American School of Tangier

International Relations
2014-15
M.Alami


Course Description:

International Relations is the study of power, both global and localized, as well as the
interconnectedness of the worlds nation-states, power brokers, and individuals. Global
market shifts affect myriad international citizens, from political policy makers, to actors
in Nigeria, and New Yorkers at the gas pump. This course is a survey of the different
ways in which International Relations shape the global landscape. We will look at IR in
different regions, as well as IRs thematic trends. We will study theory and how
individual views of single events can vary drastically. Students will learn to both speak
and write eloquently concerning international topics, and will leave International
Relations with a broader, more studied, view of global politics.

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

Describe the predominant perspectives on the study of world politics.
Identify the major actors in international politics and the changing relationship
among them.
Discuss the politics of global welfare including the effects of colonialism,
impediment to development in the Global South, major threats to environmental
security and prospects for sustainable development.
Evaluate the causes of global conflicts and methods for its management.
Discuss the major issues facing our global society as we enter the new century.


Text:

We do not use a textbook for this class, which means you will receive many handouts.
Therefore, I would strongly suggest that you use a 3 ring binder to organize your
handouts and class notes.

We will also use a variety of websites (listed on last page)


Grades:
Grades will be based upon exams, tests, quizzes, writing assignments, research projects,
debates, participation, and other activities. Quizzes may be announced or unannounced.

Your grade will be calculated as follows in the first semester:
Tests 30%
Writing Assignments 25%
Projects/Debates 15%
Homework 10%
Quizzes 10%
Effort, Attendance, and Class Participation 10%


Outline of the Course

Term One: September 3
rd
November 29
th


Unit I
Studying World Politics

1. Describe the major forces of continuity and changes in todays global system
2. Discuss how perceptions influence images of reality.
3. Compare and contrast the rival theoretical interpretations of world politics.

AERO Standards and Performance:
Standard 1 (time, continuity, and change), and standard 6 (government). Students will
understand patterns of change and continuity, relationships between people and events
through time, and various interpretations of these relationships. Students will understand
why societies create and adopt systems of governance and how they address human
needs, rights, responsibilities and citizenships.

Essential Questions:
Which types of forces or events bring about genuine historical change, that is, which
genuinely disrupt patterns of continuity? Why do societies reveal long-term enduring
patterns in culture, social structure, and governance?



Unit II
The Actors and Their Relations

1. Describe the international and internal determinants of states foreign policy
behavior.
2. Define the rational actor decision-making model.
3. Explain the constraints of foreign policy making and why the foreign policy
decision making process often deviates from the rational actor model.
4. Identify the major causes of misperceptions in foreign policy decision-making.
5. Describe the principle explanations of the causes of World Wars I and II and the
Cold War.
6. Discuss European Imperialism and its impact on the Global South.
7. Compare and contrast the theories attempting to explain the lack of development in
much of the Global South.
8. Discuss the most important international organizations and the major factors
limiting their effectiveness.
9. Assess the impact of multinational corporations on global society


AERO Standards and Performance:
Standard 6 (government). Students will understand why societies create and adopt
systems of governance and how they address human needs, rights, responsibilities and
citizenship.

Essential Questions:
What constrains national governments when shaping domestic policy and directing
foreign policy? How are governments established, maintained, and changed? What
happens in the absence of government? Is the era of nation-states over?



Term 2: November 30th February 20th

Unit III
The Politics of Global Welfare

1. Compare and contrast the theories of mercantilism and capitalism.
2. Describe the role of an economic hegemon.
3. Explain the effects of the globalization of finance, trade, production and labor.
4. Identify current global demographic population patterns and trends.
5. Compare and contrast the optimistic and pessimistic demographic outlook for the
future.
6. Explain the major threats to environmental security and the preservation of the
global commons.
7. Discuss the concept of sustainable development and the measures necessary for the
global society to achieve that goal.

AERO Standards and Performance:
Standard 3 (geography) and Standard 7 (production, distribution, and consumption).
Students will understand the interactions and relationship between human societies and
their physical environment. Students will understand fundamental economic principles
and ways in which economies are shaped by geographic and human factors.

Essential Questions:
Which is more powerful, humans impact on an environment or an environment impact on
humans? To what extent do the laws of supply and demand shape economic activity? Can
an economy be both highly productive and genuinely fair in the distribution of goods and
services? Why all humans economic needs not met or satisfied?


Term 3: February 21
st
June 12
h


Unit IV
Global Conflict and its Management

1. Identify the continuities and changes in armed conflicts in the world.
2. Compare and contrast rival theories of the causes of armed conflict.
3. Discuss the causes of and the issues involved with reducing the amount of armed
conflict within states.
4. Describe the changing nature of power in the international system.
5. Identify the current trends in military spending and the economic consequences of
military preparations for war.
6. Discuss the value of nuclear weapons as deterrence and defense.
7. Assess the effectiveness of the major instruments of coercion.
8. Describe alliances and their impact on national and global security.
9. Discuss the concept of collective security and the factors in the global system
precluding establishment of an effective collective security institution.
10. Compare and contrast principles and structures international law with the principles
and structures of national law.
11. Describe the major elements of the United Nations and the impact of the end of the
Cold War on its effectiveness.
12. Assess political integration as a potential path to peace.
13. Discuss the theory of the democratic peace.


AERO Standards and Performance:
Standard 2 (connections and conflict) and standard 6 (government). Students will
understand causes and effects of interaction among societies, including trade, systems of
international exchange, war, and diplomacy. Students will understand why societies
create and adopt systems of governance and how they address human needs, rights,
responsibilities and citizenship.

Essential Questions:
Why do societies wage war? To what degree do formal protocols of trade, conflict, and
conflict resolution control interactions between societies? Why. In modern society, is it
ever harder to determine who a societys enemies or allies are? What constrains national
governments when shaping domestic policy and directing foreign policy? How are
governments established, maintained, and changed? What happens in the absence of
government? Is the era of nation-states over?


Unit V
Toward the Twenty-first Century

1. Summarize the major issues facing the global society in the coming century and
assess the prospects for peace, security and continued development.

AERO Standards and Performance:
Standard 1 (time, continuity, and change), standard 3 (geography), standard 5 (society
and identity), standard 7 (production, distribution, and consumption), and standard 8
(science, technology, and society).


Essential Questions:
Which types of forces or events bring about genuine historical change, that is, which
genuinely disrupt patterns of continuity? How so geography, climate, and natural
resources affect the way people live and work? How does a society organize itself? Why
are all humans economic needs not met or satisfied?

Web Sites


AidData (Partnership between Development Gateway, William & Mary
University & Brigham Young University)
Database for global development finance & foreign aid data and analysis,
contains development projects financed by 87 donors, with coverage dating back
to 1945. Supplements and descriptively expands upon information available via
OECD's Creditor Reporting System.

ASIL Guide (American Society of International Law)
Guide to electronic resources on international law.

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs ...the leading voice
promoting ethical leadership on
issues of war, peace, religion in politics, and global social justice."


Center for Systemic Peace...supports scientific research and quantitative analysis
in many issue areas related to the fundamental problems of violence in both
human relations and societal development."

Council on Foreign Relations
Provides information and analysis about world events and American foreign
policy.

Backgrounders are concise articles on important political and economic issues.


Countries of the World
World facts from a variety of sources.


FIRST (Facts on International Relations and Security Trends)
Integrated databases containing information from research institutes around the
world. Covers armed conflicts and peace keeping, arms production and trade,
military expenditures, armed forces and conventional weapons holdings, nuclear
weapons, chronology, statistics, etc.

Foreign Information by Country Links to country information. From the
University of Colorado at Boulder.

Gapminder ..non-profit venture promoting sustainable global development and
achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by increased
use and understanding of statistics and other information about social, economic
and environmental development at local, national and global levels." Uses
Trendalyzer software to show major global development trends with animated
statistics.

Human Rights Library (University of Minnesota)
Large collection of links to human rights documents, websites and search
engines.

Foreign Affairs Online
From Dr. Robert J. Beck, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Links to
resources in the areas of international relations, international law, and U.S.
foreign policy.

International Affairs Resources
From Professor Wayne A. Selcher, Elizabethtown College. Over 1000 links to
sites on a range of international affairs topics.

International Relations and Security Network
Based at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), provides a
variety of full text information on international relations, area studies,
international business, security and military studies, comparative studies, and
human rights.

International Resources
A list of links from the Digital Librarian.


International Security Resources
Compiled by attorney Richard Horowitz.

NationMaster
Country statistics from a variety of sources. Users can create graphs comparing
countries on particular statistics.

OACIS for the Middle East
Online Access to Consolidated Information on Serials"--A union catalog of
Middle Eastern serial publications compiled by Yale University Library and
partner institutions. The aim is to improve access to a wide variety of journal
literature that addresses the Middle East.

OFFSTATS
Links to official statistics. Searchable by country, region, topic.


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