Course Descriptions

IA 310: International Relations Theories

IA 310 provides students with an understanding of some of the central methods, concepts, and analytical developments in the field of international relations (IR). The course begins by examining some of the basic methodological issues involved in developing theories of international relations. These include understanding the tenets of the social scientific method and their application to the study of world politics, and recognizing issues related to the level of analysis framework. Our focus then turns to a consideration of the three major paradigms in the field, Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism. We examine their central assumptions and claims and discuss several leading examples from each paradigm. Taken together, this first section of the course seeks to provide students with the tools to understand and assess the analytical and methodological strengths of various IR theories. The second part of the course is organized around several key conceptual issues in the literature and leading theories associated with them. The goal is to introduce students to the field’s theoretical diversity and some of the central analytical and methodological developments and debates in the literature. This overview also seeks to provide students with a better grasp of the sources and significance of various behavioral dynamics and concrete developments that comprise world politics.

The course then has three central goals: to provide students with a better appreciation for IR theories, paradigms, and methods; to help students to become more familiar with the tenets of the social scientific method; and to help students to understand how to assess the value of academic and non-academic social science research.

There are several prerequisites for this course: IA 100 (Introduction to International Relations); Junior standing; and at least two 200-level international affairs courses.

 

IA 340: International Political Economy

This course introduces students to the field of International Political Economy (IPE). This field studies the interplay between politics and economics in the international system. In particular, it explores how the interaction between states and markets affects the structure and content of the international economy. The primary goal of the course is to provide students with an understanding of how political factors (e.g., the structure of the international political system, government and industry preferences, and national institutions among others) affect the content and evolution of the international economic system. A second goal is to explore how international economic dynamics affect these political factors. The course is divided into three parts. The first part introduces students to debates in the field of international political economy regarding the nature of the relationship between politics and markets, and the best way for states to deal with the market. The second part focuses on several theoretical frameworks that offer explanations for the evolution of the international economic system. The third part of the course explores the operation of key institutions and behavioral dynamics that have characterized the international economy during the post-World War II period. Here, our goals are to become familiar with these institutions and dynamics, and to understand their sources and evolution by recourse to the theories discussed in the previous sections.

This course has two prerequisites: IA 100 (Introduction to International Relations) and Econ 100 (Principles of Economics).

 

IA 430: International Affairs Seminar

This course represents the culmination of the international affairs major: each student draws on skills and insights learned in previous courses to produce a senior thesis that manipulates, in some fashion, theoretical ideas informing the international relations literature. The senior thesis is expected to be between 25 and 35 type-written, double-spaced pages, excluding notes and bibliographic references.

No matter the specific focus or topic, students are expected to produce a thesis that demonstrates a strong grasp of the international relations literature and the tenets of the social scientific method. A meritorious thesis will be characterized by several traits. First, the thesis will provide an explanation for a theoretically derived research puzzle, or an explanation for an empirical issue in world politics that is relevant (has real-world consequences) or puzzling (its appearance or resolution was unexpected given other longstanding patterns). Second, the thesis will demonstrate a strong understanding of the relevant theoretical literature, which will inform and guide the explanation advanced. Third, the explanation provided will be sophisticated in its understanding of the sources of the behavior and its understanding and delineation of the logic of the causal factors at play. Fourth, the explanation’s methodology will demonstrate a strong grasp of the tenets of the social scientific method. Fifth, the explanation’s plausibility will be demonstrated by reference to data that you collect. Data collection needs to be presented in a manner that represents a persuasive application, validation, or test of the arguments being developed in the thesis. Sixth, the thesis will recognize any significant conceptual and methodological limitations and, thus, will not make claims it cannot support. Finally, the thesis will offer findings of value to those interested in the relevant theoretical literature or issue area.

Prerequisites: International Affairs 310 and completion of the Research Methods elective.