The field of International relations is the study of how countries interact with each other to settle political issues. In the international system (the arena countries operate in) there is no established government, and rules for behavior are established by agreement (formal and informal) absent any central enforcement agency. Hence states operate in a condition of anarchy. Our goal in this course is to understand and explain how states act and behave in this condition of anarchy. Why does war occur and how can states (individually or collectively) prevent war? How does the rise of groups like the Anarchists (19^th-20^th Century) or al-Qaeda (20^th-21^st Century) matter to the international system of states? What is the structure and function of the international political economy? Why have some states developed? What hinders the development of other states? How does Globalization impact our classical understanding of international relations? During this semester we will explore all of these issues and more.     

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PLS 230:  Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics

How much of political behavior and governmental processes is universal and how much is unique to particular countries or regions? Over the course of this semester, students will explore the field of comparative politics including essential topics like: political socialization, government structures and processes, interest articulation, and policy. In addition to these general topics, we will explore the specific political and governmental arrangements of (i) established democracies like Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and India and (ii) transitional/developing systems like Russia, China, Brazil, Egypt, and Nigeria. The course offers the chance to learn about the political constitution of several countries and, by comparison, learn more about the U.S. political system, its unique and common features.

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PLS 336:  Russian and Post-Soviet Politics

After 1991, the world witnessed the end of the Soviet Union, the Cold War and focused on the promise of democratization of Russia and the 15 Post-Soviet States. Less than 20 years later we stand on the precipice of uncertainty in the region and its relationship to the larger world. Russia today is a reinvigorated 1^st tier power. The hopes of democratization seemed to slip away in 2008 when the legislative elections produced an overwhelming pro-Putin majority, and the presidential elections saw Vladimir Putin hand-pick a successor to office as he moved to the Prime Minister’s position, keeping himself within the major executive power orbit in Russian Politics. We have observed a variety of political changes in the post-Soviet states in the Baltic States (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia), the Western States (Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus), the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan), and Central Asian Republics (Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan). The Baltic states have embraced fairly liberal forms of democracy similar to standard Western European Models of governance. The Western states and Caucasus have struggled with implementing democratic political systems in the face of ethnic conflict that threatens the very existence of the state. The exception to this is Belarus, which seems to have moved in the direction of the Central Asian Republics. The Central Asian Republics seemed to have abandoned all pretenses of democratic politics and instituted variations of authoritarian political systems.

At the same time as the political development of states in the region is uneven at best, the political autonomy of some Former Soviet Union (FSU) states seems increasingly questionable. The recent Russian-Georgian conflict is but one example. Russia has demonstrated the willingness to interfere in domestic politics in some FSU states, use natural resources as a heavy handed foreign policy tool in others, and intimidate other states as needed. Resurgence of Russia as a regional power and (increasingly) a top tier global power is, at this point in history, a foregone conclusion. What we need to understand is the dimensions of Russia’s foreign policy goals in the Former Soviet region and the World.

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PLS 428:  Global Terrorism

As of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11), the world suddenly came to realize the importance of one of the world’s oldest forms of political behavior. Since Sicarii began its dedicated campaign of terrorism against the Roman occupation of Palestine, governments have been struggling with how best to manage the problem of terrorism and, if possible, to defeat terrorist threats before they can damage the credibility of a government to rule its own people. Managing terrorist threats requires students gain some knowledge into the reality of terrorism in the world. In this course, you will be exposed to the following issues in order to understand terrorism. First, understanding terrorist action, including: what is terrorism, what does the world of terrorism look like and what are the origins of dominant terrorist threats in today’s world, and the terrorist strategy. Second, understanding terrorist mobilization including: the individual terrorist, collective action, and the operational environment. Finally, we will explore counterterrorist responses, including: media and terrorism, domestic counterterrorism, international counterterrorism, and intelligence. Throughout this course you will learn about a variety of terrorist groups throughout history in order to gain understanding of the current threats we face today.

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PLS 335:  European Political Systems

Europe as a region expresses many similarities in government and politics. Parliamentary systems with strong cabinets dominate the region. Strong party systems, with very fragmented multiparty systems, are common. Such political traditions deviate significantly from the American two-party dominant system, based on a presidential form of government. At the same time Europe also expresses a wide variety of diversity in its government and politics. Some states have semi-presidential systems, some have ceremonial monarchies, and some have elected ceremonial presidents. Some states have very stable majority party or party coalitions, other states have highly fractured multiparty systems with minority governments as the rule of the day. In short, Europe may express commonalities in how it differs from the U.S., but it expresses a wide variety within the region. In this course you will explore the regional politics of Europe. Our analysis of the region is driven largely by exploring the ways in which European states achieve representative government, given the variety of governing systems there are. To help drive the analysis home, you will see common examples used including: the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, Latvia, and Italy. Moreover, to help you gain a deeper understanding of the region you will complete a series of assignments on a single European country (on an approved country list).

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PLS 338:  Political Systems of the Middle East

The Middle East is a geo-political region of the world that has been front and center of global politics for millennia. It is the region credited as the “cradle of civilization”, the birth place to politics and law. As the region with the earliest empires, the Middle East certainly contributes much to the notion of government administration. The region is also the birthplace to three of the world’s major religions making it a cultural shatter zone. The area has also been at the center of economic life as a major trade route between Europe and Asia. Today, the deposits of oil and natural gas make the region vitally important to the function of the global industrial economy. The Middle East was once host to the world’s most advanced empires (Persian, Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman), and has collapsed into a region dominated by colonial empires, and the great political games of Europe and the U.S.-Soviet Cold War. The political systems that have evolved in this region during the 20th century reflect the most recent regional trends: post-colonial development, adapting to the European-base state system (in contrast to the regional state of the past), economic development in the face of global pressure for access to markets and resources. The region displays certain commonalities in the lack of stable democratic political systems and the prevalence of authoritarian governments. However, as we explore the various countries of the region you will learn that each country is struggling with efforts to preserve those elements of their tradition that brought pride and strength against the demands of modern states. The majority of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been developing as modern states only since World War I. The region is defined by transition mediated by the tensions of tradition. In this class you will learn about these dueling tensions and how they manifest themselves in the domestic political organization of states and more importantly in the foreign policy of states in the region.

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PLS 429:  International Political Economy

International Political Economy is a subfield within International Relations that at one level analyzes the core topic of political-economic interactions of states. Hence at one level in this course we will study the specific elements of structure of the IPE (trade system, finance and currency, and market performance issues). Here we will look at how these networks of interactions are structured and function, and the historical development of the major institutions like the World Bank System, IMF and the WTO/GATT trade system.

 On a second level IPE is concerned with the deepening impact of political-economic interactions on the independence (sovereignty) of states, vulnerability of states created by deeper trade and economic interactions, and stability of individual political systems within (partially) integrated economic markets. Hence, not only do we study the structures of International Political Economic interaction, but the impact of the interactions on core issue within international relations like security, stability, independence (sovereignty), order, and conflict. A way to conceive of this second level of interaction is to think of the competing perspectives of the International System.

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PLS 424:  International Security

The tools states have to use in the conduct of foreign policy are rather limited. One traditional tool is military force. In a classical sense we think of military force as a tool used for the conduct of war. In the post-Cold War international system, states seem to think of military force as applicable in more and varied formats. Gone are the days when military force was simply gathered by states to present images of power, or used to enforce the will of the state on others. Today states use military force for limited strategic purposes and over a wide range of political issues including counterinsurgency (counterterrorism), non-proliferation, humanitarian missions, and more. This course is a survey of the evolution of military force as a foreign policy tool. We will analyze the classical perspectives on military force dating back to Napoleon and the birth of modern warfare. We analyze strategic theory, analyzing the ideas of Carl von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu. We will also evaluate concepts like strategic culture, geography, technology, and international laws to govern the use of force. The second part of the course evaluates the evolution of military force in the post-modern era (since World War II). In this section of the class we analyze the applications of military force to areas like terrorism, non-proliferation, and peacekeeping. We will discuss, at length, the rapid military development among the top tier states and its impact on the calculus of the development of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) among weaker states seeking to equalize power disparities. We will also discuss the evolving concept of “homeland security” and how this fits into or deviates from classical national security doctrine.  

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PLS 492: Comparative Politics Study Abroad

Spring 2008: Ireland and France (Description): The political systems of Europe are varied in their design and function. Some are classical Parliamentary Systems, Federal Parliamentary Systems, Presidential Systems, or the more unique but increasingly popular Semi-presidential Systems. In this course we will explore two European political systems in depth: Ireland and France. In the segment on Irish politics we will address two issues. First, the powersharing agreement that has brought an end to 30 years of political conflict in Northern Ireland. Second, we will explore the parliamentary system of the Irish Republic including political culture, parliament, government, and the policy process. The segment on France explores the nature of its semi-presidential system, including parliament, the presidency, ministries, and political parties. In order to advance your learning and understanding of the two political systems, we will supplement traditional classroom lectures with life experiences that include a political tour of Belfast and Stormont Castle (the seat of the Northern Irish Government), a political tour of Dublin to include Leinster House, Dublin Castle, and the Four Courts. The political tours end in Paris with visits to the National Assembly, the Senate, and the Presidential palace (Palis d’Elysees), along with a French Revolution tour, a tour of the Louvre, and the Versailles Palace. This class will truly provide an experience on European politics. View Syllabus, See Photos

Spring 2010: London-Rome (Description): The political system of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is considered an archetype government that defines the classical parliamentary system of government. The Italian Political System is one that attempts to merge a classical parliamentary government with a very heterogeneous society, resulting in a hyper fragmented party system that is very fragile and subject to breakdown and new elections. The average length of any government in Italy less that 18 months. In this course, you will learn about these political systems. You will learn about the political history and development of the British Parliament. You will learn about the unique interest group system, political parties, and the nature of devolution since 1997. You will also learn about contemporary Italian politics, with a dash of Roman History and the Post-Roman City-States. The second part of this course involves a required trip to London (and parts of England that will include tours of Westminster, the Tower of London, Royal Courts, Inns of Court, a trip to Salisbury to see an original copy of the Magna Charta and Stonehenge, the Churchill Museum and War Cabinet Rooms) and Rome (with side trips to Florence). View the View Syllabus. WE ARE NOW TAKING REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION. If you would like more information about this trip (costs, schedule, etc...) please email the instructor at: mastersd@uncw.edu please put "London-Rome 2010" in the subject line.