INR 3603: Theories of International Relations (Dr. Paul Hensel)

This is the syllabus from the last time that I taught INR 3603 (Theories of International Relations) at Florida State University. There is no direct equivalent to this course at the University of North Texas, so I probably won't teach this course again. Parts of this course may end up in PSCI 3810 (International Relations), though, because that's a 3000-level course at UNT -- while the Introduction to IR course at FSU was a 2000-level course.

INR 3603: Theories of International Relations
Dr. Paul Hensel Phone: 644-7318 phensel@unt.edu http://hensel.icow.org Office: 563 BEL

Course Description

The primary purpose of this course is to examine theoretical efforts to understand the core concepts, issues, and processes of international relations. This is not a course in current events, although a working knowledge of current events will add substance to some of the readings and topics, and several short assignments will require students to read a newspaper that covers international events. The first segment of the course considers what a "theory" is and how we evaluate theories. Later sections of the course apply this general knowledge to a number of theories of foreign policymaking, international conflict, and international economics. The theories covered are based on a wide range of levels of analysis, and reflect multiple world views.

Upon completion of this course, students should have a strong basic knowledge of theories of international relations and an ability to understand and evaluate theories. The course will require a range of readings, regular attendance and class participation, and efforts to understand and evaluate theories through quizzes, several short papers, and two exams.

Required Texts

Three books are required for this course. Each should be available at either the FSU Bookstore or any Bill's Bookstore location, as well as at online bookstores such as amazon.com and half.com:

Stephen Van Evera, Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1997. (Note that we will only be reading one-third of this book for this course, but it is an inexpensive book, and you might find the rest of the book to be useful; the appendix offers good advice on writing college-level papers that can help in almost any course, chapters 3-5 -- despite the author's use of the word "dissertation" -- offer helpful advice on DIS or thesis projects, and chapter 2 offers advice for anybody undertaking a project involving case studies.)
Phil Williams, Donald M. Goldstein, and Jay M. Shafritz (eds.), Classic Readings of International Relations, 3rd edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Robert J. Art and Robert Jervis (eds.), International Politics: Enduring Concepts and Contemporary Issues, 8th edition. New York: HarperCollins.
JSTOR: Some readings will be available through JSTOR, an academic journal service. Access is free from any FSU computer (e.g., in FSU computer labs or dorms, or through FSU modem or DSL connections); you can search for individual articles by author or title, or browse by journal name and issue at <http://www.jstor.org/cgi-bin/jstor/listjournal>.

Course Requirements

(1) Examinations: two noncumulative essay exams are required. Each exam will be worth 35% of the total course grade.

(2) Writing Assignments: one short writing assignment and one longer paper are required. The short assignment involves the development of a theory of international relations from a current newspaper story, while the longer paper will involve examining a scholarly article in more depth. Each paper will be due at the beginning of class (papers turned in once lecture has begun will be assessed a late penalty); the short paper will count for 5% of the total course grade, and the longer paper will count for 15%.

(3) Preparation, Attendance, and Participation: Students are required to complete the assigned readings before class, attend class regularly, and participate actively in class discussion. Class preparation will be measured through approximately six to ten (unannounced) quizzes given at the very beginning or ending of class periods, which together will be worth 10% of the total course grade; each student's quiz grade will be determined by dropping the lowest quiz score.

Rest of Syllabus

The remainder of the syllabus -- course rules, notes about the academic honor code and the Americans with Disabilities Act, assigned readings, and details about the writing assignments -- is only available in the complete syllabus (in PDF format). Be sure to print out that complete syllabus and be familiar with it, so that you do not fall behind or miss any assignments during the semester.

Assigned Readings

The assigned readings for this course are listed in the PDF-format syllabus. This section only includes links to online readings, to make it easier for students to acquire these readings. Be sure to print these readings early in the semester. Web pages are often moved or deleted during the semester, and even for stable addresses like JSTOR articles you may not have power or Internet access when you need it; the instructor of this course will not be responsible if you waited too long and couldn't access a key reading the day before a quiz.

JSTOR: T. Clifton Morgan and Kenneth N. Bickers, "Domestic Discontent and the External Use of Force." Journal of Conflict Resolution 36, 1 (March 1992): 25-52.
JSTOR: Stephen Van Evera, "The Cult of the Offensive and the Origins of the First World War." International Security 9, 1 (Summer 1984): 58-107.
JSTOR: Zeev Maoz and Bruce Russett, "Normative and Structural Causes of Democratic Peace, 1946-1986." American Political Science Review 87, 3 (Sept. 1993): 624-638.
JSTOR: Michael D. Wallace, "Arms Races and Escalation: Some New Evidence." Journal of Conflict Resolution 23, 1 (1979): 3-16.
JSTOR: Russell J. Leng and Hugh G. Wheeler, "Influence Strategies, Success, and War." Journal of Conflict Resolution 23, 4 (1979): 655-684.
JSTOR: Paul K. Huth, "Extended Deterrence and the Outbreak of War." American Political Science Review 82, 2 (1988): 423-443.
JSTOR: Douglas Lemke, "The Continuation of History: Power Transition Theory and the End of the Cold War." Journal of Peace Research 34, 1 (1997): 23-36.

INR 3603: Theories of International Relations

Dr. Paul Hensel
University of North Texas

Home CV ICOW Teaching Data

Syllabus Index

Related Pages