Florida International University

Department of International Relations

Spring 2006

INR 4603-51

Theories in International Relations

Instructor: Professor Shlomi Dinar

Phone: 305-919-4839

E-mail: dinars@fiu.edu

Office: Academic 1, 323A

Class Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:45am

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00am-noon

Course Overview and Objectives

This course will provide INR majors with a solid background of international relations theories. We will focus on the main theoretical concepts that have helped shape the field and have contributed to some of the great debates. Theoretical concepts will include the many ‘isms that have flooded the field, ranging from realism to constructivism and discuss other concepts and schools including democratic peace and domestic politics. Our readings will encompass the key literature written on the respective topics including journal articles and book chapters.

We will go into great detail and analysis in understanding these sometimes abstract ideas, demonstrating that despite their perceived disconnect from the real world, these concepts are valuable to understanding and explaining the past and perhaps predicting the future.

This is an upper division course for INR majors. Given the challenging nature of the course and the topics covered, all INR majors should have taken Introduction to INR (INR 2001). INR majors should have also taken several international relations courses prior to taking this one. This course should really be one of the last courses you take for the major.

Course Requirements

Midterm Exam 45 %

Final Exam 50 %

Class Participation 5 %

Midterm and Final Exam

Both exams are take-home exams. You are expected to consult the class readings and notes, analyze concepts, criticize or support contentions and provide specific examples. The final exam questions may require students to consult pre-final readings and notes, comparing and contrasting concepts and theories.

The midterm exam will be distributed on Feb 23^rd and will be due on Feb 28^th in the beginning of class. The final exam will be distributed on April 20^th and is due by NOON on April 25^th. Luba in the Arts and Sciences office will collect the exams.

I DO NOT MAKE ANY EXCEPTIONS FOR LATE EXAMS. IF YOU ANTICIPATE A PROBLEM YOU SHOULD SEE ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

You are expected to perform in line with the university’s standards of student conduct, especially on the issue of academic honesty. “The use of literature, notes, aids, or assistance from other sources should be clearly identified with respect to all course assignments and examinations.” Any evidence of academic dishonesty or plagiarism will be reported to university administration, and the student will get an F.

When using ideas or quotes from the course readings in writing your exams, please footnote the source. In addition, the exams are not to be a cooperative assignment. It is quite simple to detect when students have collaborated on an exam.

Class Participation

In this course the emphasis will be on the readings and discussion of theoretical concepts. It goes without saying that it is extremely important that you come to class prepared. Given that this is an upper division course for INR majors, you will be expected to discuss the readings and debate ideas, as well as ask challenging, intelligent questions.

Reading Assignments

All readings are available in a reader to be purchased at Panther Print and Mail

The course outline and reading schedule follow.

This syllabus is provisional, and therefore, a change in its content is solely under the discretion of the instructor. In case of a change, students will be notified in advance.

THEORIES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS READING SCHEDULE
Tues, Jan 10	Introduction
Thurs, Jan 12	Explaining and Understanding
	Steve Smith and Martin Hollis, Explaining and Understanding in International Relations, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1991), pgs. 45-91.
Tues, Jan 17	Levels of Analysis in International Relations
	David Singer, “The Levels of Analysis Problem in International Relations,” World Politics, V 14, N 1, 1961.
	Jack Levy, “Contending Theories of International Conflict: A Levels of Analysis Approach,” in Crocker, C., Hampson, F.O, with Pamela Aall, (Eds.) Managing Global Chaos: Sources of and Responses to International Conflict, (USIP: Washington, DC, 1996).
Thurs, Jan 19	Realism and Neo-realism
	Thucydides, “The Melian Dialogue,” The Peloponnesian War, Richard Crawley, trans. (New York: The Modern Library, 1934), Book V, in Richard Betts (Ed.), Conflict After the Cold War: Arguments on Causes of War and Peace, (Allyn and Bacon: Boston, 1994), pgs. 66-71.
	Hans Morgenthau, Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace, (Knopf: New York, 1967), pgs. 3-14, 25-35, 97-144
Tues, Jan 24	Realism and Neo-realism Continued
	Kenneth Waltz, Theory of International Politics, (Addison-Wesley, 1979), pgs. 79-128.
Thurs, Jan 26	NO CLASS
Tues, Jan 31	Realism and Neo-Realism Continued: Macro Theories of War and The Polar Debate
	Charles Doran, Power Cycle Theory of Systems Structure and Stability: Commonalities and Complementarities,” in Manus Midlarsky (Ed.), Handbook of War Studies, (Boston: Unwin Hyman, 1989), pgs. 83-110.
	Robert Gilpin, War and Change in World Politics, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981), pgs. 186-210.
Thurs, Feb 2	Additional Macro-Cyclical Theories
	Immanuel Wallerstein, “The Rise and Future Demise of the World Capitalist System,” Comparative Studies in Society and History V 16 (1974), pgs. 387-415.
	George Modelski, “The Long Cycle of Global Politics and the Nation State,” Comparative Studies in Society and History, V 20, (1978), pgs. 214-235.
Tues, Feb 7	Idealism, Liberalism and Neo-liberal Institutionalism
	Yale Ferguson and Richard Mansbach, The Elusive Quest: Theory and International Politics, (South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 1988) pgs. 79-108.
	Immanuel Kant, Perpetual Peace, (New York: Liberal Arts Press, 1957) in Richard Betts (Ed.), Conflict After the Cold War: Arguments on Causes of War and Peace, (Allyn and Bacon: Boston, 1994), pgs. 128-135.
Thurs, Feb 9	Idealism, Liberalism and Neo-liberal Institutionalism
	Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye, Power and Interdependence, (New York: Harper Collins, 1989), pgs. 3-37.
	Kenneth Waltz, Theory of International Politics, (Addison-Wesley, 1979), pgs. 129-160.
Tues, Feb 14	Liberalism and Neo-Liberalism
	Keohane, R. “The Demand for International Regimes,” International Organization, V 36, N 2, (Spring 1982)
	Robert Keohane, After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy, (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1984), Chapters 3 and 11.
Thurs, Feb 16	Review: The Debate between the main schools
	Robert Powell, “Absolute and Relative Gains in International Relations Theory,” American Political Science Review, V 85, N 4, December 1991.
	John Mearsheimer, “The False Promise of International Institutions,” International Security, V 19, N 3 (Winter 1994/95).
Tues, Feb 21	The Debate Continues: Strategic Interaction in Fostering Cooperation
	Oye, K. “Explaining Cooperation Under Anarchy: Hypotheses and Strategies,” in Oye K., (Ed.) Cooperation Under Anarchy (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1986), pgs. 1-24.
	Scott Barrett, Environment and Statecraft: The Strategy of Environmental Treaty Making, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003), pgs. 19-39 (See also pgs. 40-48 where the actual treaty can be read).
Thurs, Feb 23	Transnational Relations and NGOs Midterm distributed at the end of class
	Robert Keohane and Joseph S. Nye Jr. (Eds.) Transnational Relations and World Politics, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971), pgs. ix-22
	Kal Raustiala, “States, NGOs, and International Environmental Institutions,” International Studies Quarterly, V 41, (1997), pgs. 719-740.
Tues, Feb 28	Alliance Theory and Politics Midterm due at the beginning of class
	Stephen Walt, “Alliance Formation and the Balance of World Power,” International Security, V 9, N 4, (Spring 1985), pgs. 3-41.
	Charles Kupchan and Clifford Kupchan, “The Promise of Collective Security,” International Security, V 20, N 1, (Summer 1995), pgs. 52-61.
Thurs, Mar 2	Marxism and Dependency Theory
	V.I. Lenin, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (New York: International Publishers, 1939), chapters 4-7.
Tues, Mar 7	Constructivism
	Alexander Wendt, “Constructing International Politics,” International Security, V 20, N 1 (Summer 1995), pgs. 71-81.
	Alexander Wendt, “Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics,” International Organization, V 46, 1992, pgs. 391-425.
Thurs, Mar 9	Constructivism
	Alexander Wendt, “The Agent-Structure Problem in International Relations Theory,” International Organization, V 41, N 3, 1987, pgs. 335-370.
	Peter Haas, “Introduction: Epistemic Communities and International Policy Coordination,” International Organization, V 46, N 1, (Winter 1992), pgs. 1-35.

Tues, Mar 14	Post-positivism
	Steve Smith, “Positivism and Beyond,” in Steve Smith, Ken Booth, Zalewski Martha (Eds.) International Theory: Positivism and Beyond, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996), pgs. 11-44.
	Michael Nicholson, “The Continued Significance of Positivism?” in Steve Smith, Ken Booth, Zalewski Martha (Eds.) International Theory: Positivism and Beyond, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996), pgs. 128-145.
Thurs, Mar 16	Post-positivism: Feminist Theory
	Sylvester Christine, “The Contributions of Feminist Theory to International Relations,” in Steve Smith, Ken Booth, Zalewski Martha (Eds.) International Theory: Positivism and Beyond, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996), 254-278.
Tues, Mar 21	NO CLASS
Thurs, Mar 23	NO CLASS
Tues, Mar 28	Domestic Politics
	Andrew Moravcsik, “Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics,” International Organization V 51, N 4 (Autumn 1997), pp. 513-553.
Thurs, Mar 30	Democratic Peace
	Bruce Russett, Grasping the Democratic Peace: Principles for a Post-Cold War World, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993), pgs. 3-42.
	Mark Plattner, “Liberalism and Democracy: Can’t have one without the other,” Foreign Affairs, V 77, N 2, 1998.
Tues, Apr 4	Democratic Peace
	Edward D. Mansfield and Jack Snyder, “Democratization and the Danger of War,” International Security, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Summer 1995), pp. 5-38.
Thurs, Apr 6	The Role of Individuals
	Daniel L. Byman and Kenneth M. Pollack, “Let Us Now Praise Great Men: Bringing the Statesman Back,” International Security, Vol. 25, No. 4 (Spring 2001), pgs. 107-146.
	Janice Gross Stein, “Political learning by doing: Gorbachev as uncommitted thinker and motivated learner,” International Organization, V 48, N2 (Spring 1994), pgs. 155-183.
Tues, Apr 11	Ideas and Foreign Policy
	Michael Desch “Assessing the Importance of Ideas in Security Studies,” International Security, V 23, (Summer 1998), pgs 141-170,
	Judith Goldstein and Robert Keohane, Ideas and Foreign Policy, (Cornell University Press, 1993), 139-170.
Thurs, Apr 13	Theories of Conflict and Cooperation: Non-traditional issues
	Michael Klare, The New Geography of Conflict, Foreign Affairs, V 80, N 3, 2001
	Robert Kaplan, “The Coming Anarchy,” The Atlantic Monthly, V 273, N 2, (February 1994).
Tues, Apr 18	The Future
	Francis Fukuyama, “The End of History and the Last Man,” The National Interest, N 16, (Summer 1989).
	John Mueller, Retreat from Doomsday: The Obsolescence of Major War, (New York: Basic Books, 1989), pgs. 3-13.
Thurs, Apr 20	The Future Final exam distributed at the end of class.
	Samuel P. Huntington, “No Exit—The Errors of Endism,” The National Interest, N 17, (Fall 1989) in Richard Betts (Ed.), Conflict After the Cold War: Arguments on Causes of War and Peace, (Allyn and Bacon: Boston, 1994), pgs. 33-43.
	Samuel P. Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations,” V72, N3, Foreign Affairs, (Summer, 1993).
Tues, Apr 25	Final exam due by noon in the Arts and Sciences Office (Luba).