Political Science: International Relations

Course Code: GPOL 200

Academic Year: 2024-2025

Today we live in a globalized world that is defined not only by the actions of and relations between sovereign nation-states but also by global information and economic exchange, global security threats and global travel and work opportunities. Never before in human history have the far corners of the earth been closer together, and never have events on one continent had as great or as immediate an impact on the lives of individuals and communities on another continent. Politics is both international and global yet is of direct and local concern to all of us. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to global politics and international relations. The course will begin with a critical examination of the different approaches to studying international relations, and these approaches will help us organize seminar discussions on particular substantive issues relating to war, peace and security, such as the current "War on Terrorism", the proposed National Missile Defense initiative and arguments for and against humanitarian intervention. We will then focus on the organizations and mechanisms of transnational governance, non-state actors and organizations in the global arena, the international monetary and trade systems, international diplomacy, development and dependency, human rights and global ecopolitics.