INR 2002   International Politics

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course explores the origins and evolution of the international system, theories for understanding international politics, and explanations for foreign policy, war and today's globalized order. Meets General Education requirement in Social Sciences. Meets Multicultural Requirement.

INR 3035   International Political Economy

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This is a course on International Political Economy, with a focus on globalization processes. Its main goal is to provide students with a theoretical and critical understanding of the ways international financial and trade markets interact with governments and how this interaction has changed in the postwar period. The course examines the following questions: Who wins and who loses from globalization of trade and finance? Who sets the rules under which the game of international capitalism is played? How powerful are international organizations like the WTO, the IMF, and the EU vis-à-vis nation-states? What are the causes and effects of financial crises? These issues are explored with reference to economic and political theories, history and contemporary events.

INR 3073   Analyzing Issues in International Politics

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course examines several key contemporary issues in international politics. The course has both a theoretical and an applied component, with emphasis on readings to build concepts and empirical understanding combined with application through discussion and exercises designed to engage students in qualitative and quantitative analysis of these topics. For the applied component, the course approaches contemporary topics by employing the tools of political science research, including data interpretation in visual form such as charts and graphs, statistics, and models.

INR 3503   International Organizations

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

Modern international organizations are a solution. They are created and designed to address a simple problem: a world of separate states with different interests and agendas. This course will examine international organizations through readings, briefings, and simulations. Along the way, we evaluate and discuss ongoing current events as they relate to global issues. Students will start with the origins of international organizations. With a particular focus on the United Nations, students then research and write position papers as well as practice extemporaneous speaking and committee procedures. In addition to an exam and smaller papers throughout the course, students will spend time in a committee simulation and, to conclude, draw together their work in a final project.

INR 3905   Directed Study

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

1-12 sh (may be repeated indefinitely for credit)

INR 4060   Causes of War

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course will examine the causes and evolution of war. Drawing widely from new and established scholarship, it addresses several major topics: war's origins and evolution; theories about the causes and nature of war; arguments for a contemporary world of "new wars;" and theories about the future of war. Along the way, the course analyzes several very different international conflicts, World War I, the Cold War and the recent Iraq War. Specific issues addressed amidst these major themes include war and the state; structural and psychological explanations for war; terrorism and irregular war; and the moral/ethical dimensions of war.

INR 4061   International Conflict

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course examines some of the primary theories of the origins and termination of interstate war. The course begins with a discussion of the logic and empirical support for a number of popular hypotheses and questions on war. Do leaders start war to divert attention from domestic problems? Does trade promote peace? Do alliances deter or entrap? Do arms races promote peace? Does a balance of power promote peace? The discussion of these questions and hypotheses leaves us with a new one. Given that war is costly, why are the contending sides unable to reach a settlement short of the major use of armed force? The course concludes with a discussion of the termination of war.

INR 4102   American Foreign Policy

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

Americans seek to change the world and remain distinct from it. They energetically export their religious views, yet they officially support secularism. Americans denounce imperialism and coercion, yet they are accused of building a global empire and wielding astounding military power. And above all these tensions, Americans exert unparalleled influence and power in a globalized, increasingly democratic world that they helped create, yet they fret about relative decline and entertain plans for retrenchment and isolation. This course, therefore, seeks to analyze how Americans view and pursue their relationship with the world as well as the foundations and conduct of their foreign policy. It considers the institutions and offices, interests and political culture, and international challenges (including security, economic and humanitarian issues) that shape American foreign policy outcomes. To understand these influences, our readings, lecture and discussion will combine scholarly theories and policy perspectives. We will especially focus on debates regarding America's role as a global leader.

INR 4124   Statecraft

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course introduces students to fundamental questions, theoretical arguments and concepts in the area of foreign policy analysis and decision making, otherwise known as Statecraft. The course examines core topics in statecraft such as deterrence (conventional and nuclear), coercive diplomacy, tools of coercion, and the ethics of using force. Throughout the course, students will also study several prominent cases.

INR 4205   Spying: Fact or Fiction

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

The objective of this course is to immerse the students in the world of human intelligence collection and counterintelligence. Students will explore and examine various aspects of espionage among great powers in the period since 1945. Focus of the course will be in demonstrating the real world contrast to human intelligence (HUMINT), counterintelligence (CI) and espionage activities revealed in six spy novels. Studies will touch on operations by the German, French, British, Soviet and US HUMINT and CI agencies supporting their nation's vital national interests from World War II to the present.

INR 4224   War and Peace in East Asia

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course uses East Asian international history since the late 19th Century to explore some of the most enduring questions about international politics. What are the causes of war? How, once begun, do wars end? Why do some wars end in negotiated settlements while others continue until one side's total defeat? How can states effectively communicate their intentions in spite of pervasive incentives to dissemble and prevaricate? When can alliances deter one's enemies, and when might they draw states into undesirable conflicts? Finally, how do the most powerful states in the system -- the great powers -- manage the ever-shifting landscape of power between them? We begin the course in Part I by introducing two critical components of the modern theory of war - uncertainty and commitment problems - that shed light on both why wars start and how they end. Part II begins with the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, which began a marked shift in power away from China and towards Japan, and ends with the collapse of the Japanese Empire at the end of the Second World War. Next, Part III explores the politics of the Cold War, which saw the consolidation of Communist China and the retreat of the Nationalist government to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese civil war and the United States' entry into the region as the status quo superpower during the Korean War. Finally, Part IV takes up questions of China's emergence as an economic power, continuing frontier rivalries with Taiwan, Russia, and smaller neighbors, and the possibility of its emergence as a global power in the coming decades.

INR 4314   Grand Strategy in International Relations

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course evaluates the historical, philosophical and scientific dimensions of grand strategy. As a topic, "grand strategy" refers to the link between a state's goals and capabilities. It is how states understand and pursue their perceived interests and roles in the world. Understanding grand strategies offers an essential tool to evaluate states' foreign policies as well as the international system in which they operate. The course works through several historical and contemporary case studies of great and mid-level powers, such as Russia, China and the United States. It considers grand strategy's institutional, cultural and external sources, and it apprises the normative or ethical goals of grand strategy. Throughout these case studies, students will also engage major theories, and they will interrogate key issues such as economic integration, nonproliferation, diplomatic agendas, conflict and cybersecurity.

INR 4334   National Security Policy

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course introduces students to the basic concepts, theoretical debates and practical policy issues surrounding American national security. It examines the historical setting and the major theoretical traditions surrounding the study of national security. It explores the context of national security domestically and internationally, including key players in both the international system and the US political system. The role of institutions of the national security establishment will be considered such as the executive branch of the US government including the President, the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, and intelligence agencies as well as the roles for the legislative branch in the U.S. Congress. The course also looks at the policy-making process in national security decision-making. Multiple historical cases will be considered with applications of key concepts and theories from the class.

INR 4403   International Law

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

Nature, history and trends of legal controls on international behavior; conflict between theory and practice; cases will be used to illustrate various points of law.

INR 4771   Cyber, Drones & National Security Policy

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

'Modern science ... has thrust into man's fallible hands unprecedented power: power in building, power in destroying.' -Hugh Ferris This course evaluates how emerging technologies affect national security strategy. Political leaders constantly make tough decisions about deploying new military capabilities, and in recent years, that has meant lethal drones and cybersecurity. For some, a modern "revolution in military affairs" is driving a new era. For others, politics and strategy-and the human beings making them-never really change. Does technological change drive developments in politics and policy? How do new technologies shape national security plans? We first evaluate the history and theories of how technology and national security interact with one another. The latter sections of the course focus on lethal drones and the cyber environment. During two simulations, students will evaluate real policy challenges and work out possible solutions. The course pushes students to combine analytical and conceptual rigor with pragmatic and specific applications. Students will be evaluated based upon performance on two exams, several memos, analysis/reflection papers and two simulations.

INR 4905   Directed Study

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

1-12 sh (may be repeated indefinitely for credit)

INR 5088   International Conflict

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course examines some of the primary theories of the origins and termination of interstate war. The course begins with a discussion of the logic and empirical support for a number of popular hypotheses and questions on war. Do leaders start war to divert attention from domestic problems? Does trade promote peace? Do alliances deter or entrap? Do arms races promote peace? Does a balance of power promote peace? The discussion of these questions and hypotheses leaves us with a new one. Given that war is costly, why are the contending sides unable to reach a settlement short of the major use of armed force? The course concludes with a discussion of the termination of war.

INR 5105   American Foreign Policy

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

Americans seek to change the world and remain distinct from it. They energetically export their religious views, yet they officially support secularism. Americans denounce imperialism and coercion, yet they are accused of building a global empire and wielding astounding military power. And above all these tensions, Americans exert unparalleled influence and power in a globalized, increasingly democratic world that they helped create, yet they fret about relative decline and entertain plans for retrenchment and isolation. This course, therefore, seeks to analyze how Americans view and pursue their relationship with the world as well as the foundations and conduct of their foreign policy. It considers the institutions and offices, interests and political culture, and international challenges (including security, economic and humanitarian issues) that shape American foreign policy outcomes. To understand these influences, our readings, lecture and discussion will combine scholarly theories and policy perspectives. We will especially focus on debates regarding America's role as a global leader.

INR 5129   Statecraft

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course introduces students to fundamental questions, theoretical arguments and concepts in the area of foreign policy analysis and decision making, otherwise known as Statecraft. The course examines core topics in statecraft such as deterrence (conventional and nuclear), coercive diplomacy, tools of coercion, and the ethics of using force. Throughout the course, students will also study several prominent cases.

INR 5330   National Security Policy, Technology and Cyber

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course introduces the basic concepts, theoretical debates and practical policy issues surrounding American national security with a focus on technology policy. Technological innovation changes history. It creates new threats, opens opportunities, upends economies, and allows new types of interaction. It also pressures political leaders to innovate and adapt national security policy. This course presents several different approaches to the analysis of technology and national security. It starts with world historical analyses before turning to more recent theories of politics, innovation, and national security. Throughout, the course focuses particularly on cybersecurity as an evolving policy challenge, and it concludes with a concentrated set of readings on the topic. This is a seminar, and students should be prepared to present and evaluate each day's assigned reading. The course may include several written and oral assignments such as short briefings, research projects or papers, and essay questions on exams.

INR 5365   Intelligence

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This course explores the National Foreign Intelligence Community (NFIC). It examines how organizational factors, resources, management and oversight affect the process of supporting the development and executing U.S. National Security Policy. It covers the evolution, organization, oversight, funding and responsibilities of the NFIC: the relationships of the intelligence providers, especially the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), with key policymakers and overseers such as the President, National Security Council, senior executives; the CONGRESS, its relevant committees and staffs; as well as the courts, the media and public opinion.

INR 6007   Seminar in International Relations

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

International Relations as a field study; theory, empirical data, historical development of the field.

INR 6095   Politics of Terrorism and Counterterrorism

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This seminar provides an advanced, in-depth analysis of international terrorist threats and the means to counter them. The seminar will focus on the most significant terrorist actors, incidents, and attacks around the world. State sponsorship of terrorism will also be included in the seminar. From a strategic perspective, the course will examine terrorist motivations and intentions as well as specific tactics, techniques, and procedures.

INR 6097   Political Violence

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

3 sh (may not be repeated for credit)

This class explores the conditions under which political actors use violence, and the conditions that lead to civil war and genocide. We approach questions of conflict behavior and political violence from the perspective of strategic choice. Strategic choice explains conflict not as an accident, but as the deliberate result of choice by actors. Actors chose the course of action they think will best help them achieve their preferred outcomes. Focusing on strategic choices helps us to understand how we sometimes fail to achieve peaceful solutions to political problems.

INR 6905   Directed Study

Col of Arts, Soc Sci and Human, Department of Government

1-12 sh (may be repeated indefinitely for credit)