Theories provide a lens for viewing historical events. However, with new historical events and situations, these lenses must continually be tested for their accuracy. Your assignment will be to take a particular situation (known as a case study) to analyze realist theory, or to analyze a particular strain of realist theory.

Directions: Write a 5-page paper (typed, double-spaced) on the following topic, according to your chosen case study.

Choose one or two elements of Mearsheimer’s Offensive Realism theory for analysis. You will want to name them, discuss what Mearsheimer means by the elements and why he thinks that they are important for his theory. You will then want to discuss your opinions on the elements of his theory – do you agree/disagree with the importance he gives them, do you agree/disagree with their implications for his theory, and do you agree/disagree with the theory itself. To support your opinions you will want to refer to other situations discussed in class as well as other works read for class.

 Case Study #1: India-Pakistan at War

You are the lead foreign policy analyst in either India or Pakistan (you choose). Your head of government has asked you to outline a strategy for your country’s continued security. Outline the steps that your government should take to ensure this security, from the realist perspective. In your argument, you will want to refer to and comment on realist ideas as they apply to your situation.

Trouble has been brewing in Elbonia as half of the country wishes to secede and form its own state of Tirelia, due to the fact that there is a relatively clear division where Elbonians are the majority ethnic group in the upper provinces while Tirelians are the ethnic majority in the lower provinces (but a minority over-all). The Elbonian dominated government has begun a campaign of redistributing the population so that there is no Tirelian majority in any province. Elbonia is a former Soviet Republic in Eastern Europe, bordering several NATO members. You are a Deputy Secretary of Affairs for Eastern Europe in the U.S. State Department. Given the lessons of NATO’s actions in Kosovo, what steps would you recommend – from a realist perspective – that the U.S. take in this case. In your argument, you will want to refer to and comment on realist ideas as they apply to your situation.

Currently the U.S. is embroiled in a debate as to whether or not it should attack Iraq. While many of the United States’ allies are against any attack, the Bush administration has repeated that Iraq is a threat to democracies of the world. The claim is based mostly on the existence of Iraq's chemical, biological, and potential nuclear weapons. Draw on your readings about past cases of U.S. unilateralism to suggest whether you think an attack on Iraq should be orchestrated with the cooperation of U.S. allies, or whether the U.S. should be willing to go it alone. Suggest both the possible pitfalls of going alone as well as the benefits, as you see them. Base your arguments on the theoretical elements of realism. (NOTE: you do NOT need to research the conflict history of the U.S. and Iraq).

A good paper will include an even balance of description of the case and a demonstration of your understanding of realism. In your conclusion, you should discuss what your case study suggests for the validity of each theory.

Papers are due in class on Monday, September 30. Late papers will be penalized two percentage points per day.

Paper format: The length of the paper should be 5 full pages, typed and double-spaced. Include a separate title page with a descriptive title for the paper, your name, the date, the course number, and my name (this does not count as one of the 5 pages). Papers should have a one-inch margin (on sides, top and bottom) and be either 11 or 12 point readable font (this assignment sheet has a one-inch margin and is in 12-point font). Please number your pages. Proofread your essay carefully!

Case Study Sources: For information on each of the case studies, go to www.geocities.com/pvaninw and follow the links to the paper assignment page. There you will find links to articles on each of the case studies. These articles should be sufficient to complete your paper. Thoroughly read all of the articles on your chosen case before writing your paper. NO OUTSIDE MATERIALS ARE REQUIRED. This is not a research paper, so do not spend time searching other web sites or sources. You should cite a reference for any quotations or for any ideas that are not yours.

Theory Sources: You should reference works that we have read for class, which could include the Mearsheimer book, the Mingst and Snyder reader, and any assigned online readings. I expect that any quotations or ideas taken from these sources should be cited, however concepts discussed explicitly in class do not need to be cited. Make specific references to the course readings in your essay.