GVPT 200: Introduction to International Relations Theory

Time/Day: Monday/Wednesday 10:00-10:50 am Location: Architecture Building (ARC) 0204 Instructor: Quddus Z. Snyder, Ph.D. (Dr. Q) Email: qsnyder@umd.edu Office Hrs: Mon/Wed by appt. only

Teaching Assistants and their office hours: Caitlin McCulloch Cem72@umd.edu Fri 11-12am and by appt. Tydings 5109 Section 0102: Friday 09:00am - 09:50am, TYD 2102 Section 0105: Friday 10:00am - 10:50am, TYD 2110 Section 0107: Friday 01:00pm - 01:50pm, TYD 0102

Margaret McWeeney memcween@umd.edu Office hrs. Wed 12-1 and by appt Tydings 5109 Section 0103: Friday 09:00am - 09:50am, TYD 0102 Section 0106: Friday 10:00am - 10:50am, ASY 3211 Section 0109: Friday 01:00pm - 01:50pm, LEF 1220

Joon Chang hjchang@umd.edu Office hrs. Wed 11-1 pm Tydings 5109 Section 0101: Friday 09:00am - 09:50am, MMH 0108 Section 0104: Friday 10:00am - 10:50am, PLS 1115 Section 0108: Friday 01:00pm - 01:50pm, TYD 2106
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Course Description: This class introduces students to the primary theoretical approaches to the study of international relations. Through a diverse array of lenses, we will examine the primary issue areas in international politics. As the days and weeks progress, students will discover that the subject of international politics is eminently important, never boring, and almost always interesting.

A few of Dr. Qs Policies: If a student has a question or concern? Should an issue arise, you should contact your Teaching Assistant. If your TA is unable to answer your question or solve your problem, the matter will be referred to me. If a student cheats? One strike, youre out. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the Universitys code regarding academic integrity. I have no patience for those who wish to cut corners. Lecture attendance? Attendance during the Mon/Wed lectures is not mandatory. Nine times out of ten, however, regular attendance is the single most important factor contributing to a students success in my classes. Attendance at your weekly discussion section is mandatory. Participation? During your discussion sections, you are expected to participate. We encourage a lively and free exchange of ideas. Each Teaching Assistant will have a slightly different style. Nonetheless, you must always be respectful of other students.

Disclaimer This class is not a constitutional republic, but a benign monarchy. I will do my best to stick to the blueprint of this syllabus, however, I reserve the right to make necessary and appropriate changes to it as I see fit. If changes to the syllabus are made, I will do my best to give students fair notice and explanation as the nature and purpose of those changes. Grading Scheme Exam I (20%) Exam II (20%) Exam III (20%) Exam IV (20%) Discussion Section Attendance and Participation (20%) (Dr. Qs Three Steps to an A: (1) complete all assigned readings, (2) attend class, take notes, and ask meaningful questions, and (3) form study groups in preparation for exams)
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Required Text Richard Betts, ed. Conflict After the Cold War: Arguments on the Causes of War and Peace, 4th edition (Pearson, 2012) ***Note: many of the required readings are not to be found in the assigned text. Rather, they will be posted on Canvas. Canvas Students MUST familiarize themselves with canvas, the Universitys online course management program. We will be using canvas to post the syllabus, supplementary assigned readings, and grades.

Wed (9/4): Introduction: Welcome to GVPT 200 No Assigned reading Part I Mon (9/9): What is theory? Why is it important? Assigned reading: Stephen Walt, International Relations: One World, Many Theories, Foreign Policy, No. 110 (Spring 1998). AVAILABLE ON CANVAS. Wed (9/11): Anarchy, the state, and the State of Nature Assigned readings: Thucydides, The Melian Dialogue (in Betts); Thomas Hobbes, The State of Nature (in Betts) Mon (9/16): The international system, international structure, and the balance of power Assigned readings: Kenneth Waltz, The Origins of War in Neorealist Theory (in Betts); John Mearsheimer, Why we will soon miss the Cold War (in Betts) Wed (9/18): Empires, hegemonic wars, and hegemonic stability Assigned readings: Robert Gilpin, Hegemonic War and International Change (in Betts); Stephen Brooks and William Wohlforth, Reshaping the World Order Foreign Affairs (March/April 2009) (AVAILABLE ON CANVAS). Mon (9/23): Nuclear weapons, deterrence, MAD Assigned readings: Kenneth N. Waltz, Why Iran Should Get the Bomb Foreign Affairs (July/August 2012); Scott D. Sagan, How to Keep the Bomb From Iran Foreign Affairs (Sept/Oct 2006) (BOTH AVAILABLE ON CANVAS) Wed (9/25): EXAM I
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PART II

Mon (9/30): The security dilemma, arms races, and cooperation Assigned readings: Robert Jervis, Cooperation Under the Security Dilemma (in Betts) Wed (10/ 2): Arms control and the offense-defense balance Jack Levy, The Offensive/Defensive Balance of Military Technology (in Betts); Charles Fairbanks and Abram Shulsky, Arms Control: Historical Experience (in Betts). Mon (10/ 7): Cooperation under anarchy Assigned readings: Robert Axelrod and Robert Keohane, Achieving Cooperation under Anarchy: Strategies and Institutions World Politics, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Oct 1985) (AVAILABLE ON CANVAS) Wed (10/9): Trade and conflict Assigned readings: Richard Rosecrance, Trade and Power (in Betts); Fareed Zakaria, Economics Trumps Politics (in Betts) Mon (10/14): Integration Assigned readings: Quddus Snyder, Integrating Rising Powers: Liberal Systemic Theory and the Mechanism of Competition, Review of International Studies (January 2013) (AVAILABLE ON CANVAS). Wed (10/16): Democratic Peace Assigned readings: Woodrow Wilson, Community of Power v. Balance of Power (in Betts); Michael Doyle, Liberalism and World Politics (in Betts). Mon (10/21): EXAM II

Part III Wed (10/23): Identity and politics Assigned readings: Alexander Wendt, Anarchy is what states make of it (in Betts) Mon (10/28): International norms Assigned readings: Martha Finnemore, Constructing Norms of Humanitarian Intervention (in Betts) Wed (10/ 30): Feminism
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Assigned readings: J. Ann Tickner, Men, Women, and War (in Betts) Mon (11/4): Insights from psychology Assigned readings: Sigmund Freud, Why War? (in Betts); Stanley Milgram, How Good People Do Bad Things (in Betts); Daniel Kahneman and Jonathan Renshon, Why Hawks Win (in Betts) Wed (11/6): Nationalism and Civilizations Assigned readings: Ernest Gellner, Nations and Nationalism (in Betts); Samuel Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations? Mon (11/11): Ideology and Religion Assigned readings: Mark Juergensmeyer, Religious Radicalism and Political Violence (in Betts); Osama bin Laden, Speech to the American People (in Betts); Wed (11/13): EXAM III Part IV Mon (11/18): Terrorism Assigned readings: Martha Crenshaw, The Logic of Terrorism (in Betts); Mark Sageman, Jihadi Networks of Terror (in Betts) Wed (11/20): Non-state actors and activists Assigned readings: Margaret Keck and Kathryn Sikkink, Transnational advocacy networks in international and regional politics (AVAILABLE ON CANVAS) Mon (11/25) Chinas Rise Assigned readings: John Mearsheimer, The Gathering Storm: Chinas Challenge to US Power in Asia Chinese Journal of International Politics (2010); John Ikenberry, The Rise of China and the Future of the West Foreign Affairs (Jan/Feb 2008) (BOTH AVAILABLE ON CANVAS)

Wed (11/27) CLASS CANCELLED. Wishing all a delightful Thanksgiving!

Mon (12/2) The Politics of Climate Change Assigned readings: David Victor, Toward Effective International Cooperation on Climate Change (AVAILABLE ON CANVAS)

Wed (12/4) Ethnic and Civil Wars, humanitarian interventions

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Assigned Readings: Chaim Kaufmann, Possible and Impossible Solutions to Ethnic Civil Wars (in Betts); Kofi Annan, The Responsibility to Protect (AVAILABLE ON CANVAS)

Mon (12/9) Violence and the Environment Assigned readings: Thomas Homer-Dixon, Environmental Changes as Causes of Acute Conflict (in Betts); Indra de Soysa, Ecoviolence

Mon (12/13) EXAM IV

Enjoy your winter break!