IRC040 World Politics

Professor Changrok Soh/Daniel Connolly Course Information

Office: International Studies Hall #539 (Soh) Spring 2019
Office hour: by appointment Thursday 14:00-16:45
Email: crsoh@korea.ac.kr/danielc@korea.ac.kr International Studies Hall #215

Course description

This course introduces graduate students to basic concepts, past and current theories,
and principal issues in the study of world politics. Since the entire discipline of international
relations covers a wide range of issues, diverse theoretical perspectives, various methods, and
numerous countries in different historical periods, no single course could possibly provide an
introduction with detailed explanations and discussions. Instead of covering as many topics and
cases as possible, this course focuses on the most important issues shaping the world politics of
our time and tries to understand the issues from different perspectives. Among the principal
issues, great power relations, world capitalism, and the role of international laws and human
rights in world politics will be covered. This course is designed to help graduate students acquire
knowledge of basic concepts and ideas in the field of international relations, understand how
international phenomena are studied scientifically, and strengthen critical thinking and creative
writing skills especially in academic contexts.

Course Requirements

1. Each student is expected to attend class, complete all required readings, and participate in
class discussions. Attendance and participation is an essential part of this course and will count
for 20% of the final grade. The quality as well as quantity of contributions to class discussions
will be considered. No student can do well without oral participation. 
2. There will be group presentations. Students will be divided into several groups and each
group will make the presentation on the chosen topic for about 30 minutes. Extra readings for
these presentations are recommended. In addition, there will be a peer evaluation. All student
groups are required to evaluate other groups’ presentation in various categories. Group
evaluation sheet will be provided before the class, and it should be submitted after the class.
The presentation will count for 30% of the final grade.
3. There will be an in-class midterm exam to check understanding and making fundamentals
clear. The mid-term exam will count for 25% of the final grade. 
4. There will be a take-home final exam on the final exam week. It will count for 25% of the final
grade. Citations are required. Plagiarism in any form will result to a lowered or failing grade.
Course Policies

1. This syllabus is tentative and subject to change. Students are responsible for being aware of
any changes. 
2. Class attendance is required. 
3. Students must complete all assignments to pass the course. Make-up exams will not be given.
If there is an exceptional circumstance, it must be approved in advance. 
4. Assignments should be submitted by 9:00 am on the due dates. If you anticipate having
problems meeting these deadlines, please contact me in advance to discuss your situation. 
5. Academic honesty is expected at all times. Any violation is considered as a very serious
matter because fair and effective education requires academic honesty. Please be aware of the
University’s policy and some common sense guidelines about plagiarism ad other types of
violation of academic integrity.

East Asian Crisis Simulation

This class will also feature a simulation of a foreign policy crises in East Asia, based on the
Matrix-type tabletop exercise developed by Tom Mouat. This simulation, which will occur in the
second half of the semester, will encourage teams to implement their theoretical and practical
knowledge in a challenging and competitive environment, followed by discussion and self-
review.  More details will be given in class. For more information on the Matrix-type tabletop
simulation see https://paxsims.wordpress.com/.

Required/recommended books

*Baylis, John, Patricia Owens, and Steve Smith. 2017. The Globalization of World Politics
International Edition, Oxford University Press.
Supplementary reading materials are uploaded on Blackboard.

Course Schedule
3/7 Course Overview/Class Organization
What is World Politics? Why Do We Study it?
Baylis et al. Introduction & Ch.1
Barrett, Michael, and Kathryn Sikkink, “From International Relations to Global Society”
http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199604456.001.0001/oxf
ordhb-9780199604456-e-035
3/14 The Historical Context of World Politics 1
Baylis, Smith, and Owens: Chapter 2 & 3
Henry Kissinger, World Order, 2015

3/21 The Historical Context of World Politics 2

Baylis, Smith, and Owens: Chapter 4 & 5
Francis Fukuyama “The End of History”
Samuel Huntington “The Clash of Civilizations”
Richard Haass “World Order 2.0”
Joseph Nye Jr. “Will the Liberal Order Survive?”
Robin Niblett “Liberalism in Retreat”
Michael Mazarr “The Once and Future Order”

3/28 Two Major Perspectives of World Politics: Realism and Liberalism

Baylis, Smith, and Owens: Chapter 6 & 7
Jack Snyder “One World, Rival Theories”
Thucydides “Melian Dialogue”
Hans J. Morgenthau “A Realist Theory of International Politics and Political Power”
John Mearsheimer “Anarchy and the Struggle for Power”
Michal Doyle “Liberalism & World Politics
Steven L. Lamy “Contemporary mainstream approaches: neo-realism and neo-liberalism”

4/4 Alternative Views on World Politics: Marxist Theories & Social Constructivism
Baylis, Smith, and Owens: Chapter 8 & 9
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy(http://plato.stanford.edu) Karl Marx(3.Economics
4. Theory of History) ./ Critical Theory(1. Critical Theory as Metaphilosophy
2. Democracy as a Practical Goal of Critique)
Immanuel Wallerstein “The Rise and Future Demise of the World Capitalist System:
Concepts for Comparative Analysis”
Robert Cox “Social Forces, States and World Order”
Alexander Wendt “Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power
Politics”

4/11 Alternative views on World Politics: Post-Colonialism & Feminism

Baylis, Smith, and Owens: Chapter 10 & 11
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy(http://plato.stanford.edu) Colonialism(1. Definition
and Outline 5.Post-colonial Theory)

4/18 War and Security / International Political Economy

Baylis et al. Ch. 12, 13, & 14
Sagan, Scott Douglas, and Kenneth Neal Waltz. 2013. The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: An
Enduring Debate. New York: WW Norton & Company.
Robert Gilpin “The Nature of Political Economy”
 Collier, Paul. 2008. The Bottom Billion. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4/25 Midterm Exam

5/2 Global Governance 1: International Law/International Organizations/The United Nations

Baylis et al. Ch. 15, 16, & 17
Rittberger, Volker. 2001. Global Governance and the United Nations System. Tokyo:
United Nations University .

5/9 Global Governance 2: Regionalism/Gender/Race

Baylis et al. Ch. 18, 19, & 20
Zielonka, Jan, Is the EU doomed? 2014

5/16 East Asia Crisis Simulation

Each team is responsible for reading the rules of Matrix-style tabletop exercises(provided as a
handout) and should come to class with a pre-researched list of victory conditions. More
details will be provided in class.

5/23 Student Presentation 1, 2, & 3: Poverty, Hunger, and Development/Trade and

Finance/Environmental Issues
Baylis et al. Ch. 21, 22, & 23.
Paul Collier, The Bottom Billion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008
Paul Krugman, The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008, 2009
Chasek, Pamela S., David L. Downie, and Janet Welsh Brown, Global Environmental
Politics, 2016.
5/30 Student Presentation 4, 5, & 6: Human Security, Human Rights, Weapons of Mass
Destruction
Baylis et al. Ch. 24, 25, & 26
Jeffrey Sachs, Common Wealth, 2009
Jack Donnelly, International Human Rights, 2017
Paul Bracken, The Second Nuclear Age, 2013

6/6 Holiday – No class

6/13 Student Presentation 7 & 8: Nationalism/Terrorism

Baylis et al. Ch. 27 & 28
Misha Glenny, The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers, 1804-2011, 2012
Walter Enders & Todd Sandler, The Political Economy of Terrorism, 2011

6/20 Final Exam