Syllabus--Fall 2010

University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW)

 

 

Man in Rajasthan, India (2004)

 

PLS 111:  Politics and Government in Global Perspective

 

Course Days and Times:

Tuesday/Thursday: 11:00am-12:15pm

Location: Leutze Hall 111

Course Homepage: http://people.uncw.edu/tanp/PLS111c.html

 

Professor:  Paige Johnson Tan, Ph.D.

Phone:  (o) 910-962-3221

E-mail: tanp@uncw.edu

Professor's Homepage: http://people.uncw.edu/tanp/ 

Office Hours:  Tuesday/Thursday 12:30pm-1:45pm and by appointment

Office Location: Leutze Hall 257

 

 

Catalogue Description:  

 

PLS 111. Politics and Government in Global Perspective (3)   Survey for non-majors of politics and governmental institutions within and among nation states. Attention will also be given to the role of political theory and ideology in the governance of states.

 

Course Introduction:

 

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the threat of Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons, and the terrorist attacks in New York, London, Madrid, Bali, and Mumbai have brought home to many Americans how the United States, despite its continental breadth and superpower status, cannot remain insulated from the rest of the world.

 

This course seeks to introduce students to the twin fields of Comparative Politics and International Relations, both part of the wider field of Political Science but with special emphasis on international affairs.  The course can serve as a “one-off” experience for students interested in some liberal arts exposure to international politics.  I like to refer to the course as the foundation of “what it takes to be an educated person in 200X.”  The course will introduce students to major country governmental systems and important issues in international relations.  If students are interested in further developing their understanding of international politics, the course can also be used as a stepping stone to a Political Science major or International Affairs minor (see the Department of Public and International Affairs at http://www.uncwil.edu/pls/ for more information on majors and minors). 

 

The course is divided roughly into two parts.  The first half of the course explores Comparative Politics. In this section, we will look inside selected foreign governments to explore important political institutions and processes, along with the factors that shape and are shaped by those institutions and processes.  Countries to be studied in this part of the course include Great Britain, France, Russia, China, India, and Saudi Arabia.  The second half of the course will focus on International Relations, that is, the relations between states. This part of the course will be primarily issue based, drawing on the dominant approaches to international relations to illuminate the most compelling contemporary international political issues, such as terrorism, globalization, state sovereignty, and the rise of China. 

 

Student Learning Outcomes:

 

Young girl, Cochin, Kerala, India (2008)

 

Course Readings:

 

Patrick H. O’Neil, Karl Fields, and Don Share, Cases in Comparative Politics, New York: Norton, 2006 (second edition). Referred to as O’Neil et al in the course schedule.

 

Donald M. Snow, Cases in International Relations: Portraits of the Future, New York: Longman: 2007 (third edition).  Referred to as Snow in the course schedule. 

 

Important additional readings, available via the internet or through the library’s e-Reserves, are listed in the course schedule.  If students have any difficulties locating any of these readings, they should contact the instructor as soon as possible.  Instructions for accessing e-Reserves are as follows: go to the library homepage (http://library.uncwil.edu/), choose Reserves in the left column, choose the green Reserves button, choose Electronic Reserves and Reserves Pages, choose "Instructor" and type in "Tan," choose "PLS 111."  Click on Accept.  Look for the title of the reading and access. Sometimes you need to show a little creativity with the titles.  I never know what title the library will give to the piece!

 

In addition to the required course books, students are encouraged to read one quality international news source, such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, or the Economist on a regular basis.  In addition to this news source, students are further encouraged to examine media from a variety of countries.  European media outlets such as the Guardian (United Kingdom), Deutsche Welle  (Germany), Le Monde  (France, in French), and El Pais (Spain, in Spanish) will widen students’ perspectives, as will non-Western media sources such as Pakistan’s Dawn, Saudi Arabia’s ArabNews, India’s The Hindu, Kenya’s Daily Nation, China’s People’s Daily, Singapore’s Straits Times, and Israel’s Jerusalem Post.  World Press Review carries a selection of articles in English from publications around the world.

  

Course Requirements:

 

Students will be evaluated on the basis of class participation, quizzes, a paper, a midterm, and a final examination.  The distribution of the final course grade from the various assignments is:

 

 

This course operates on the principle of “continuous assessment.”  This means that students are not placed in the difficult position of having their entire course grades riding on the grade of any one particular assignment (like a “make-or-break” final exam). Instead, students’ grades are determined on a broader basis in terms of the students’ overall work throughout the semester.  A description of the various assignments on which students will be assessed follows.

 

Class participation.  In the old days, students were seen to be an empty vessel into which the professor poured his or her knowledge (more than likely, it was “his”—since it was the old days!).  However, this old-model of education has come under severe challenge in recent years.  Rote memorization is now seen to offer little to students.  How often have you “crammed” for a test and then forgotten everything you learned within a few weeks?

 

The philosophy behind this course is that students learn better when that learning is active.  Students are expected to attend class (with a maximum of two absences for the semester).  They are also expected to participate in class discussions, considering, manipulating, testing, and questioning the topics presented in class in order to develop their knowledge of the field of Global Politics and their familiarity with the tools and concepts of Political Science more broadly.  Active class participation by all students has the advantage of helping to foster tolerance for divergent viewpoints and developing students’ abilities to formulate arguments in a well-reasoned manner.  Students are expected to keep up with the course reading on each class day as assigned.  Class participation counts for 15% of the final course grade.

 

Map quiz.  Americans in the 18-to-24 age group came next to last in a nine-nation survey of geographic literacy conducted by the National Geographic Society in 2002.  In the 2006 survey, six in ten could not find Iraq on a map (a sad state of affairs given the US service members dying there at the time) and almost half thought India was majority Muslim (it's 80% Hindu).  This course aims to tackle this problem by encouraging students’ awareness of and familiarity with major world countries, territories, and regions.  The map quiz is worth 5% of the final grade.

 

Content Quizzes:  Periodically during the semester, quizzes will be given to enable students to see how they are doing in mastering the course material (readings, lectures, and discussions).  These are geared to making sure students stay current with the course material and that students are studying effectively.  Problems on the quizzes may presage problems on the midterm and final examination, so beware.  If you are not succeeding on the quizzes as well as you would like—and you have been trying, come see the instructor to develop a plan to help you improve your performance in the course.

 

Taken together the map quiz and content quizzes are worth 20% of the final course grade.  

 

Negotiation Paper and In-class negotiation exercise.  As part of the negotiation, students will submit a paper (a group paper if you are working with someone else) laying out their assigned country’s preparation for the negotiation simulation.  The paper, written as a memo to you from your country’s Foreign Ministry (State Department) to you the representatives to the negotiation, will discuss your nation’s top four or five priorities for the negotiation and explain why, in relation to the country’s foreign policy or other factors, those priorities are the most important (because of history, security, domestic political imperatives, trade interest, and other factors).  Back up your assertions with quotations from top officials and scholarly analyses of your country's foreign policy.  Background information about the country should only be included insofar as it contributes to elucidating your priorities and the reasons for them.  The paper may additionally discuss the group’s planned strategy or tactics for the negotiation itself.  How do you plan to get what you want  Which countries will be your natural allies? 

 

The paper should be 8-10 double-spaced pages in length (just six if students are working individually).  For group papers, each group member should write one paragraph on what he or she contributed to the paper, and this should be attached as an appendix to the paper.  Please take a look at my webpage on group work to learn more about how to complete a group project successfully.  The paper should conform to the style guidelines (including footnoting) in the Writing Well handout discussed in class.  The paper is worth 15% of the final course grade.  This assignment is more demanding than students tend to believe, so I encourage you to get started early. 

 

Papers will be evaluated on the quality of the political analysis, role playing, and the richness of examples and quotations; organization and writing style; as well as the types and nature of sources used (citations are required in text, with full references behind).  Wow me with the depth of your research.  That means fifteen to twenty sources, minimum.  Draw from your country’s foreign ministry, prime minister/president’s speeches, news reports, and scholarly analyses of your country’s foreign policy.  Make sure to stay focused tightly on the issue of the negotiation. Everything you encounter in your research doesn't necessarily belong in the paper. 

 

What will happen at our negotiation:  Before the negotiation begins, we will have a brief half hour of pre-negotiation to allow you to speak informally to other delegates before the paper is due and the real negotiation begins. This helps students to get a grasp on all the issues involved. 

 

Your paper is due the first day of the two-day negotiation.  At the negotiation, the EU President will lead the session.  His/her job will be to help the delegates to come to an agreement.  He/she will open the session with remarks and invite each delegation to make an opening statement.  After the opening statement, delegates will move into formal discussion and sometimes adjourn into informal discussions.   Your goal will be to reach an agreement at the end of the two class days.  See pictures of past negotiations here.

 

This is a big assignment. It requires you to learn about the European Union, the issue under negotiation, your country, and your country's foreign policy. Don't slight any of these areas or your paper will be weak and your ability to participate in the negotiation undermined.

 

A last note: Our session will run as a "crisis committee." That means outside news events can change the situation of the negotiation at any time.    I will serve as the media, any country not in attendance at the meeting, and your "home government" (should you feel the need to consult your home government or request your home government to take an action to affect the negotiation).

 

Midterm Exam: The midterm exam will cover the Comparative Politics section of the course. It will have both short (identification) and long (essay) questions to answer.  Students will have a choice of questions on both parts of the exam. The midterm is worth 25% of the final course grade. 

 

Final Exam.  The final exam will have both short-answer (identification) and long (essay) questions.  The short-answer questions will draw from the second half of the course, focusing on International Relations.  The essays may be cumulative, however.  The final exam is worth 25% of the final course grade. 

 

Getting Help

 

Students are encouraged to talk to me if they feel they need assistance with the course material.  I can be reached by e-mail at tanp@uncw.edu or by phone at 910-962-3221.  I am in my office most days at least 9-3 (with the exception of the times I am teaching).  Dedicated office hours are Tuesday and Thursday 12:30-1:45pm.

 

The University Learning Center (ULC) also provides assistance to students in writing, math, and general academic skills.  The office if particularly geared to helping with Basic Studies courses such as this one.  The ULC is located on the first floor of Westside Hall (WE 1056); phone 962-7857; web www.uncw.edu/ulc; hours: Mon–Thur 8am–9pm; Fri 8am–5pm; Sun 3pm–9pm.

 

 

The Gandhi Dynasty (Sonia, Rajiv, Indira), Kerala, India (2008)

 

 

Course Policies

Academic Honesty

 

This instructor believes academic honesty is the foundation of the entire enterprise of a university. Only in an environment of honesty can genuine learning occur and good citizenship be fostered.  For further information, students should consult the online UNCW Code of Student Life at http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/odos/documents/0910CodeofStudentLife_FINAL.pdf (The Honor Code begins on page 6 in the 2010 version).  Students should also feel free to ask the instructor any questions they may have about academic honesty.  Because academic honesty is treated as a serious matter, the course policy is one of zero tolerance for academic DIShonesty. 

 

The core principle of the Academic Honor Code is that student work represents the original work of the student.  For this reason, plagiarism, using the work of another without proper citation, and cheating, the unauthorized use of information during an examination, are prohibited. 

 

The Academic Honor Code works for both students and teachers.  Students can expect that the instructor will treat them in a fair, honest, and impartial manner.  The instructor also expects students to deal with her and with one another honestly.  Plagiarism and cheating are violations of academic honesty because they steal from the original creator of the work.  In addition, they violate the relationship of honesty between student and teacher as the student attempts to pass off work as his or her own which was produced by another.  Further, plagiarism and cheating violate the bond of honesty among students themselves.  Students who produce their assignments through long, hard work are being violated by those taking a shortcut through the misappropriation of another’s work or knowledge.  Most sadly, students who violate academic honesty cheat themselves of the chance to learn.

 

Please note two particular policies the instructor follows:

1) Work for this course must be yours, and it must be original.  If you wish to work on a project you have previously worked on for another class, you must add at least as much content as the assignment requires that is new and original for this class.

 

2) You may receive help on your written assignments (not tests) from your roommate, significant other, parents, the University Learning Center, or a passerby on the street.  The process of reading and revising your work based on the comments of others is an important part of how we learn and improve.

 

Contacting the Instructor

 

Students are encouraged to call or e-mail with questions, or stop by office hours (listed above).  I endeavor to be available to assist you with your course work. It’s my job.  As a hint, e-mails are likely to guarantee a quicker response than phone messages.  I am most happy to set up an appointment for a meeting in addition to those times listed as office hours.  However, because I have a young child at home, students must understand that there are limits on my time.  A note on courtesy: When students receive assistance through any one of these extra-class channels, they should be sure to thank the instructor for her time, thought, and effort.  This little trick will serve you well in the future. It is an expected part of social etiquette.

 

Late Papers

 

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THIS POLICY!

 

Students are encouraged to plan in advance to make time to complete assignments.  Things come up during the semester; relatives require our attention, cars break down, and students get sick.  Students should begin their assignments early enough to allow for these foreseeable and unforeseeable eventualities.  The instructor does not wish to receive any late assignments during the semester.

 

Papers are due at the start of class on the date listed on the syllabus.  Each twenty-four hours that a paper is late may result in a penalty of one letter grade.  Late papers must be submitted by e-mail (pasted into your message and attached in Word format) and must receive confirmation of receipt from the instructor to be considered "turned in."  For your protection, submit your paper from an e-mail account which will keep a record of your outgoing e-mail. With this, you could demonstrate a true attempt to submit the paper that somehow disappears into the electronic ether.  Do not submit papers to the instructor’s faculty snail mailbox, the department secretary, or under the instructor’s office door.  After submitting papers electronically, students should bring a print-out of the late assignment to the next class meeting.  Late assignments will not be graded on the same schedule as assignments submitted on time.  Under no circumstances should students miss class to complete an assignment.

 

Extra Credit

 

Students are invited to attend lectures, panels, and movies on campus that deal with international affairs.  Just check with the instructor beforehand as to whether  you've picked a good event.  After the event, submit a one- to two-page single-space write-up that deals with your reactions to the presentation. How does it relate to what we are doing in class? How does it relate to other things you've studied?  Did you agree or disagree with the speaker/s argument?  What did the presentation make you think about?  This extra credit will be used toward class participation or in the calculation of final grades in borderline cases.

 

Tardiness

 

Students are strongly encouraged to show respect for fellow students and the instructor by arriving for class on time. Late arrivals disturb fellow students and disrupt the learning process.  It is better to come in late than not to come at all, but try to be respectful of classmates by making arrangements to be in class and in your seat at the start of class.

 

Excused Absences

 

An excused absence is one that is discussed with the professor IN ADVANCE and for which documentation can be provided.  Only for excused absences will the professor allow work to be made up.  All make-up work will be done at the instructor’s convenience.

 

Disabilities

 

The instructor understands that some students may have need of accommodation (for example, extended testing time or a quiet testing locale) due to a disability.  If you feel that you are in need of an accommodation, please contact Disability Services in Westside Hall to make the appropriate arrangements.  The phone number is 910-962-7555. 

 

Electronic Devices

 

Students are permitted to use laptop computers during class to access PowerPoints, online notes, or to type their own course notes.  Laptops are not to be used for surfing the internet or checking e-mail.  Students with computers are encouraged to sit in the back of the classroom to avoid disturbing fellow students. During periods of class discussion, computers should be closed to ensure adequate attention and participation.  Obviously, when tests and quizzes are being administered, laptops are not permitted.  Use of cellphones, including texting, is never permitted. PLEASE NOTE: If students are found to be using electronic devices in a manner inconsistent with the professor’s assessment of the best environment for group learning, they may be penalized with a one-letter grade reduction in their final course grade.

  

World Wide Web Resources

 

The web has a bounty of information for research in international affairs (not all of it credible—be a careful consumer!!!).  Below, students will find a selection of websites.  Students should consult the instructor if they require any assistance in finding additional web resources on particular topics or countries.  Additional resources are located in the course schedule, as appropriate to the day’s topic.  Many of the sites below will be of help to the research for the negotiation project.

 

Atlantic Online http://www.theatlantic.com/

Brookings Institution http://www.brook.edu/

CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

Council on Foreign Relations http://www.cfr.org/index.php

Economist magazine http://www.economist.com

EU Observer  (News about the European Union) http://www.euobserver.com/

ElectionGuide http://www.ifes.org/eguide/elecguide.htm

EuroGuide (Guide to the European Union, United Kingdom) http://www.euroguide.org/

Embassy, the Electronic Embassy http://www.embassy.org/ (find links to embassies in Washington, DC)

European Governments Online (from the EU) http://europa.eu.int/abc/governments/index_en.html

European Union Online (Official) http://europa.eu.int/index_en.htm

Foreign Affairs http://www.foreignaffairs.org/

Foreign Policy http://www.foreignpolicy.com/

Freedom House (NGO) http://www.freedomhouse.org/

Inter-Parliamentary Union—IPU http://www.ipu.org/

Missions to the UN  (with links to missions’ websites) http://www.un.int/index-en/webs.html  

New York Times http://www.nytimes.com (site requires registration, but it’s free)

Political Resources on the Net http://www.politicalresources.net/

United Nations (Official) http://www.un.org/  

US Department of State (Official) http://www.state.gov 

World Bank (Official) http://www.worldbank.org 

World Wide Web Virtual Library (WWWVL) International Affairs Resources http://www.etown.edu/vl/

 

See also, my Good Sources website at http://people.uncw.edu/tanp/GoodSources.html.  

 

 

Traffic, Tamil Nadu, India (2008)

 

Periodicals, Scholarly Journals, and US Government Publications

 

As wonderful as the web is for finding information, periodicals and scholarly journals still form the backbone of our academic work.  Some periodicals and journals helpful for the study of international affairs are listed below:

 

Comparative Political Studies

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Policy

International Organization

International Security

Journal of Conflict Resolution

Journal of Democracy

Political Science Quarterly

Survival

Third World Quarterly

Washington Quarterly

World Politics

 

You can access many of these journals through the library's online journal databases.  From the UNCW homepage, choose "Library;" then choose "Databases and Articles."  Start your search in the following databases: EbscoHost, Ebscohost Electronic Journals Service, Lexis-Nexis, ABI Global Inform, and J-STOR.

 

The Great Wall, China (1987)

Course Schedule

I. Introduction

 

AUG 19 Introduction to Global Politics

Introduce course requirements and schedule.  Review syllabus.

Activity: The Most.

Looking ahead: Reading for next time includes selections from the textbook as well as something that must be accessed via the library’s e-Reserve system. See above (under “Important additional readings”) for instructions on accessing e-Reserve materials.

 

II.  Comparative Politics

 

AUG 24 Introduction to Comparative Politics

Lecture: Introduction to Comparative Politics.

Discuss: Reading critically.

Reading:  O’Neil et al, Chapter 1, “What is Comparative Politics?”  Also, Thomas Friedman, “Who Will Tell the People?” New York Times, May 4, 2008 (on e-Reserve).

Looking ahead: Introduce requirements for the map quiz. 

 

AUG 26 Politics of Great Britain

Lecture: The British Constitution and the Institutions of Government.

Reading: O’Neil et al, Chapter 2, “United Kingdom.” 

Virtual Handout:  Diagram of Three Systems.

Recommended: For more information on Britain’s parliamentary system, see the British parliament website at http://www.parliament.uk/.  Find the British Prime Minister at No. 10 Downing Street.  See http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp .   To follow British news, try the Guardian at http://www.guardian.co.uk/.  For a guide to websites on British politics, see http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk.htm. 

 

AUG 31 The Politics of Great Britain

Lecture: Political Parties and Elections in Britain.

Discuss: Effects of different electoral systems.

Reading: Finish O’Neil et al, Chapter 2.

Recommended: To learn more about Britain’s political parties, take a look at the websites of the Labour and Conservative parties.  To keep up with elections around the world, check out Election Guide from the International Foundation for Election Systems at http://www.electionguide.org/

Looking ahead: Map quiz coming up. 

 

SEP 2 The Politics of France

Lecture: France's Parties and Hybrid System.

Discuss: Describe the French institutions of government. Compare/contrast with British/US institutions. Learn about issues in most recent French presidential elections.

Reading: O’Neil et al, Chapter 4, “France.”

Recommended: For more information on France’s politics, see the website of the French President at http://www.elysee.fr/ang/index.shtm.  Also, there is the French Studies Web at http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wess/fren/polygov.html.  The Worldwide Web Virtual Library of France at http://www.library.pitt.edu/subject_guides/westeuropean/wwwes/france.nhp.html.  And, you can get a French perspective on world events from Le Monde Diplomatique at http://mondediplo.com/. 

MAP QUIZ.

Comment/question cards. How is class going so far? Is there anything you need more help to understand?

You must read the articles from the Economist magazine on France for next class. The after-break part of next class will be conducted entirely as discussion. 

 

SEP 7 The Politics of France

Discuss:  The French Economic Model v. the Anglo-Saxon Model.

Reading: "Insiders and Outsiders," "Reforming the Unreformable," "What France Needs," “The Art of the Impossible,” and “Where There’s a Will,” Economist, October 28, 2006 (on e-Reserve).

Recommended: See the prime minister's website at http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/en/ to learn how the government is currently addressing various policy challenges. Has the global economic crisis changed the outlook on the various models?

 

SEP 9 The Politics of Russia

Lecture: Russia Then and Now.

Discuss: The Old USSR (We’ll look at contemporary Russia in later sessions). 

Reading: O’Neil et al, Chapter 6, “Russia.” 

Recommended: For more information on Russia’s contemporary politics, see Pravda at http://english.pravda.ru/.  For detailed information on elections in Russia, see Russia Votes at http://www.russiavotes.org/  For a wide collection of links on Russia and Eastern Europe, see Reesweb at http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/reesweb/.

Content quiz next time, includes syllabus.

Looking ahead: Any requests for partners/countries for the European Union negotiation?  Brief introduction to the project.

 

SEP 14 The Politics of China

Lecture:  Communism and Post-Communism?

Discuss:  Maoist China and the Post-Mao Reforms.

Reading:  O’Neil et al, Chapter 7, “China.” 

Recommended: For a meta-collection of Chinese resources, start at the WWW Virtual Library for China at http://sun.sino.uni-heidelberg.de/igcs/.  Two popular English-language media websites from China are China Daily at http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/news/index.html and People’s Daily at http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/home.shtml.  

CONTENT QUIZ #1.

 

SEP 16 The Politics of China

Video: China Rises: Party Games.

Reading: Make sure you’ve finished O’Neil et al, Chapter 7.

Looking ahead: Requests for the negotiation project (partners/countries) due today. 

 

SEP 21 The Politics of India

Lecture:  Indian Politics and the Historical Legacy.

Discuss:  1) The Indian Independence Movement and Non-Violent Resistance and 2) Communal Conflict (the latter topic, if time permits).

Reading: O’Neil et al, Chapter 8, “India.” 

Recommended: For an echo of India's independence movement, see this New York Times story about the protest tradition and contemporary politics http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/world/asia/15strike.html.   Learn more about India’s politics, by learning about two leading political parties: the Congress Party at http://www.indiannationalcongress.com/ and the Bharatiya Janata Party at http://www.bjp.org/.  More information about India can be accessed via the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC.  Find the embassy at http://www.indianembassy.org/.  Read one of India’s most prominent national magazines at http://www.frontlineonnet.com/.  Major newspapers include The Hindu at http://www.hinduonline.com/ and The Times of India at http://www.timesofindia.com.

Looking ahead: Assign negotiation groups/countries. 

Virtual Handout: The Importance of Writing Well

 

SEP 23 The Politics of Saudi Arabia

Lecture:  Saudi Arabia: Case Study of Islam, Democracy, and Authoritarianism in the Middle East. 

Discuss: Saudi absolute monarchy, pressures for reform and status quo.  Consider women in the Middle East.

Reading:  Economist, "At a Snail's Pace." October 2, 2010. http://www.economist.com/node/17149062.

Recommended: Try the UK-based Middle East Times at http://www.metimes.com.  Additional scholarly information and news about Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries can be accessed from the Middle East and Jewish Studies WWW Virtual Library at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/mideast/cuvlm/.

Looking ahead: Discuss negotiation project and sources of information.  Also, talk about note taking during discussion classes.  BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS for next class. The bulk of our session will be discussion.

 

SEP 28 Issues: Development

Discuss: Dam Development.

Reading: Arundhati Roy, “The Greater Common Good,” 1999 [ONLINE] Available from http://www.narmada.org/gcg/gcg.html [accessed November 28, 2006] (free on the internet).  For a viewpoint opposing Roy, see http://www.sardarsarovardam.org/. See also the UN's Millennium Development Goals website: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/.  Learn what these goals are.  Another dam drama is unfolding in Brazil: See Alexei Barrionuevo, "Bypassing Resistance, Brazil Prepares to Build a Dam," New York Times, August 15, 2010.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/world/americas/16brazil.html?ref=world&src=me&pagewanted=print.

Recommended: For more information on development issues, visit the website of the World Bank at http://www.worldbank.org or the United Nations Development Program at http://www.undp.org.  For progressive/anti-liberal views, visit Naomi Klein’s website at http://www.nologo.org or the Whirled Bank at http://www.whirledbank.org/index.html. 

Also recommended: To learn more about the developing and developed world, try a video at TED.  Hans Rosling, "New Insights on Poverty," TED, March 2007, http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_reveals_new_insights_on_poverty.html.   This video is rated "jaw-dropping" by TED viewers.

Looking ahead: Second content quiz coming up.

 

SEP 30 Ideologies

Lecture: Isms and Politics.

Discuss: Is American politics ideological?  What were the main issues in the race for the presidency in 2008?  Is ideology good or bad?

Reading: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, “Manifesto of the Communist Party,” 1848 [ONLINE] http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch01.htm (Ch. 1) [accessed November 29, 2006] (free on the internet).

 

 

Housing and Development Board Apartment-homes, Singapore, October 2008

 

OCT 5 CLASS CANCELLED FALL BREAK. 

 

OCT 7 POLI SCI DAYS. See the Department of Public and International Affairs website (http://www.uncw.edu/pls)  for a schedule of Poli Sci Days events. You need to attend one Poli Sci days session for each PLS class that you miss during Poli Sci Days (so two sessions for M/W/F classes and one session for T/R classes). Provide your Poli Sci day ticket to your PLS instructor during the class session following Poli Sci Days.

 

OCT 12 Issues: Democratization

Lecture: The Arenas of Democratization.

Discuss: The Democratization of Russia? Afghanistan?

Reading: Juan J. Linz and Alfred Stepan, Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, 3-38.  The reading is in two parts on the library’s e-Reserves.  One section is called "Democracy and its Arenas."  The other is called “Stateness, Nationalism, and Democratization.”  Additionally, try to be aware of the news out of Afghanistan. This will help us in our discussion.

Recommended: For more information on democratization, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (http://www.accessdemocracy.org/) and the International Republican Institute (http://www.iri.org) both work around the world fostering democracy.   Find reports, polls, focus groups, and more information about democratization programs on those organizations’ websites.  Learn more about what scholars have to say about democratization at the Stanford University Comparative Democratization Project at http://democracy.stanford.edu/. 

Looking ahead: Talk about European Union Negotiation Project.  (EU Intro here.)

CONTENT QUIZ #2.

 

OCT 14 Democratization

Discuss:  Democratization. 

Reading:  Snow, Chapter 1, “Popular Terror and the Democratic Peace: Theory versus Practice.”   Recall, O’Neil et al chapter on Russia.

Looking ahead: Midterm coming up.  Practice essay questions.

 

OCT 19 MIDTERM EXAMINATION (You will need your own paper to write your essay).

 

III.  International Relations

 

OCT 21 Introduction to International Relations

Lecture: Introduction to International Relations Theory.

Reading: Karen A. Mingst, “Contending Perspectives: How to Think about International Relations Theoretically,” Essentials of International Relations, New York: Norton 2008 (fourth edition), 55-80 (on e-Reserve). 

Discuss: Where does foreign policy come from?  

Activity: Discuss President Obama's foreign policy. Is he a realist or a liberal?

 

OCT 26 Terrorism

Discuss: Terrorism.

Reading: Snow, Chapter 16, "Understanding and Organizing a Post-September 11, 2001 World: The Continuing Campaign against Evolving Terrorism.“  Also, Osama bin Laden, “Letter to America,” published in the Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver, November 24, 2002.

Highly Recommended: For more information about terrorism, see Terrorism.com or Terrorism Answers. 

Looking ahead and activity: Get started researching for your European Union negotiation papers.  Do some sample research in class.

 

OCT 28 An Emerging Great Power: China

Discuss: China Threat.

Reading: Snow, Chapter 3, “China Rising: Looming Threat or Global Partner?” 

Recommended: For more information, see the Chinese Military Power page at http://www.comw.org/cmp. 

 

NOV 2 The Middle East Conflict

Discuss: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

Reading: Snow, Chapter 6, “Resolving the Unresolvable: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”  Check the news to see what is going on in the conflict currently. We’ll discuss current developments in class. 

Recommended: For more information on the Middle East conflict, try the following website, which has both documents and analysis (http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/meres.htm).  For news coverage of the region, try Arab World News at http://www.arabworldnews.com/ or the Jerusalem Post at http://www.jpost.com.  

Looking ahead: Pre-negotiation next time on EU Project.

CONTENT QUIZ #3

 

NOV 4 Globalization

Discuss: Globalization.

Practice essay questions for the final exam.

Reading: Snow, Chapter 8, “Debating Globalization: India and Venezuela.” 

Recommended: For more information on globalization, check out Yale University’s Center for the Study of Globalization.  The International Monetary Fund can be found at http://www.imf.org.  Thomas Friedman is a frequent writer on globalization and a New York Times columnist.  His books that touch on globalization include The Lexus and the Olive Tree and The World is Flat.

Pre-negotiation. With your negotiation partner, talk with other groups about their aspirations and red-lines for the negotiation exercise.

Looking ahead: Negotiation papers due soon.  Negotiation paper due in a week and a half.

 

NOV 9 Rwandan Genocide and International Humanitarian Intervention (or the Lack Thereof)

Video: Ghosts of Rwanda.

Reading: None for today.

Recommended: See Frontline's companion website at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/.  For more information, read the Human Rights Watch report on the Rwandan genocide at: http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/rwanda/.  There are US government documents on the US’ activities during the slaughter at the respected National Security Archive website at http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB53/index.html.  Yale University has a Genocide Studies Program which would allow you to look at Rwanda and other cases of genocide.  This can be found at http://www.yale.edu/gsp/rwanda/.  The Hollywood movie Hotel Rwanda (based on a true story) does a good job of telling the story of the Rwandan genocide from the perspective of one man, a hotelier, who helps to save more than 1,000 people during the genocide by protecting them inside his hotel.  I have also had the library purchase Shake Hands with the Devil, a documentary based on the story of UN/Rwanda commander Romeo Dallaire, who tried desperately to save lives during the genocide but did so with few troops and little support from the world community.

 

NOV 11 Rwandan Genocide and International Humanitarian Intervention (or the Lack Thereof)

Video: Ghosts of Rwanda, continued. 

Discuss: Rwanda Genocide.

Reading: None for today.

Recommended: For more information, see the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations at http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/home.shtml.  Learn something about Rwanda today at: http://www.gov.rw/, the official webpage of the Rwandan government.  Contemporary news can be found at http://allafrica.com/rwanda/. 

 

NOV 16 Negotiation Simulation/European Union (see pictures of a past simulation here).

DUE DATE: NEGOTIATION PAPERS.

 

NOV 18 Negotiation Simulation/European Union

 

NOV 23 War Crimes

Discuss: War Crimes Case. 

Practice essay questions for the final exam.

Reading: Snow, Chapter 4, “War Crimes: The Past in the Present in the Future.” 

Recommended: See primary documents on the laws of war at Avalon at http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/lawofwar/lawwar.htm.  Global Policy also has a section on International Tribunals.  See http://www.globalpolicy.org/intljustice/tribindx.htm.   Visit the website of the International Criminal Court at http://www.icc-cpi.int/php/show.php?id=home&l=EN. 

 

NOV 25 CLASS CANCELLED: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

 

NOV 30 COURSE REVIEW

 

DEC 7 11:30am-12:45pm Final Examination

 

 

 

Dr. Tan with an Indonesian friend, monitoring the Indonesian presidential elections (2004)

 

 

Have a great holiday!!

 

Updated: August 9, 2010.

Author: Paige Tan tanp@uncw.edu

Return to Dr. Tan's homepage: http://people.uncw.edu/tanp/