Introduction to International Relations: V53.0700
Spring, 2019
Professor Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
Office hours: Tuesday, 9:30-12, 2:15-4:00 or by appointment Telephone: 212 998 3521
Email: [email protected]
This course is designed to introduce the central concepts and methods for studying international relations and foreign policy. It emphasizes a political economy perspective that draws attention to how incentives, political institutions and domestic politics shape interactions in the international arena whether those interactions concern national security or economic exchange. The course introduces a set of analytic tools that will help provide a means to evaluate points of view regarding foreign affairs based on logic and evidence rather than personal opinion or partisan preferences. It is intended to provide insights into past and current international events and to develop the means of thinking about international affairs that will create a better understanding of future events than is likely to be conveyed by journalism or by more standard, state-oriented approaches to international affairs.
The required text for the course is, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Principles of International Politics, 5th edition (hereafter referred to as PIP). Additionally, there are other required readings most weeks. These other readings will be available on NYU Classes under the course International Relations. The more technical elements in the textbook, including especially the details of how to solve game theory models, will primarily be taught during recitation sections, leaving lectures for the introduction of ideas and application to real-world problems. There will be a forum setup in Classes where students can raise questions that did not come up or were not adequately addressed in class. The TAs and I will endeavor to provide prompt responses to subject-matter questions and we encourage exchanges of ideas between students as well through the class forum.
The course will include a midterm, a final exam, and several problem sets as homework assignments throughout the semester. The graded problem sets will count as 24 percent of the final grade. Because they are graded they must be done individually without consulting classmates or others. They can be done as open book assignments so consulting readings is fine. The midterm will count as 35 percent of the grade and the final exam will count as 41 percent. All examinations will be a mix of lecture material and reading.
Weekly assignments:
January 28: Topics: Course Purpose & National Interest. Reading: PIP Introduction,
PIP Appendix I (History background)
February 4: Topic: Rationality of Conflict & Bargaining to Find Solutions. Readings: PIP
Chapter 2, Fearon, IO 1995; For Recitation PIP Chapter 1 (Scientific Method
applied to IR).
February 11: Topic: Selectorate Governance. Readings: PIP Chapter 2 Continued plus BdM and Smith, Annual Review of Political Science (ARPS) 2012, For Recitation: PIP, Chapter 3 (Tools 1: spatial models, median voter theorem, win sets, expected utility);
February 18: Presidents Day – no class; for 2/20: PIP Chapter 4, (Tools 2: game theory) and 1ST PROBLEM SET DUE
February 25: Topic: Realism & Power Transition Theories. Reading: PIP Chapter 5;
Mar 4: Topic: Audience Costs, Cuba & Crimea. Reading: PIP Chapter 6.
March 11: Topic: Domestic Opposition & Foreign Policy Adventurism. PIP Chapter 6 Continued &
Kenneth Schultz, APSR 1998
March 18: Spring Recess
March 25: Midterm Exam
April 1: Topic: The Democratic Peace: Theory and Evidence. Reading: PIP Chapter 14. April 3: 2nd Problem Set Due
April 8: Topic: Foreign Aid. Reading: PIP Chapter 12
April 15: Topic: International Organizations. Readings: PIP Chapters 7; Gilligan
and Johns, ARPS 2012
April 22: Topic: The Environment and Collective Action. PIP Chapter 8.
April 29: Topic: Human Rights. Reading: PIP Chapter 9
April 25: Topic: Political Economy of Trade. Readings: PIP Chapters 10 and 11; April 27: 3rd Problem Set Due
May 6: Topic: Terrorism. Readings: PIP Chapter 13; Ethan BdM 2005.
May 13: Review for Final
May 15: Final Exam 10AM – 11:50AM |
CAPITAL STRATEGY SEPTEMBER 2006 CONTENTS PAGE 1 INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 12 INCLUDES A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO MATLAB
CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 4 2 FUNDING POLICY
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