EWHA WOMANS UNIVERSITY

Introduction to International Politics

Syllabus for Course 36003, Fall 2013
Tuesday, 2:00pm-3:15pm
Thursday, 3:30pm-4:45pm
Room ECC B146
Professor Leif-Eric EASLEY
Division of International Studies, Scranton College
Easley@ewha.ac.kr
Office hours:
Tuesdays, 3:30-4:30pm
Thursdays, 2-3pm
University Church 205 (next door to IEB)

Course Description
This is an introductory course that looks to provide a foundation for further study of
international politics. The objective is to equip students with tools to learn from the
historical development of international relations and better understand the current
issues at stake in global politics.
The course introduces and applies international relations (IR) theories from realist/
power-focused, liberal/interdependence and constructivist/identity perspectives. Key
concepts include national interests, nationalism, regionalism, globalization, international
institutions, arms races, transnational threats, human security and economic
development. Historical coverage includes the World Wars, Cold War and especially
the post-Cold War period. In the investigation of contemporary global issues, the
course devotes particular attention to the East Asian region.
The course has no prerequisites, but requires and will further develop your skills of
identifying internationally relevant trends and events, collaborating with classmates to
address discussion questions, and testing competing explanations for political outcomes
such as institutional cooperation, military tension, economic growth, and cultural/
historical reconciliation.

Course Requirements and Grading

Class attendance and participation!
Online discussion and group work!
Midterm examination!
!
!
Final examination! !
!
!

20%!
20%
25%
35%

This course has a strong emphasis on your interacting with the material, by carefully
doing the readings before class and taking notes at lecture, and also by discussing key
questions with your fellow students online and offering your thoughts and ideas in class.
During the first full week of class, you will be assigned to a discussion group. For each
subsequent week, the professor will provide a question for your group to discuss via
electronic posting. Your group should come to class ready to make a 3-minute
presentation summarizing the insights (including points of consensus or disagreement)
from your group discussion.
Class meetings
Each class meeting will begin with lecture, to be followed by the short group
presentations and then general Q&A. You can take turns on who speaks for your group
as you wish, but everyone is expected to contribute to online discussion and do their
part representing the group over the semester. During general Q&A, you are
encouraged to ask questions to other groups about their ideas, as well as ask the
professor for clarification about points from lecture and the reading.
Some class meetings will be adjusted in format for the benefit of group work. A couple
class meetings will make use of different multimedia tools and video clips. One or two
class meetings may be adjusted to accommodate special guest lectures.
This course will be aided by the use of an iPad for instruction. The professor will often
use PowerPoint slides during lecture, but the PPTs will not be available in advance. You
are encouraged to take detailed notes in class and compare notes with your
classmates. The PPT files will be made available online as a study tool before the
exam.
The best way to master the subjects in this course (and strengthen your core academic
skills) is to have fun actively engaging with the material. The professor wants you to be
comfortable asking questions and to be bold about sharing your ideas -- there are no
bad questions or wrong opinions as long as you make honest effort to learn and treat
everyone in the class with mutual respect.

Absence policy
Please be aware that Ewha has strict policies about attendance; if you miss too much
class, it is impossible to pass a course. In addition to Ewhas requirements, 20% of
your grade in this course is based on participation, i.e. showing up and contributing to
class. Just about everyone gets sick at some point or has a pressing outside
commitment, so missing one class will not affect your participation score. However, two
absences (and certainly more than two absences) will negatively affect your
participation grade. It seems to be popular at Ewha to bring your professor doctors
notes or activity letters...please note that such materials will not make up for missed
participation in class.
If you miss more than one class and would like to make up participation credit, you can
visit office hours (within two weeks of your absence) and give a very short (3-5min)
presentation. The presentation should cover several points from theassigned reading
that were not covered in the lecture slides for the day you were absent. The short
presentation is an opportunity to show you have understood the material and gives you
a chance to ask the professor any questions you might have in office hours. You can
make-up two absences in this fashion over the course of the semester.
Please note: if you have any personal health issues which may affect your ability to
complete any of the assignments for this course in a timely fashion, please bring such
matters to the attention of your professor in advance. Your professor wants you to
succeed, but if you raise personal issues at the last minute, those look like excuses, and
even if those issues are legitimate, it may be too late for other arrangements to be
made. So please feel welcome to communicate any special concerns early.
Examinations
The midterm exam will be in class on Thursday, October 24th. The final examination
will be in class on Tuesday, December 17th. The professor will discuss sample
questions and provide study tips before the exams.

Course Schedule and Required Reading

The course is divided into three parts. Part I is an introduction of the concepts,
theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches often applied in the study of
international politics. Part II focuses on historical case studies, not only for the sake of
providing background on how international politics have developed to the present stage,
but also to see how the approaches from Part I can be used to debate and explain
international affairs. Part III uses the theory and history of the previous two sections to
address contemporary issues of practice, i.e., policy areas in todays global politics.
Lectures are informed by Henry R. Nau, Perspectives on International Relations, CQ
Press, 2012; by the required readings below; and by your instructors experience in the
field. It would be helpful for you to have a copy of the Nau textbook for reference, but it
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is not required for purchase since you will only be responsible for the material from the
textbook which is presented in lecture. You may want to use the copy in the library for
reference.
You will be responsible for all required readings listed below (which can be accessed
online), as well as occasional short articles on current events posted on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/Professor.Easley.
For your reference, a list of recommended readings is provided at the end of the
syllabus. A good way to earn an A in this course is to enrich your contributions to
discussion and your responses to exam questions by drawing from the recommended
readings.

Tuesday, September 3: Course welcome and overview

Charles A. McClelland and Robert Pfaltzgraff. 2011. International Relations,
Encyclopedia Britannica online; http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/291237/
international-relations (website has free trial option).

Part I: Concepts, Theory and Methodology in International Politics

Thursday, September 5: Realist/power and liberal/interdependence perspectives
Walt, Stephen M. 1998. International Relations: One World, Many Theories. Foreign
Policy; http://faculty.maxwell.syr.edu/hpschmitz/PSC124/PSC124Readings/
WaltOneWorldManyTheories.pdf.
Snyder, Jack. 2004. One World, Rival Theories. Foreign Policy; http://
slantchev.ucsd.edu/courses/pdf/Snyder%20-%20One%20World,%20Rival
%20Theories.pdf.
Tuesday, September 10: Identity/constructivist perspectives
Discussion question: Which theoretical perspective (realism, liberalism or
constructivism) do you think best explains inter-Korean relations in the past five years?
Hopf, Ted. 1998. The Promise of Constructivism in International Relations Theory.
International Security, 23: 171-200; http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/~courses/
PoliticalScience/661B1/documents/TedHopfPromiseofConstructivisminIRTheory.pdf.

Thursday, September 12: Levels of analysis

Rourke, John. 2008. Levels of Analysis and Foreign Policy, in International Politics on
the World Stage. McGraw-Hill; http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/
0073403881/569832/Rourke12e_Sample_ch03.pdf.
Tuesday, September 17: Psychological, institutional factors in decision-making
Discussion question: What do you think is the most important constraint that limits
leaders ability to implement effective policies?
Goldstein, Joshua S. and Jon C. Pevehouse, Foreign Policy, in International Relations.
Longman, 2012; http://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/
hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0205059570.pdf.
Thursday, September 19 - no class - Happy Chuseok
Tuesday, September 24: In-class simulation
Group activity on North Korea crisis to practice using theoretical approaches.
No discussion question this week; instead, your team will be assigned a role
representing a country, organization or particular leader in international politics.
Part II: Historical Background and Case Study Applications
Thursday, September 26: Using IR theories to understand history
Trachtenberg, Marc. 2006. Diplomatic History and International Relations Theory, in
The Craft of International History. Princeton: Princeton University Press; https://
bc.sas.upenn.edu/system/files/Trachtenberg_12.24.06.pdf.
Tuesday, October 1: Causes and consequences of the World Wars
Discussion question: Why do we study history? Give an example where a theoretical
perspective is useful for explaining a historical trend or event.
Van Evera, Stephen. 1984. The Cult of the Offensive and the Origins of the First World
War. International Security 9: 58-107; available via http://lib.ewha.ac.kr/databases/
journal.

Sagan, Scott D. 1988. The Origins of the Pacific War. Journal of Interdisciplinary
History 18: 893-922; available via http://lib.ewha.ac.kr/databases/journal.
The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, a documentary series by KCET/
Los Angeles and the BBC, 1996. Read the chapter overviews at http://www.pbs.org/
greatwar.
The War, a documentary series by PBS, 2007. Read the chapter overviews at http://
www.pbs.org/thewar.

Thursday, October 3 - no class for National Foundation Day

Tuesday, October 8: Nuclear deterrence and nonproliferation

Discussion question: Do you think the role and importance of nuclear weapons in
international politics is increasing or decreasing? Inform your answer with a theoretical
approach, addressing for example, the global balance of power (realism), the
nonproliferation regime (liberalism), or the nuclear taboo (constructivism).
Look over materials at the Nuclear Threat Initiative website; http://www.nti.org/treatiesand-regimes/treaty-on-the-non-proliferation-of-nuclear-weapons.
Thursday, October 10: The Cold War: ideological and regional conflict
Gaddis, John L. 1993. International Relations Theory and the End of the Cold War.
International Security 17: 5-58; available via http://lib.ewha.ac.kr/databases/journal.
Cold War, a documentary series by the History Channel, 2011. Read the chapter
overviews at http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war. Compare this material to what you
have learned in previous courses about the Korean War and Vietnam War.
Tuesday, October 15: Post-Cold War politics
Discussion question: Which argument do you find most persuasive: Prof. Fukuyamas
End of History, Prof. Huntingtons Clash of Civilizations, or Prof. Mearsheimers Tragedy
of Great Power Politics?
Betts, Richard K. 2010. Conflict or Cooperation? Three Visions Revisited. Foreign
Affairs 89: 186-194; http://search.ebscohost.com.access.ewha.ac.kr/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=a9h&AN=54624976&site=ehost-live.

Thursday, October 17: Chinas transformation and American power

Baum, Richard. 2010. Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics, and The Road to
Tiananmen in China Watcher. Seattle: University of Washington Press; http://
books.google.com/books?id=yzykD4-mN7cC&pg=PA100&lpg=PA100&dq=Baum,
+Richard+Capitalism+with+Chinese+Characteristics
Nye, Joseph S. 2010. The Future of American Power. Foreign Affairs 89: 2-12; http://
www.academyofdiplomacy.org/publications/article_archive/Nye-Future%20of
%20American%20Power%20Nov2010%20(2).pdf.
Tuesday, October 22: In-class activity
Group work to practice applying theory to history and review for midterm exam.

MIDTERM EXAM in class, Thursday, October 24th

Tuesday, October 29 - no class because of midterm schedule

Part III: Policy Areas and Global Challenges

Thursday, October 31: Great power rivalry and international order
Ikenberry, John. 2000. Introduction in After Victory: Institutions, Strategic Restraint, and
the Rebuilding of Order After Major Wars. Princeton: Princeton University Press; http://
press.princeton.edu/chapters/s6981.pdf.
Tuesday, November 5: International terrorism and local conflicts
Discussion question: Is the threat of terrorism better understood in a global or local
context? Explain how a policy can have unintended consequences.
Byman, Daniel. 2011. Terrorism After the Revolutions: How Secular Uprisings Could
Help (or Hurt) Jihadists. Foreign Affairs; http://
search.ebscohost.com.access.ewha.ac.kr/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=a9h&AN=60123022&site=ehost-live.
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Lindsay, James M. and Ray Takeyh. 2010. After Iran Gets the Bomb: Containment and
its Complications. Foreign Affairs; http://search.ebscohost.com.access.ewha.ac.kr/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=48191417&site=ehost-live.
Thursday, November 7: Security on the Korean Peninsula
Cha, Victor D. 2009. What Do They Really Want?: Obamas North Korea Conundrum.
Washington Quarterly 32: 119-138; http://csis.org/files/publication/twq09octobercha.pdf.
Kim, Jin Moo. 2011. North Koreas Reliance on China and Chinas Influence on North
Korea. Korean Journal of Defense Analysis 23: 257271; http://www.kida.re.kr/data/
kjda/07_Jin%20Moo%20Kim.pdf.
Tuesday, November 12: Understanding the Role of Policymakers
Special guest lecture by Leslie A. Bassett, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in
Seoul; http://seoul.usembassy.gov/p_dcm_bassett12.html.
Thursday, November 14: Territorial disputes in East Asia
Fravel, Taylor. 2008. Introduction in Strong Borders, Secure Nation. Princeton:
Princeton University Press; http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/i8782.pdf.
The South China Sea: A sea of Disputes. Economist, February 21, 2011; http://
www.economist.com/node/21016161.
Tuesday, November 19: International trade, investment and finance
Discussion question: What do you think are the main causes of financial volatility and
economic inequality?
Meltzer, Joshua. 2011. The Future of Trade. Foreign Policy; http://
www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/04/18/the_future_of_trade?page=full.
Fallows, James. 2008. The $1.4 Trillion Question. Atlantic Monthly; http://
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/01/the-14-trillion-question/6582/?
single_page=true.
Thursday, November 21: Economic development, challenges of globalization
United Nations Millennium Declaration. 2000. UN A/Res/55/2; http://www.un.org/
millennium/declaration/ares552e.pdf.
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Asian Demography. Economist, August 20, 2011; http://www.economist.com/node/

21526329.
Explore the following websites: UNDP: www.undp.org; Asian Development Bank:
www.adb.org; World Bank: www.worldbank.org; North Korea: Witness to
Transformation: http://www.piie.com/blogs/nk.
Tuesday, November 26: Human security, public health and the environment
Discussion question: In what ways does the younger generation see challenges and
opportunities in international politics differently?
Garrett, Laurie. 2005. The Next Pandemic? Foreign Affairs 84: 3-23; http://
search.ebscohost.com.access.ewha.ac.kr/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17327784&site=ehost-live.
United Nations Development Program. 1994. Human Development Report. Chapter 2,
pp. 22-40; http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr1994/chapters.
Thursday, November 28: Maritime, air, space and cyber security
Denmark, Abraham and James Mulvenon. 2010. Contested Commons. Center for a
New American Security Report, pp. 5-40; http://www.cnas.org/files/documents/
publications/CNAS%20Contested%20Commons_1.pdf.
Tuesday, December 3: International organizations
Discussion question: How do international organizations, regional institutions and
national governments interact?
Barnett, Michael N. and Martha Finnemore. 1999. The Politics, Power, and Pathologies
of International Organizations. International Organization 53: 699-732; http://
graduateinstitute.ch/webdav/site/political_science/shared/political_science/Multilateral
%20Governance%20Autumn%202010/barnett%20and%20finnemore%201999.pdf.
Thursday, December 5: Regional institutions
Laursen, Finn. 2004. Regional Integration, in Comparative Regional Integration.
London: Ashgate; http://www.ashgate.com/pdf/SamplePages/
Comparative_Regional_Integration_Intro.pdf.

Tuesday, December 10: Civil society, NGOs and soft power

Discussion question: Does public opinion (about other governments and ones own
government) really matter in international politics?
Haas, Peter M. 1992. Epistemic Communities and International Policy Coordination.
International Organization 46: 1-35; http://faculty.utep.edu/LinkClick.aspx?
link=Introduction+Epistemic+Communities+and+International+Policy
+Coordination.pdf&tabid=19444&mid=43213.
Soft Power in Asia: Results of a 2008 Multinational Survey of Public Opinion. Chicago
Council on Global Affairs, April 2009; http://www.thechicagocouncil.org/UserFiles/File/
POS_Topline%20Reports/Asia%20Soft%20Power%202008/Soft%20Power
%202008_full%20report.pdf.
Thursday, December 12: Domestic political variables
Fearon, James D. 1998. Domestic Politics, Foreign Policy, and Theories of
International Relations. Annual Review of Political Science 1: 289-313; available via
http://lib.ewha.ac.kr/databases/journal.
Easley, Leif-Eric. 2007. Defense Ownership or Nationalist Security: Autonomy and
Reputation in South Korean and Japanese Security Policies. SAIS Review 27:
153-166; available via http://lib.ewha.ac.kr/databases/journal.
FINAL EXAM in class, Tuesday, December 17th

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Recommended Reading
Acharya, Amitav. 2009. Whose Ideas Matter? Agency and Power in Asian Regionalism.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Art, Robert J. and Robert Jervis. 2011. International Politics: Enduring Concepts and
Contemporary Issues. London: Longman.
Axelrod, Robert. 1981. The Evolution of Cooperation. New York: Basic Books.
Baldwin, David A. 1993. Neorealism and Neoliberalism: The Contemporary Debate.
New York: Columbia University Press.
Clark, Ian. 1999. Globalization and International Relations Theory. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Donnelly, Jack, 2000. Realism and International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Doyle, Michael W. 1993. Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs, Philosophy &
Public Affairs 12: 205-35.
Fearon, James. 1995. Rationalist Explanations for War. International Organization 49:
379-414.
Gaddis, John Lewis. 2005. The Cold War: A New History. London: Penguin.
Huntington, Samuel P. 1993. Clash of Civilizations?, Foreign Affairs 72: 22-49.
Ikenberry, G. John and Michael Mastanduno, eds. 2003. International Relations Theory
and the Asia-Pacific. New York: Columbia University Press.
Jervis, Robert. 1976. Perception and Misperception in International Politics. Princeton:
Princeton University Press.
Johnston, Alastair Iain. 2008. Social States: China in International Institutions.
Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Johnston, Alastair Iain and Robert S. Ross, eds. 2006. New Directions in the Study of
Chinas Foreign Policy. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Kang, David C. 2003. Getting Asia Wrong: The Need for New Analytical Frameworks,
International Security 27: 57-85.

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Katzenstein, Peter J. 2005. A World of Regions. Cornell: Cornell University Press.

Keohane, Robert. 1984. After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World
Political Economy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Martin, Lisa L. 2000. Democratic Commitments: Legislatures and International
Cooperation. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Moravcsik, Andrew. 1997. Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of
International Politics, International Organization, 51: 513-553.
Nye, Joseph S. and David A. Welch. 2010. Understanding Global Conflict and
Cooperation: An Introduction to Theory and History. London: Longman.
Pacific Forum CSIS quarterly journal Comparative Connections, http://www.csis.org/
pacfor/ccejournal.html.
Public Broadcasting System. 2011. Women War and Peace, watch the documentary
preview at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/women-war-and-peace.
Putnam, Robert. 1988. Diplomacy and Domestic Politics: The Logic of Two-Level
Games, International Organization 42: 427-460.
Russett, Bruce and John Oneal. 2001. Triangulating Peace: Democracy,
Interdependence, and International Organizations. New York: W.W. Norton.
Sachs, Jeffrey. 2007. The Future of Globalization, lecture at Columbia University;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8beOXxJeaec.
Schultz, Kenneth A. 2001. Democracy and Coercive Diplomacy. New York: Cambridge
University Press.
Shirk, Susan. 2007. Fragile Superpower. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Simmons, Beth A. 1994. Who Adjusts? Domestic Sources of Foreign Economic Policy
During the Interwar Years. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Suh, J.J., Peter Katzenstein and Allen Carlson, eds. 2004. Rethinking Security in East
Asia. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Wendt, Alexander. 1999. Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Yahuda, Michael B. 1996. The International Politics of the Asia-Pacific. London:
Routledge.

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Other Recommended Resources

Read in the library (or online subscription): Economist, Foreign Affairs
Podcasts: Economist, Fareed Zakaria GPS CNN, KBS World, NHK World, BBC World,
think tanks like CSIS, Brookings, Carnegie, Council on Foreign Relations
iTunes U feeds: Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, UCLA, Johns Hopkins
Use customized web portal like Google News or app like Pulse to keep up with news
articles of interest from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other top
newspapers
Google Public Data Explorer: http://www.google.com/publicdata/

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