YaleUniversity

DepartmentofPoliticalScience

Syllabus
INTERNATIONALRELATIONSTHEORY
(Seminar)

NunoP.Monteiro Class:Tuesdays3:305:20
PoliticalScience155/654 Officehours:Rosenkranz#226,Wednesdays10:0012:00
Fall2009 nuno.monteiro@yale.edu

COURSEOBJECTIVES
Thisseminarexploresthemaintheoriesofinternationalrelations.Bytheendofthecourse,students
shouldbeconversantinbasicIRtheoryandhavetheintellectualequipmenttounderstand,criticize,and
applythese(andother)theoriesofinternationalrelations.Thecourseisalsodesignedtoprovide
studentswithanunderstandingofthepotentialandlimitationsoftheoryinthestudyofinternational
politics.

COURSEOUTLINE
Thecoursecoversfourmaintheoreticaltraditionsinthestudyinternationalrelations,allofwhichfocus
onexplainingtwophenomena:conflictandcooperation.Wewillcoverrealism,liberalism,
constructivism,andrationalism.

REQUIREMENTS,GRADING,ANDDEADLINES
Therearenoprerequisitesforthecourse.

Thecoursewillconsistinaseriesofseminarsessionswithpreassignedreadings.Studentsareexpected
todoallthereadingspriortoeachsession,aswellasattendandparticipateinallsessions.Theweekly
sessionswillfocuson(i)layingoutthemainargumentsoftheassignedreadingsand(ii)critically
discussingthem.Iwillopenupthesessionwithashort(20minutemaximum)lectureonthetopic,
layingoutthemainargumentsinthereadings,tobefollowedbyageneralexaminationanddiscussion
ofthecoreideas.

Finalgradeswillbeassignedasfollows:
Seminarparticipation:25%;
Responsepapers:25%;
Finalpaper:50%.

Eachstudentwillposta23paragraph(max.1page)reactiontotheweeklyreadingsforfivedifferent
weeks.Yourresponsepapersshouldbepostedtheeveningbeforetheclassmeetinginwhichwewill
dealwiththesereadings(i.e.,by8:00PMonMonday).Shortpapersreceivedafterthedeadlinebut
beforetherelevantseminarsessionbegins(i.e.,between8:00PMMondayand3:30PMTuesday)will
bedroppedonelettergrade.Shortpaperswillnotbeacceptedaftertherelevantseminarsession
starts.

Thefinalpapershouldbeemailedtomeatnuno.monteiro@yale.eduby4:00pmonFriday,December
11.Thisdeadlineisstrict.Finalpapersreceivedlatewillbedroppedonelettergradeforeach24hours
Monteiro|SyllabusIRTheorySeminar|Fall09 2

pastthedeadline.Toreceiveanoverallpassinggrade,studentsmustreceiveapassinggradeinallthree
componentsofthefinalgrade.

Whilethesepolicieswillbestrictlyenforced,Iknowthatemergenciesandillnessesmightariseduring
theterm.Ifthathappenstobethecase,pleaseletmeknowassoonaspossiblesothatwecanwork
outalternativearrangementsforyoutocompleteyourworkwithinareasonableperiodoftime.In
emergencycases,youwillneedtopresentadeansexcuseinordertobeexcusedfromlateworkora
seriesofabsencesfromclasssessions.

Allassignmentsarenoncollaborativeandshouldbeentirelyyourownwork.Ideasdrawnfromother
sourcesshouldbeproperlycited.Plagiarismisunacceptableandwillresultinpenaltiesuptoand
includingafailinggradefortheassignment(andthereforethecourse)andreferraltotheuniversityfor
disciplinaryaction.Ifyouhaventdonesoyet,pleasefamiliarizeyourselfwiththeUniversityspolicyon
academichonesty,includingcheating,plagiarism,anddocumentcitation,whichcanbefoundat
http://www.yale.edu/yalecollege/publications/uregs/appendix/cheating.html.Itisyourresponsibility
tounderstandandabidebythispolicy.Ifyoudont,pleaseask.

DESCRIPTIONOFASSIGNMENTS
Participation:Sincethecoursewillbeconductedinaseminarformat,studentswilltakeresponsibility
forleadingmuchofthediscussion.Allstudentsshouldbepreparedtocontributetoclassdiscussionby
informallybringingquestionsthatstemfromthereadings.

ResponsePapers:Theseshortstatementsshouldincludeananalysisofstrengthsorweaknessesof
argumentsmadebytheauthorsfortherelevantweek;questionswithwhichyouwereleftbythe
readings;orpointsofconfusionthatshouldbeclarified.(Youshouldnotsummarizethereadings;
assumethateverybodyelsehasdonethereadingaswell.)Youdonothavetodiscussallofthereadings
assignedfortheweek;youcandiscussjustoneortwo,oryoucanpickabroaderrangeandcompare
themtoeachother(ortoreadingsforearlierweeks).Youarewelcometochooseanyfiveweeksin
whichtowritereactionpapers,thoughspacingthingsoutoverthesemestermightbebest.

FinalPaper:Studentswillwriteasubstantial(15pagesforundergrads;2025pagesforgraduate
students)researchpaper.Forundergraduates,Iwilldistributealistoftopicsatthebeginningofthe
seminarsessiononweek5.Youshouldpickonetopic,discussthestrengthsandweaknessofexisting
theoriesrelatingtoit,andproposingawaytostudythequestionfurther.Ifyoudontlikeanyofthe
topicsonthelist,contactmewithatopicsuggestion.Graduatestudentsshowviewthisasan
opportunitytobegindevelopingpublishablework.Theyshouldpicktheirowntopicandconsultmeon
itduringofficehoursuntiltheendofweek5.

Finalpapersshouldbeprintedinlettersizedpaper,doublespaced,with1inchmarginsallaround,
usingasize12standardfontsuchasArial,Calibri,orTimesNewRoman.

READINGS
Theselectedtextswerechosentorepresentthemajorpositionsandtheoriesinthestudyof
internationalrelations.Theyprovideawiderangeofviewsanddifferbothinthepersuasivenessofthe
theoreticalargumentandtheevidenceprovidedinitssupport.Asawhole,theselectionisdesignedto
encouragecriticalevaluationofexistingacademicliterature.Inordertobestachievethisgoal,keepin
Monteiro|SyllabusIRTheorySeminar|Fall09 3

mindthefollowingquestionswhendoingthereadings:Whatistheargumenttheauthoristryingto
make?Whydoesitmatter?Whatareitsstrengthsandweaknesses?Howconvincingisit?Whatare
possiblecounterarguments?Aboveall,howdoestheargumentadvanceourunderstandingof
internationalpolitics?

AllreadingswillbeavailableinPDFformatontheClasses*V2serveratleastoneweekbeforetheir
respectivesession.

Thereadingsforeachsessionbelowarelistedintheorderyoushoulddothem.

COURSEOUTLINE

Week1(Sep.08)IntroductoryRemarks

Week2(Sep.15)TheoryandInternationalRelations(108pp.)
ChristianReusSmitandDuncanSnidal,BetweenUtopiaandReality:ThePracticalDiscoursesof
InternationalRelations,inReusSmitandSnidal,editors,TheOxfordHandbookof
InternationalRelations(NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,2008),340;
BrianSchmidt,OntheHistoryandHistoriographyofInternationalRelations,inWalter
Carlsnaes,ThomasRisseandBethSimmons,editors,HandbookofInternationalRelations
(London:Sage,2002),322;
ColinWight,PhilosophyofSocialScienceandInternationalRelations,inCarlsnaes,Risse,and
Simmons,editors,HandbookofInternationalRelations(London:Sage,2002),2351;
JamesFearonandAlexanderWendt,Rationalismv.Constructivism:ASkepticalView,in
Carlsnaes,Risse,andSimmons,editors,HandbookofInternationalRelations(London:Sage,
2002),5272.

Week3(Sep.22)TheSourcesofConflictandCooperation(164pp.)
J.DavidSinger,TheLevelofAnalysisProbleminInternationalRelations,WorldPolitics,Vol.14
(1961):7792;
RobertJervis,CooperationUndertheSecurityDilemma,WorldPolitics,Vol.30(1978):167
214;
KennethWaltz,TheoryofInternationalPolitics(NewYork:McGrawHill,1979),60128;
CharlesGlaser,TheSecurityDilemmaRevisited,WorldPoliticsVol.50(1997):171201.

Week4(Sep.29)Realism:PowerandStructureI(149pp.)
CharlesGlaser,RealistsasOptimists:CooperationasSelfHelp,InternationalSecurity,Vol.19
(1994/95):5090;
Monteiro|SyllabusIRTheorySeminar|Fall09 4

RandallSchweller,Neorealism'sstatusquobias:Whatsecuritydilemma?SecurityStudies,Vol.
5(1996):90121;
ColinElman,HorsesforCourses:WhyNotNeorealistTheoriesofForeignPolicy?"Security
Studies,vol.6(1996):753;
JeffreyLegroandAndrewMoravcsik,IsAnybodyStillaRealist?InternationalSecurityVol.24
(1999):555andthecorrespondence,BrotherCanYouSpareaParadigm?(OrwasAnybody
EveraRealist,InternationalSecurityVol.25(2000):165193.

Week5(Oct.06)Realism:PowerandStructureII(207pp.)
JohnMearsheimer,StructuralRealism,inDunne,Kurki,andSmith,editors,International
RelationsTheories:DisciplineandDiversity(Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2006),7188;
JohnMearsheimer,TheTragedyofGreatPowerPolitics(NewYork:W.W.Norton,2001),1167;
RobertJervis,RealismintheStudyofWorldPolitics,InternationalOrganization,Vol.52
(1998):971992.

Week6(Oct.13)LiberalismI:DomesticPolitics(177pp.)
PeterGourevitch,TheSecondImageReversed:TheInternationalSourcesofDomesticPolitics,
InternationalOrganization,Vol.32(1978):881912;
RobertPutnam,DiplomacyandDomesticPolitics:TheLogicofTwoLevelGames,"International
Organization,Vol.42(1988):427460;
JamesFearon,DomesticPoliticalAudiencesandtheEscalationofInternationalDisputes,
AmericanPoliticalScienceReview,Vol.88(1994):577592;
AndrewMoravcsik,TakingPreferencesSeriously:ALiberalTheoryofInternationalRelations,
InternationalOrganization,Vol.51(1997):513553;
JeffreyA.Frieden,ActorsandPreferencesinInternationalRelations,inLakeandPowell,
editors,StrategicChoiceandInternationalRelations(Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,
1999),3976;
ChristianReusSmit,TheStrangeDeathofLiberalIRTheory,EuropeanJournalofInternational
Law,Vol.12(2001):573593.

Week7(Oct.20)LiberalismII:DemocraticPeaceTheory(185pp.)
MichaelDoyle,Kant,LiberalLegacies,andForeignAffairs,PartI,PhilosophyandPublicAffairs,
Vol.12(1983):205235;
JohnOwen,HowLiberalismProducesDemocraticPeace,InternationalSecurity,Vol.19(1994):
87125;
BruceRussettandJohnOneal,TheKantianPeace:ThePacificBenefitsofDemocracy,
Interdependence,andInternationalOrganizations,18851992,WorldPolitics.Vol.52
(1999):137;
Monteiro|SyllabusIRTheorySeminar|Fall09 5

BruceBuenodeMesquita,JamesD.Morrow,RandolphM.Siverson,andAlastairSmith,An
InstitutionalExplanationoftheDemocraticPeace,AmericanPoliticalScienceReview,Vol.
93(1999):791807;
SebastianRosato,TheFlawedLogicofDemocraticPeaceTheory,AmericanPoliticalScience
Review,Vol.97(2003):585602;
MichaelDesch,DemocracyandVictory:WhyRegimeTypeHardlyMatters,International
Security,Vol.27(2002):547.

Week8(Oct.27)LiberalismIII:InternationalInstitutions(223pp.)
BarbaraKoremenos,CharlesLipson,andDuncanSnidal,TheRationalDesignofInternational
Institutions,InternationalOrganization,Vol.55(2001):761799;
MichaelBarnettandMarthaFinnemore,ThePolitics,Power,andPathologiesofInternational
Organizations,InternationalOrganization,Vol.53(1999):699732;
AlastairIanJohnston,TheSocialEffectsofInternationalInstitutionsonDomestic(Foreign
Policy)Actors,inDrezner,editor,LocatingtheProperAuthorities:TheInteractionof
DomesticandInternationalInstitutions(AnnArbor,MI:UniversityofMichiganPress,2003),
145196;
RobertJervis,Realism,Neoliberalism,andCooperation:UnderstandingtheDebate,
InternationalSecurity,Vol.24(1999):4263;
JohnMearsheimer,TheFalsePromiseofInternationalInstitutions,InternationalSecurity,Vol.
19(199495):549;
AlexanderWendt,DrivingwiththeRearviewMirror:OntheRationalScienceofInstitutional
Design,InternationalOrganization,Vol.55(2001):101949.

Week9(Nov.03)ConstructivismI:InternationalSociety(166pp.)
AlexWendt,Anarchyiswhatstatesmakeofit:thesocialconstructionofpowerpolitics,
InternationalOrganization,Vol.46(1992):391425;
AlexWendt,SocialTheoryofInternationalPolitics(Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress,
1999),92192;
IanHurd,LegitimacyandAuthorityinInternationalPolitics,InternationalOrganizationVol.53
(1999):379408.

Week10(Nov.10)ConstructivismII:Culture,Norms,andIdentity(200pp.)
AlastairJohnston,ThinkingAboutStrategicCulture,InternationalSecurity,Vol.19(1995):32
64;
AlexWendt,SocialTheoryofInternationalPolitics(Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress,
1999),246312;
Monteiro|SyllabusIRTheorySeminar|Fall09 6

BarryBuzan,OleWaever,andJaapdeWilde,Security:ANewFrameworkforAnalysis(Boulder,
CO:LynneRieder,1998),149;
NinaTannenwald,TheNuclearTaboo:TheUnitedStatesandtheNormativeBasisofNuclear
Nonuse,InternationalOrganization,Vol.53(1999):43346;
MichaelBarnettandRaymondDuvall,PowerinInternationalPolitics,International
Organization,Vol.59(2005):3975;

Week11(Nov.17)Rationalism:StrategicChoice,Cooperation,andConflict(214pp.)
DavidLakeandRobertPowell,InternationalRelations:aStrategicChoiceApproachinLake
andPowell,editors,StrategicChoiceandInternationalRelations(Princeton,NJ:Princeton
UniversityPress,1999),338;
JamesD.Morrow,TheStrategicSettingofChoices:Signaling,Commitment,andNegotiationin
InternationalPolitics,inLakeandPowell,editors,StrategicChoiceandInternational
Relations(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress,1999),77114;
DuncanSnidal,RationalChoiceandIR,inCarlsnaes,Risse,andSimmons,editors,Handbookof
InternationalRelations(London:Sage,2002),7394;
JamesFearon,RationalistExplanationsforWar,InternationalOrganization,Vol.49(1995):
379414;
JamesFearon,Bargaining,Enforcement,andInternationalCooperation,International
Organization,Vol.52(1998):269306;
StephenWalt,RigororRigorMortis?RationalChoiceandSecurityStudies,International
Security,Vol.231999:548.

Week12(Nov.24)FallRecess;noSession

Week13(Dec.01)ProgressinInternationalRelations(andIRTheory)(87pp.)
ColinElmanandMiriamFendiusElman,Introduction:AppraisingProgressinInternational
RelationsTheory,inElmanandElman,editors,ProgressinInternationalRelationsTheory:
AppraisingtheField(Cambridge,MA:MITPress,2003),120;
J.SamuelBarkin,RealistConstructivism,InternationalStudiesReview,Vol.5(2003):32542;
PatrickJackson,BridgingtheGap:TowardARealistConstructivistDialogue,International
StudiesReview,Vol.6(2004):337352;
PeterKatzensteinandRudraSil,EclecticTheorizingintheStudyandPracticeofInternational
Relations,inReusSmitandSnidal,editors,TheOxfordHandbookofInternationalRelations
(NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,2008),109131;
RobertW.Cox,ThePointIsnotJusttoExplaintheWorldbuttoChangeIt,inReusSmitand
Snidal,editors,TheOxfordHandbookofInternationalRelations(NewYork:Oxford
UniversityPress,2008),8493.