IR 271 PO 171 for students Syllabus PDF

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Syllbus for IR 271 PO171 students. To have brief understanding of it....

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Boston University -- Pardee School of Global Studies IR271 / PO171 Introduction to International Relations Spring 2022 T-TR 12:30-1:45 Location: MOR 101 Professor Kaija Schilde [email protected] Office hours, Wed 11:15am-12:15pm TR 2-4 pm signup required, Location: on zoom only for beginning of semester Course Calendar Zoom link for remote access, code: IR271

TF Contact, Discussion Section info, Office hours: Zara Albright [email protected]

Sections: B2, D2, H1

Jaewook Lee [email protected] 12:00pm

Sections: B1, F2, C1

Hours: T 3:30-5, W 12:30-2 232 Bay State Road, #311D https://calendly.com/zaracalbright Hours: T/TR 10:00am 232 Bay State Road, Office 203 https://calendly.com/jwklee

Bo Feng [email protected]

Sections: E1, C2, D1

Miguel Fernandez Plaza [email protected] Sections: E2, F1, I1

Hours: T/TR 10:00- 11:30am 232 Bay State Road, Office 213 https://calendly.com/bofeng/taoh Hours: T/TR 2:30pm - 4:00 pm 232 Bay State Road, Office 213 https://calendly.com/mafp

TF Contacts and Discussion Section info Readings: Courseware: Top Hat: Tophat Community + Communication with Professor and Teaching Fellows Logistical Questions Personal/Individual Questions Official Course Announcements Statecraft Course costs

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COURSE GUIDELINES Lectures Lecture section material Discussion sections Discussion section material Assignments/Grading Lecture course grading: 75% of total course grade Discussion Section and Statecraft grading: 25% of total course grade Absence, Late Work, Make Up Policy Major Deadlines (EASTERN STANDARD TIME) Class schedule Part 1: Concepts and Theoretical Frameworks Week 1: Introduction Week 2: Global Politics, States, and the International ‘Order’ Week 3: Cooperation and Conflict: Realism Week 4: Cooperation and Liberalism Week 5: Constructed Orders: States, Identities, and Norms Week 6: Constructed Orders: Race, Empire, and International Order Week 7: Constructed Orders: Gender and Hierarchy Week 7: Midterm Part 2: Selected Topics in Global Policy Week 8: Domestic Politics and Foreign-Policy Decision Making Week 9: War, Political Violence, and Terrorism Week 10: Global Security: Nuclear Weapons Week 11: Global Security: Human Rights, Human Security, Migration and Trafficking Week 13: Transnational Challenges: Development and Aid Week 14: Transnational Challenges: Sustainable Development, Climate and Environment Week 15: International Political Economy + Global Trade Summary and Learning Outcomes Course Learning Outcomes: Hub Learning Outcomes: Social Inquiry I: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy: Policies Disabilities: Academic Misconduct: Academic Integrity Learning during difficult times

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Readings: There are no books for this course. All reading assignments and content are available on Top Hat. Readings and content should be read at the beginning of the week they are assigned on this syllabus. Our course session lectures and in-class activities assume you have engaged with the material, and then the Friday discussion sections led by Teaching Fellows clarify the Tue/Thurs lecture material and the week’s readings. Textbooks in previous years cost between $90-130, so the choice to use no textbook is our attempt to control course costs and allow budgeting space for the courseware fees (information in next section).

Courseware: In this class, we will use two required platforms: Top Hat and Statecraft.

Top Hat: Class Join Code is 397485. Top Hat is our course tool for homework, readings, and class interactions. Top Hat will require a paid subscription of $26 a semester, or less if you sign up for longer. For more info: student support page. Should you require assistance with Top Hat at any time, please contact their email (support@Top Hat.com) or the app support button. If you have any financial constraints, please contact TF Zara Albright for a waiver code. Again, if you have ANY technical PROBLEMS with Top Hat, do not email me, email Top Hat or click support in the app. Tophat Community + Communication with Professor and Teaching Fellows Within the tophat app (no additional subscription) is our discussion board system called Top Hat Community. The main lecture course channel will be live during the lectures and is for CLASS CONTENT ONLY. You may not have side conversations or anything off-topic, you may not ask questions about tests, homework, etc. Anything about anything NOT related to the lecture material will be deleted. Teaching Fellows will monitor it during the lecture, answering questions and flagging questions for the professor to address at points in the lecture. It can also be logged on to anytime for asynchronous questions during the week and will be monitored by the teaching team to follow up and address questions from class. Logistical Questions For any logistical questions about class time, class location, readings, reading pages, discussion boards, tests, homework, software, timing, video quality, etc, please post the question on the #logisticalcoursequestions channel. If you have a logistical question, at least 50-350 other people do, too. Asking and answering questions here allows questions to be 1) crowdsourced so peers, TFs, and the professor can answer, 2) allows others to benefit from looking at the answers before asking the question themselves, and 3) saves the TFs from answering hundreds of emails a day.

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Personal/Individual Questions For PERSONAL or INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS, please email your TF first and only, when appropriate, the professor. Do NOT DM us on Top Hat, because it is very hard to organize the message threads and they are easily lost in that format. Official Course Announcements From Professor Schilde all announcements will go out to all the class on the IR271 Official channel. Please make sure you are on it and have notifications enabled. You can also use Top Hat Community to create new channels for peer-to-peer groups, study groups, etc.

Statecraft Students will be required to purchase access to the Statecraft Simulation for $33.25 for the semester. To register, go to statecraftsim.com and click “Login/Create Account” to create a student account. Simulations will be run by teaching fellows and referenced frequently during Friday discussion sections. Each TF will manage a unique simulated ‘world’ comprising all students in their discussion sections (about 60 students per world). If you have any issues purchasing access, creating an account, or accidentally sign up for the wrong section, please contact: [email protected]. Sign up for your simulation based on your assigned TEACHING FELLOW: Albright Discussion Sections (B2, D2, H1) Code: AlbrightSpring22 Feng Discussion Sections (C2, D1, E1): FengSpring22 Fernandez Plaza Discussion Sections (E2, F1, I1): FernandezSpring22 Lee Discussion Sections (B1, C1, F2): LeeSpring22

Course costs $26 (Top Hat) + $33.25 (statecraft) = $59.25 NO textbook(s) (usually between $90-130) If you have any financial constraints, please contact your TF for a TopHat waiver code or our representative at Statecraft ([email protected]) for a waiver code.

COURSE GUIDELINES The course is presented in lectures and in discussion sections.

Lectures Lecture sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and are led by Professor Schilde. Lectures introduce concepts and ideas, briefly link concepts to readings, and provide ideas that supplement the readings. There will be a live discussion board during the class where students can ask questions, upvote other questions, and prompt the professor to clarify points. Lecture classes will also have project-based activities, where students break into small groups to solve puzzles and participate in activities. This will

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be introduced during class after the first few class sessions, so you do not need to anticipate or prepare for the group activities ahead of time.

Lecture section material To prepare for lectures, you must read/watch/review/listen to the week’s material before class. This material can be found each week in Top Hat, under the "before class" folder. You must complete this, and there are required embedded questions in the content. The questions are participation-credit only. These materials will be open for one week. During most lectures questions will also be asked and are required. If you cannot answer the question (for technical reasons or because the question closed too quickly) the questions can be found under the “during class” folder for that week. During-class questions will be open for the whole semester.

Discussion sections Meet on Fridays and are led by Teaching Fellows. The discussion sections have two purposes: 1) review and discuss the lecture and reading concepts, and 2) host a simulation of a virtual IR world with different countries, which will be led by students in groups.

Discussion section material The Teaching Fellows have at their discretion 10% of the overall course grade. Each TF will communicate how they will allocate the 10% in their first discussion section.

Assignments/Grading Assignment

Points

Percent of Grade

Lecture course grading: 75% of total course grade Midterm Top Hat questions (“before” and “during” class folders) Map quizzes Final exam

20% 30% 5% 20%

Grading Scale: A AB+ B BC+ C

93+ 90-92 88-89 83-87 80-82 78-79 75-78

Discussion Section and Statecraft grading: 25% of total course grade Teaching Fellows Discretion (participation, etc) Short (2 page) Statecraft Final Paper Statecraft Sim Weekly Memos Statecraft Sim Manual Quiz Statecraft Historians’ Verdict Award Statecraft Peer Evaluation Statecraft Debriefing

10% 3% 5% 2% 1% 1% 3%

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TOTAL

100%

Extra Credit Opportunities: Two available extra credit assignments on Top Hat for 15 points or 1.5% grade boost (3% grade boost total possible).

Tests: One midterm test and one final exam. Tests will be multiple choice and hosted on Top Hat. They will be conducted in the classroom without monitoring software. Please bring laptops to class on the test days. Two short map quizzes. Do not bother cheating on them, but you can take them as many times as you want until you get the right answer. They will be assigned and open for one week until their due date. Statecraft Short Final Paper: The final short Statecraft paper (2 pages) requires you to integrate your simulation experience with class material. The prompt will be made available via Top Hat at least one week prior. Simulation Memos: Each turn/week, you must submit a simulation memo in the Statecraft system before the turn ends. Think of it like a journal entry of your process, just documenting your individual experiences in your country. These memos must be about 150 words in length (a paragraph in length). They are intended to help ensure that students are actively participating in, and thinking about, the simulation each week. They are not a big deal, just do them. See the Statecraft Manual for details on what your memo should include, depending on your governmental position. Late memos and memos shorter than the required length will not be counted. You earn 5 points for each memo completed. Statecraft Historians’ Verdict Award: At the end of the simulation, each state will be awarded scores for actions taken. Please consult the Statecraft manual to see how to win the Statecraft Historians’ Verdict Award. Statecraft Peer Evaluation: As Statecraft only functions well when all members of a country work together, at the end of the simulation, each country member will conduct peer evaluations of all their teammates’ efforts. Statecraft Debriefing attendance and participation: On the last discussion section Friday, each TF will host a Statecraft debriefing event, where country teams will discuss the results of their simulation experiences. Extra Credit opportunities: On Top Hat. Complete them at any time before 5/1. You MUST notify your TF that you submitted an extra credit assignment, otherwise they will not know and be able to evaluate it for credit.

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#1: Podcast assignment #2: IR Meme/Tiktok

Absence, Late Work, Make Up Policy We will be following BU policy on COVID and remote course access. Updates will be provided. For ANY late work, contact your TF to re-open an assignment for you or address whatever the issue is. DO NOT EMAIL THE PROFESSOR.

Major Deadlines (EASTERN STANDARD TIME) ***for weekly “before” content, the deadline for reviewing/engaging with the material is when class begins on Tuesday (or Thursday if there is a separate “before Thursday” folder). Deadlines are also stated on Top Hat. All Tophat materials (Before, During, After) are due one week after they are opened. Deadlines are always visible on Tophat. Buy Top Hat subscription, download Top Hat app, turn on notifications for Top Hat Community Friday Jan. 21, 5pm (All times are US Eastern Time) Buy statecraft subscription Friday Jan. 28, 5pm Statecraft manual quiz due by Thursday, Feb. 10, 9pm (By the end of Turn 0) Statecraft memos due before 9pm Thursday evenings, starting Thursday, Feb. 17, 9pm Map quiz 1 due Friday Feb. 25 5pm MIDTERM: March 3, during lecture time Map quiz 2, due Friday April 15, 5pm Statecraft debriefing, Friday April 29 during Discussion Sections (Note that there are no sections on May 6th) Final short statecraft paper, due Monday May 9, 5pm FINAL: Time and date set by the University, To be announced

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Class schedule Part 1: Concepts and Theoretical Frameworks Week 1: Introduction 1/20 What is International Relations? What are the Big Problems Facing the World Today? What is a Theory? How do we study international interactions? How do we use theories to understand international relations among states? No discussion sections on 1/21

Week 2: Global Politics, States, and the International ‘Order’ 1/25 + 1/27 What is global governance, and why is it hard? What are the global problems and who are the global actors today? What is globalization? What is the relationship between states and non state actors? What is the role of the state in the international system? What is the role of the US in the global system? Where did the global ‘order’ of international relations come from? What is the global system, is there order to all of this? Is this just a passing US-led order? 1/28 Discussion sections begin

Week 3: Cooperation and Conflict: Realism 2/1 + 2/3 What is the nature of humankind? How do states relate to each other in the international area? Why do states struggle for power? Is conflict inevitable? How does the theoretical lens of realism help us understand international relations? **Notice: Professor is at a conference on Feb 3. No need to come to lecture class in person on Feb. 3 Discussion sections 2/4- Statecraft Orientation sessions , “Turn Zero” During the Statecraft orientation week (on “Turn Zero”, starting at 9 pm on 2/3), students are placed into their country teams and get to choose their country names, government types, attributes, and individual government positions. **STATECRAFT MANUAL QUIZ assigned** (complete asynchronously outside class)

Week 4: Cooperation and Liberalism 2/8 + 2/10 If the world is such a harsh place, why does cooperation happen? Under what conditions is cooperation more or less likely? Under what conditions do international institutions arise? Can states make contracts,

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or treaties, with each other that modifies the self-help system, or anarchy, in the international system? Do international institutions change the way states interact with each other (permanently)? Statecraft Manual quiz due by Thursday, 2/10, 9 pm Discussion sections 2/11- Statecraft Turn 1 starts (opens live at 9 pm 2/10)

Week 5: Constructed Orders: States, Identities, and Norms 2/15 + 2/17 What is the role of norms, ideas, and identities in the international system? How do states and people come to understand each other? Where does change come from? Discussion sections 2/18 - Statecraft Turn 2

Week 6: Constructed Orders: Race, Empire, and International Order 2/24 Map and reading quiz 1 due 2/25 5 pm EST Discussion sections 2/25 - Statecraft Turn 3

Week 7: Constructed Orders: Gender and Hierarchy 3/1 What is gender and what role does it play in International Relations? How does it influence the way we study IR? How do gender norms interact with conflict dynamics and development outcomes? Discussion sections 3/4 - Statecraft Turn 4

Week 7: Midterm March 3

Part 2: Selected Topics in Global Policy Week 8: Domestic Politics and Foreign-Policy Decision Making 3/15-3/17 If we want to understand how states interact, where should we look? Role of individuals? Role of mass publics and domestic politics? Media or social media? Bureaucracies and institutions? Discussion sections 3/18 - Statecraft Turn 5

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Week 9: War, Political Violence, and Terrorism 3/22 + 3/24 What are the different types of war? Why do wars break out? What qualities within states and among states make war more or less likely? Has the world become more peaceful? Terrorism: What is it? Who uses it? Why? How has it changed? Discussion sections 3/25 - Statecraft Turn 6

Week 10: Global Security: Nuclear Weapons 3/29 + 3/31 What is a nuclear weapon? Why do states acquire and abandon them? How have they been used? Should we fear more states having nuclear weapons? Discussion sections 4/1 - Statecraft Turn 7

Week 11: Global Security: Human Rights, Human Security, Migration and Trafficking 4/5 + 4/7 What is the difference between national and human security, and what are the tensions between human rights and national sovereignty? Discussion sections 4/8- Statecraft Turn 8

Week 13: Transnational Challenges: Development and Aid 4/12 + 4/14 Does foreign aid work? Is giving aid altruistic? What are unintended consequences? What future challenges might alter the relations among states? Discussion sections 4/15 - Statecraft Turn 9 Map and reading quiz 2 due 4/15 5 pm EST

Week 14: Transnational Challenges: Sustainable Development, Climate and Environment 4/19 + 4/21 Climate change, natural resources and security. How does the challenge of international cooperation relate to the global policy issue of climate and natural resources? Asynchronous class (recorded lecture + activities) instead of class on 11/23 (yes, book your Thanksgiving tickets, there is no physical, in-person class on 11/23)

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4/21 - Statecraft Turn 10

Week 15: International Political Economy + Global Trade 4/26 - 4/28 Why do states trade? Who gains and who loses? How do states regulate trade among themselves? What allows states to trade? How did the dollar become the world’s primary reserve currency? Who benefits from the world’s trade regime? 4/28 -- Statecraft end? Last discussion sections Friday 4/29- Statecraft Debriefing session

Week 16: The Bretton Woods System and International Monetary Relations 5/3 What allows states to trade? How did the dollar become the world’s primary reserve currency? Who benefits from the world’s trade regime? Final short statecraft paper, due May 9, 5pm EST.

Summary and Learning Outcomes Humans and human societies face many challenges today and throughout recorded history. However, there is no global authority to address global human challenges. If there is no authority in the world, how do problems and issues get resolved? This lack of global authority is called anarchy. In contrast to domestic politics (inside states), global politics is one made up of sovereign states with no central authority. What are the implications of anarchy for international politics? ...