Political Science: Introduction to International Relations Course Materials

DESCRIPTION
Introduces complex relations among the nations of a rapidly changing world. Focuses on the nature of the international system and factors affecting conflict and cooperation within the system.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1) Understand, analyze, and explain the relationships, interconnections, and divergences in the current international political system;
2) Understand, analyze, and explain the classic, contemporary, and alternative theories with which to analyze international relations;
3) Understand, analyze, and explain the ways in which international power, law, geography, culture, history, religion, and belief systems interact to shape world politics;
4) Understand, analyze, and explain the ideas that create controversies in international relations;
5) Understand, analyze, and explain the global interdependence that defines international relations;
6) Develop skills and appreciation of civic virtue as a well-educated, informed, and participating citizen in our national and international political system.

This course provides an introduction to the politics and theories surrounding the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It introduces the basics of nuclear weapons, nuclear strategy, and deterrence theory. It also examines the historical record during the Cold War as well as the proliferation of nuclear weapons to regional powers and the resulting deterrence consequences.

This edited collection brings together cutting edge insights from a range of key thinkers working in the area of popular culture and world politics (PCWP). Offering a holistic approach to this exciting field of research, it contributes to the establishment of PCWP as a sub-discipline of International Relations. Canvassing issues such as geopolitics, political identities, the War on Terror and political communication – and drawing from sources such as film, videogames, art and music – this collection is an invaluable reader for anyone interested in popular culture and world politics.

Module on realism and liberalism in international relations theory. Intended for community college students and aligned with the requirements for POLS 140: Introduction to International Relations within the California Community College system. Includes readings, lesson plan, and ancillary materials (lecture slides and handout).

The purpose of this book is to appraise the current relevance and validity of realism as an interpretative tool in contemporary International Relations. All chapters of the book are animated by a theoretical effort to define the conceptual aspects of realism and attempt to establish whether the tradition still provides the necessary conceptual tools to scholars. The chapters address important issues in contemporary world politics through the lens of realist theory such as the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East; the war against ISIS; the appearance of non-state actors and outlaw agents; the rise of China; cyberwarfare; human rights and humanitarian law. The collection also provides insights on some of the theoretical tenets of classical and structural realism. Overall, the collection shows that, in spite of its many shortcomings, realism still offers a multifaceted understanding of world politics and enlightens the increasing challenges of world politics.

This book exposes a much needed discussion on the interconnectedness between objects, organisms, machines and elemental forces. It seeks to disturb dogmatic ontologies that privilege human life and successfully questions the separation between the natural and human worlds. By doing so, the collection confronts, challenges, and energises discussion beyond International Relations’ traditional territorial lines. By revealing the fragility of mainstream narratives of the ‘human,’ each author in this collection contributes to an unsettling vision of a posthuman world. Questions of what the future beyond the Anthropocene looks like pervasively infiltrate the collection and move away from a system that all too often relies on binary relationships. In contrast to this binary view of the world, the book (re)entagles the innate complexities found within the world and brings forward a plurality of views on posthumanism.

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) presents a backgrounder on the recent tariffs, also known as import taxes, on steel and aluminum. President Trump argues that tariffs are necessary to protect U.S. national security, but many experts argue that the measures could backfire. CFR Backgrounders provide an in-depth analysis on current political and economic issues.

A millennium and a half after the end of the period of its unquestioned dominance, Rome remains a significant presence in western culture. This book explores what the empire meant to its subjects. The idea of Rome has long outlived the physical empire that gave it form, and now holds sway over vastly more people and a far greater geographical area than the Romans ever ruled. It continues to shape our understanding of the nature of imperialism, and thus, however subtly, to influence the workings of the world. Unlike most works on Roman history, this book does not offer a simplistic narrative, with military triumph followed by decline and fall. Instead, it analyses the origins and nature of Roman imperialism, its economic, social and cultural impact on the regions it conquered, and its continuing influence in discussions and debates about modern imperialism.

This collection features seven articles which tackle the subject of religion and its resurgence in international politics from diverse approaches.

On behalf of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), take this quiz to test your knowledge of the trends and policies surrounding U.S. immigration.

On behalf of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), take this quiz to test your knowledge of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the military alliance underpinning U.S. global leadership.

On behalf of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), take this quiz to test your knowledge of presidential summit meetings from the Cold War through today.

On behalf of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), take this quiz to test your knowledge of Russia's politics, history, economy, and more.

On behalf of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), take this quiz to test your knowledge of the major events of World War II, from Normandy to Nagasaki.

This volume builds on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research to showcase a wide range of IR teaching and learning frameworks. Contributors explore their signature pedagogies relevant to the study and practice of teaching IR by detailing how pedagogical practices and their underlying assumptions influence how we teach and impart knowledge. Authors critically engage with their approaches by exploring the following questions: What concrete and practical acts of teaching and learning do we employ? What implicit and explicit assumptions do we impart to students about the world of politics? What values and beliefs about professional attitudes and dispositions do we foster and in preparing students for a wide range of possible careers? Authors, as such, provide educators, students, and practitioners’ pedagogical insights and practical ways for developing their own teaching and learning approaches.

The wars in Iraq and Syria have changed the course of international relations in the 21st century. During these conflicts, hundreds of thousands have died and millions have been displaced. After 13 years, these conflicts continue with no end in sight. The central question of this course is: How do political science theories and methods help us understand the course of these wars? In this course, you will answer this question by integrating three elements: theory, data/description, and application of theory to data/description. The primary goal of this course is to bolster students’ skills in using various social science methods to explain important variations in violent conflict.

Since its reorganisation in the 1990s, the English School has emerged as a popular theoretical lens through which to examine global events. Those who use the approach promote it as a middle way of theorising due to its ability to incorporate features from both systemic and domestic perspectives into one coherent lens. This volume, now in its second edition, brings together some of the most important voices on the English School to highlight the multifaceted nature of the School’s applications in International Relations.

This graduate seminar introduces an emerging research program within International Relations on territorial conflict. While scholars have recognized that territory has been one of the most frequent issues over which states go to war, territorial conflicts have only recently become the subject of systematic study. This course will examine why territorial conflicts arise in the first place, why some of these conflicts escalate to high levels of violence and why other territorial disputes reach settlement, thereby reducing the likelihood of war. Readings in the course draw upon political geography and history as well as qualitative and quantitative approaches to political science.

International Relations scholars have traditionally expressed little direct interest in addressing time and temporality. Yet, assumptions about temporality are at the core of many theories of world politics and time is a crucial component of the human condition and our social reality. Today, a small but emerging strand of literature has emerged to meet questions concerning time and temporality and its relationship to International Relations head on. This edited collection provides a platform to continue this work. The chapters in this book address subjects such as identity, terrorism, war, gender relations, global ethics and governance in order to demonstrate how focusing on the temporal aspects of such phenomena can enhance our understanding of the world.

In this curriculum unit, students reconsider the events leading to U.S. entry into World War I through the lens of archival documents.