher and football coach at Wesleyan University,
argued that a democratic world (i.e., where all nations are governed by democratic
principles) was a safe world. Michael Doyle has recently restated the argument
in terms of the passivity of liberal states. What is the logic of their argument?
What are the strengths and weaknesses? Consider the evidence too (pay attention
to Doyle's use of the evidence). In democracies, popular views are supposedly
the primary shapers of foreign policy. Is this true of the U.S.? Does the U.S.
have a truly democratic foreign policy?
Note:
PAC Data Lab 2-3pm - Computer Workshop on Microsoft PowerPoint (10/12)
D. Bureaucratic
Politics (10/17)
Morton Halperin
and Arnold Kanter, "The Bureaucratic Perspective" and Russett, Starr,
Kinsella, World Politics, pgs (155-159) and James Thompson, "How
Could Vietnam Happen?"
Discussion
Questions: What are the main principles of the bureaucratic politics approach
to explaining foreign policy as described by Arnold Kanter and Morton Halperin?
How do these principles explain the Vietnam War? What are Robert Art's main
critiques of the BP approach to foreign policy?
E. Decision
Making and Psychological Sources of Foreign Policy
1. Psychological
Theories of Foreign Policy (10/19): Robert Jervis, "Hypotheses on Misperception"
and Russett, Starr, Kinsella, World Politics, Chapter 7
Discussion
Questions: The decision-making level of analysis explains foreign policy by
looking at the belief systems and thought processes of leaders. Hence, it proposes
that we learn abut foreign policy through a familiarity with the psychology
of leaders. What are the principal psychological processes that affect foreign
policy decisions?
2. Psychological Sources and the Cuban Missile Crisis (10/22): Robert Kennedy, Thirteen Days
Discussion
Questions: Which of these psychological processes were especially visible and
important in the Cuban Missile Crisis case?
Note:
PAC Data Lab 2-3: Computer Workshop on database software (10/22)
Guest
Lecture by Stephen J. Gould (10/24)
MIDTERM
OCTOBER 26th
F. Levels
of Analysis and the Decision to Drop the A-Bomb
October
29: Watch documentary "The Decision to Drop the Bomb"
October
31: Discussion of the decision to drop the bomb
Truman's
decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan looms as one of the most controversial
decisions in U.S. foreign policy history. What levels of analysis best explain
his decision to use the bomb? Do you believe that indeed it was necessary to
do so?
Links
on the Decision to drop the A Bomb
3. International Relations in the Nuclear Age
November
2: This class we will watch the documentary "War Plans". This film
discusses the problem of national security in the nuclear age.
Note: PAC Datalab 2-3: Computer Workshop on Excel (11/2)
November
5 and 7: We will discuss the film and the following:
Art, Jervis, International Politics, pgs. 169-183
Russett, Starr, Kinsella, World Politics Chapters 8,9
Michael Mandelbaum, The Nuclear Future
Robert Art, "A Defensible Defense"
Discussion
Questions: What is the best nuclear strategy for nations to follow in order
to assure ongoing peaceful relations? There has been a long debate between MAD
(mutual assured destruction) advocates and counter-force (aim at and destroy
weapons rather than cities). MAD proponents argue that you animize peace when
you aim at cities (i.e., when you hold the other nation's population hostage).
Which do you think is a more stabilizing strategy? Where is the best place to
aim your weapons? Moreover, what should our plan be if we begin fighting a war?
Which targets would we attack first? What kind of retaliation can we expect?
Some people (e.g., MAD advocates) might argue that the best plan is no plan
because other nations will be convinced that the war will get out of hand and
therefore be deterred from starting hostilities. (In this case, "no plan"
would signal an irrational conduct of war which would be akin to using the strategy
of the rationality of irrationality in a Chicken game). Can nuclear deterrence
be better modeled as Chicken or Prisoner's Dilemma?
Tons
of info on the Prisoners Dilemma
4. International Organizations, Law, and Transnational Actors
A. Transnational
Actors (11/9)
Walter LeFeber, "Michael Jordan and the New Global Capitalism"
Sam Huntington, "The Clash of Civilizations"
Leslie Sklair, "Sociology of the Global System"
Russett, Starr, and Kinsella, World Politics, pgs. 397-405
Discussion
Questions: LeFeber talks about the advent of a global culture based on the spread
of common images and values (capitalism, the Swoosh) through the media. Is this
the origin of the new global civilization, or will nationalism and other forms
of restricted identification (ethnicity, religion) keep the world from making
the leap to one community? Will we have one world, or will we be faced with
what Huntington calls the "clash of civilizations"?
B. International
Law (11/12)
George Schwartzenberger, The Frontiers of International Law, Chapter
1
Art and Jervis, International Politics, pgs 129-133, 554-559
Russett, Starr, Kinsella, World Politics, Chapter 10
Discussion
Questions: What are Schwartzenberger's categories of international law? How
would you describe the general nature of international law? How does it differ
from domestic law? Would you say that international law has influence in international
politics?
C. International
Organization
1. Determinants
of the Growth of International Organization (11/14)
Harold Jacobson, Networks of Interdependence, Chapters 1,3
Discussion
Questions: Inspect the graph which shows the growth of international organization
over the last two centuries. Based on these trends you see, what forces would
you say cause the growth of international organization. For example, notice
the sharp rise in the number of international organizations after World War
I and World War II. Based on this one, would you say that international organizations
tend to increase sharply in number after major wars. (Why is this?) Look over
the graph carefully and try to come up with other explanations of the growth
and timing of international organization.
2. The Structure
and Role of the United Nations in Historical Perspective (11/16) - We will be
watching a documentary "The United Nations"
3. Competing
Theories of International Organization (11/19)
Harold Jacobson, Networks of Interdependence, Chapter 4
Discussion
Questions: How would you describe or characterize the four major theories of
international organization: federalism, functionalism, neofunctionalism, and
neo-Marxism? Which best describes the growth of international organization in
our own times (let us say over the last century)?
5. International Political Economy
A. Theories
of International Political Economy (11/26)
Art and Jervis, International Politics, pgs. 278-294
Discussion
Questions: Gilpin describes and analyzes the three major theories of international
economic relations: liberalism, Marxism, and mercantilism. What are the major
tenets of each theory? Which theory best describes international economic relations
today?
The
National Bureau of Economic Research
Note: PAC
Data Lab 2-3: Computer Workshop on Web Authoring (11/26)
B. Trade:
The U.S. - Japanese Dimension (11/28)
This class we will watch "Talking Tough to Tokyo" a broadcast of a
roundtable discussion among trade experts about the current state of Japanese
- U.S. trade relations.
November 27th: We will discuss the film in light of the following readings:
Steven Hanke, "US-Japanese Trade: Myths and Realities"
Jacob Schlesigner, "US Chip Makers"
Art and Jervis, International Politics, pgs. 348-362
Discussion
Questions: We can learn a good deal from present day Japanese-U.S. trade relations:
there is no question that they represent a microcosm of international trade
relations. The main source of friction has been the enormous bilateral trade
deficit the U.S. presently runs against Japan (over the past 5-6 years, U.S.
has been consistently buying $30-50 billion more in goods from Japan than Japan
buys from the U.S.). Where is the main cause of this uneven trade relationship?
Many in the U.S. contend it stems from unfair and restrictive trade practices
in Japan (barriers, and export subsidies). Many in Japan contend it stems from
the growing uncompetitiveness of American industry. What do you think? What
should be done about the problem?
Article
on Japan's New Global Role
C. OPEC
(11/30)
Stephen Krasner, "Oil is the Exception"
Fred Bergsten "The Treat is Real" (look under Foreign Policy
14 in Reserve)
Discussion
Questions: OPEC is the most powerful international resource cartel in history.
They have survived the ongoing problem of cheating among its member states (i.e.,
countries producing more than their quotas) and, more recently have survived
two devastating wars among its members (Iran-Iraq and the Gulf War). What has
been the secret of their success? More specifically, why has OPEC achieved and
maintained the strength it has enjoyed? Furthermore, can we expect the cartel
to last into the future, or are its days numbered? (On this last point, concentrate
on the debate between Krasner and Bergsten in the readings.
D. Underdevelopment
December 3: We will watch the documentary "The tools of expoitation"
from the film series "The Africans". The film explores the underdevelopment
in Africa.
December 5: We will discuss the film in light of the following readings:
Russett, Starr, Kinsella, World Politics, Chapter 15
Theotonio Dos Santos, "The Structure of Dependence"
Peter Kilby, "The Internal forces Afflicting Africa"
Bauer and Yamery, "Against the New Economic Order"
Propoganda
from the UN against exploitation
2nd Paper Due on December 5th
Webpage
Design Instructions
WEBPAGE
WORKSHOP
I) OPEN CONDOR
a. Start Run - telnet condor.Wesleyan.edu
b. Enter user name (first initial, last name)
c. Password (last 4 digits of social security #, or birthday (071780) and student
ID)
d. type: html
e. type: ls
f. type: Pico and then whatever you want to name your file (eg, pico paper2)
II) OPEN NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR
a. Programs - Internet - Netscape Navigator
b. On the toolbar choose - Communicator - Composer
c. Begin typing document
III) TO PUBLISH WEBPAGE
a. In Netscape Composer: View - Page Source - Select All and then Copy
b. In Condor: Edit - Paste
c. In Condor: Type Control O (to upload information) then hit enter
d. In Netscape Navigator: Go to http://www.wesleyan.edu/~username/paper2
e. In Netscape Navigator: Hit Reload
E. The Tragedy
of the Commons: Preserving Our Global Environment (12/7)
Art and Jervis, International Politics, pgs508-533
Russett, Starr, Kinsella, World Politics, Chapter 16
Discussion
Questions:
Kirk:
"Spock, our planet has been ravaged by war for so many years. How can you
explain it? It is so brutal and violent. Surely, there must be a better way?"
Spock: "Yes Captain, violent and brutal indeed. But it is a trait of you
humans that you so often obtain that which you least desire."
Spock's comments ring true of the environment. Surely, no one wants the environmental
degradation which now exists on our planet, but we do indeed experience such
degradation. How do you explain it? How would you solve it? Is the environment
indeed a Prisoner's Dilemma game?
Save the planet hippies!