CPO 3513 Politics of the Far East-Japan and China

This course aims to understand the forces of continuity and change in domestic political systems in East Asia (China, Japan, two Koreas, and Taiwan).  The course begins with a critical evaluation of competing theoretical approaches to understanding political dynamics of the region.  In this course, we will compare and contrast various political, economic, social, and cultural aspects such as modern state-building, political development and crises, political economy, democratization, civil society and state-society relations, and institutional arrangements of major East Asian countries.

INR 2002 International Politics

Most of the earth’s surface is divided into entities, called states, composed of a certain extent of populated territory and a government which attempts, with various degrees of success, to regulate or control what happens inside it. The principal subject of study in international politics is relations between states. Most of the time, most countries are at peace with their neighbors. They may have disputes in which one or the other of both states threaten to use force or may even use it in a limited way, but most of the time these conflicts are settled without all-out war. Occasionally, though, conflicts do escalate to the level of war, and sometimes these wars take a frightful toll in human lives and property. In this course, we will ask questions such as, What factors are associated with peaceful as well as warlike relations among states? Under what conditions do governments decided to go to war? Under what conditions are the deadliest wars fought? What accounts for the very long periods of peace between wars? Is there anything that can be done to promote peace or is war, like death and taxes, something that is inevitable? We will seek answers to these questions in two rival theories in the field. They go by the name of “realism” and “liberalism” or “institutionalism.” In this course, the realist view is represented by Professor John J. Mearsheimer, author of The Tragedy of Great Power Politics and the liberal view by Michael Mandelbaum, author of The Ideas that Conquered the World. Peace, Democracy, and Free Markets in the Twenty-First Century. We will read, discuss, and evaluate these books carefully. Attendance and daily written summaries of the reading assignments are required. There will be two exams and two short take-home written assignments.

INR 3102 American Foreign Policy

INR 3990 East Asian International Relations

East Asia stands out not only because of the economic miracles by Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, but also because of its significance in security and strategic aspects.  In this class, East Asia is defined as containing four “great powers” (United States, China, Japan and Russia) and three medium-level powers (Taiwan and the two Koreas).  A basic level of historical background for the region is required.
 
East Asia presents the most intriguing questions to students of International Relations and to East Asian specialists.  Is China, a regional hegemon, aspiring to become a hegemonic competitor with the United States in the 21st century?  Will Japan’s economic prosperity turn into military capability?  Will the two Koreas be reunited peacefully?  What course will Taiwan choose between independence and integration into mainland China?  Finally, what will be the United States’ strategic interest and role in the region?  This course explores security and military issues in East Asia from the beginning of the cold war up to the current years.
 
There will be five unannounced quizzes (10%), one review essay (20%), and three in-class exams (70%).
There are three required texts:
John Ikenberry and Michael Mustanduno, International Relations Theory and the Asia      -Pacific, New York: Columbia University Press, 2003.
Michael Yahuda, The International Politics of the Asia-Pacific, 1945-1995, New York:                      Routledge, 1996.
Samuel Kim, The International Relations of Northeast Asia, Lanham: Rowman &                                               Littlefield, 2004.
Also, students are required to read the Far Eastern Economic Review (www.feer.com), a weekly journal.

INR 4991/5991 Causes of War

This course addresses important questions about the causes of inter-state conflict.  In this course, we examine both theoretical and empirical grounds of the causes of international war.  The course is divided into two parts.  The first part critically explores competing theoretical approaches to inter-state conflicts, including misperception, psychological pathology, domestic political dynamics, and international system-level analyses.  In the second part, we apply these theoretical perspectives to historical cases of international war, including World War I & II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War confrontations.  We conclude this course with speculations on the possible causes and prevention of future international conflict.

INR 6007 Seminar in International Politics

International Relations is the study of war and peace. This course provides an overview of the major debates and topics in the field. The theoretical background for understanding international relations includes several key theories including realism, liberalism, radicalism, and constructivism. We read both the primary authors on each theory, as well as more contemporary commentaries on the theoretical application. A main focus of the course is to engage critically the central debate between realists and liberals, neo-realists and neo-liberals. The origins of the debate, main propositions on each side, evolution of the arguments, and a current debate will be evaluated and carefully considered. War and strategy have changed dramatically over the course of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century. We discuss the major influences, both socio-psychological and material, that explain causes of wars and changes in strategy of war fighting. The decision-calculus for war will be framed through the insights offered by the main theories of international relations, realism, and liberalism.