DVC Political Science 250-International Relations

Course Syllabus and Outline

Basic Essay Structure

Grading Rubric for Research Essays

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Ohio State's APA Citation Page

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Annotated Film Bibliography

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Lecture Outlines:

Lecture / Discussion Page - The Historical Context of Contemporary International Relations

Lecture / Discussion Page - Realism

Lecture / Discussion Page - Liberalism

Lecture / Discussion Page - Class System Theory

Lecture / Discussion Page - Postmodernist and Feminist Theories

Lecture / Discussion Page - Political Culture and Decision Making Process Theories

Lecture / Discussion Page - Human Nature and Cognitive Theories

Lecture / Discussion Page - Peace Studies Theory

Lecture / Discussion Page - International Political Economy and Globalization - The North

Readings - Conventional Perspectives
  • World Trade Organization
  • Globalization 101
  • "Globalization Already Has A Human Face" - Bhagwati
  • "Understanding the Role of the U.S. in the Global Economy" - Hassett
  • "The Benefits of Globalization" - Center for Trade Policy Studies
  • "Why Globalization Works" - Wolf
  • Yale Center for the Study of Globalization
  • Lecture / Discussion Page - International Political Economy and Globalization - The South

    Readings - Critical Perspectives
  • The Globalization Website
  • Centre for Research on Globalization
  • The International Forum on Globalization
  • Essays on Globalization and Neoliberalism - Monthly Review
  • Globalization versus Internationalization - Daly
  • Globalization - The American Prospect
  • "The Scorecard on Globalization 1980 - 2000" - Weisbrot
  • "The Collapse of Globalism" - Saul
  • "Globalization for Whom?" - Rodrik
  • Lecture / Discussion Page - National, International, and Global Security

    Readings
  • The Coming Anarchy - Kaplan
  • Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet - Klare
  • Global Security Challenges: Seeing the U.S. As Others Do - Smith
  • Lecture / Discussion Page - Religion and Nationalism
    Readings
  • Why Religion Still Matters - Carroll
  • What Went Wrong? - Lewis
  • God's Country? - Mead
  • Jihad vs. McWorld - Barber
  • Lecture / Discussion Page - United States Foreign Policy

    Readings
  • The United States National Security Strategy - 2006
  • The Neoconservative Convergence - Krauthammer
  • Power and Weakness - Kagan
  • Failed States - Chomsky
  • Foreign Policy and the Intelligentsia - Chomsky
  • A World Without Power - Ferguson
  • The Logic of U.S. Interventionism - Parenti
  • Parties of God - Silverstein
  • U.S. Middle East Policy: Democratic Illusions - Selfa
  • Lecture / Discussion Page - International Relations and the Global Environment

    Readings
  • The Tragedy of the Commons - Hardin
  • Environmental Scarcity, Mass Violence, and the Limits to Ingenuity - Homer Dixon
  • Capitalist and Socialist Responses to the Ecological Crisis - Wallis
  • 1st Journal Responses - Due: October 14, 2009

  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Historical Overview), Choose One Question
  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Realism), Choose One Question
  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Liberalism), Choose One Question
  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Class System / Globalism), Choose One Question
  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Postmodernism / Feminism), Choose One Question
  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Political Culture / Decision Making), Choose One Question
  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Human Nature / Cognitive), Choose One Question
  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Peace Studies), Choose One Question
  • 2nd Journal Responses - Due: December 16, 2009

  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Security Theory), Choose One Question
  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Religion / Nationalism), Choose One Question
  • Lecture / Discussion Page (US Foreign Policy), Choose One Question
  • Lecture / Discussion Page (Global Environment), Choose One Question
  • Mid Term Research Project 1 - Due: October 14, 2009

    Final Exam Research Project 2 - Due: December 16, 2009

    Readings for the Mid-Term Research Paper:

    Click Here To See Titles

    Books, Articles and Websites on Afghanistan

    The Road to 9/11 - Scott

    Could Afghanistan Become Obama's Vietnam? - Baker

    Obama's Afghan Trap - Goodman

    Antiwar Lawmakers Wary of Adding Troops in Afghanistan - Flaherty

    Obama's Vietnam - Newsweek

    To Surge or Not to Surge? Asking the Wrong Questions in Afghanistan - Fitzgerald and Gould

    US Warns of Battle Worse Than Iraq in Afghanistan - Common Dreams

    Afghanistan, Another Untold Story - Parenti

    The Case for Getting Out of Afghanistan - Whitehouse

    Triangulation or strangulation? America's Road to Kabul Goes Through Moscow - Walberg

    The Longest War - Holbrooke

    Afghanistan Page - Project for Defense Alternatives

    The War on Terror and Afghanistan - East Carolina University

    Fearing Another Quagmire in Afghanistan - Cobban

    Afghanistan - Guardian / UK

    Losing a No-Win War - Weissman

    Afghanistan: Not a Good War - Hallinan

    A Military Solution to Win the War in Afghanistan - Taheri

    Afghanistan: Not a Good War Gone Bad - Everest

    Books on Globalization:

    Click Here To See Recent Titles

    Recent Articles and Websites of Interest for IR Students:

    The Collapse of Globalism - Saul

    We Are Hard-Wired to Care and Connect - Korten

    Global Trends 2025 - Central Intelligence Agency

    Shock and Awe - National Defense University

    Vision for 2020 - U.S. Space Command

    Rebuilding America's Defenses - Project for a New American Century

    U.S. National Security Strategy 2006

    The Stealth Crusade - Yeoman

    Oil, Power and Empire - Everest

    Behind the War on Iraq - Research Unit for Political Economy

    Iraq War - PIPA Poll

    Blood and Oil: How the West Will Profit from Iraq's Most Precious Commodity - The Independent (Britain)

    Iraq's New Constitution - Hassan

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