Political Science 260 An Introduction to Global Politics

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Political Science 260An Introduction to Global
Politics

• Welcome to POLI 260! I hope you will enjoy this
  course!
• This is the outline of the introductory lecture.
• These slides (and the web based slides for all of
  the class lectures) provide the structure of each
  class, but only a little of the content. These
  slides to do not provide a replacement for class
  attendance!!

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Political Science 2601.0. An Introduction to
Global Politics

• What is Global Politics/International Relations?
• Learning Objectives
• Define Global Politics/International Relations
• Use the level of analysis tool
• Understand the central issues in the study of
  Global Politics

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What is International Relations?

• Definition
• Place in Social Sciences and the Humanities
• Boundaries

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The Level of Analysis Tool

• Three Levels
• Individual
• State/Group
• System
• The concept of the international system

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Using the Level of Analysis Tool

• What different explanations exist for the
  outbreak of WWI?
• Study Tip
• Use the level of analysis as a tool, come up
  with different explanations for the US invasion
  of Iraq, Israels attack on Lebanon, and North
  Koreas decision to acquire nuclear weapons.

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What are the Issues in Global Politics?

• What theoretical framework best describes and
  explains the world?

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Different theories of IR

• Realismpower politics
• Liberalisminterdependence
• Marxismdependence
• Postmodern/constructivistbelief systems
• Feminismgender

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What are the issues?

• What is the problem?

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What are the issues?

• What are the lessons of the past?

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What are the issues?

• Is the international system integrating or
  fragmenting?

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What are the issues?

• What is the future of the international economy?

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What are the issues?

• Is the state in decline?

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What are the issues?

• What will be the impact of the technology
  revolution?

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What are the issues?

• How can security be achieved?

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What are the issues?

• The United States and global politics

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Additional Questions

• How do foreign policy decisions get made?
• What is the future of international organizations
  (like the UN)?
• What is the best path to the development of the
  worlds poor places?
• Is China the next superpower?
• How can terrorism be defeated or eliminated?
• Is the world economy stable?

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And the most important question of all is

• How will YOU make a difference?
• Do the problems facing the world seem
  overwhelming? Does it appear that forces beyond
  your control are making the world an increasingly
  unstable and unsustainable place? Does it seem
  that nothing you do will ever make a difference?
  The study of global politics can leave students
  and scholars frustrated and pessimistic about the
  prospects for the future.
• Never let anyone tell you that you cannot make a
  difference. You will make a difference, and you
  already are. How can you not? You are young,
  intelligent, and live in one of the most wealthy
  and privileged places on Earth. You are attending
  university, something the majority of people on
  this planet can only dream of. Opportunities to
  make a difference lie before you more than most.
  The question is, what kind of a difference will
  you make? And how will you make it?

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Summary

• After our first class, you should be able to
  provide a friend (or your parents!) with a
  definition of global politics/international
  relations, and describe the core research
  questions in this field of study .
• You should be able to use the levels of
  analysis as a tool to think about different
  explanations for historical or current events.
• So far, so good? Next, we will begin our
  examination of the contending theoretical
  frameworks in the field.