Weekly time of in-classroom sessions: 3 hours

Expected weekly time of study and preparation prior to the class: 1-2 hours

Week 1 (9/2): Course overview and introduction / What is International Relations and World Politics?

Shannon L. Blanton and Charles W. Kegley, World Politics: Trend & Transformation, 17th Edition (Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2021), Chapter 1. [Hereafter: World Politics].

* Kenneth Waltz, Theory of International Politics (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1979), Chapter 1.

Week 2 (9/9): Mainstream Theories in International Relations: Realism and Liberalism

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 2.

*David A. Lake, “Theory is Dead, Long Live Theory: The End of the Great Debates and the Rise of Eclecticism in International Relations,” European Journal of International Relations 19 (2013), pp. 567-587.

*John Mearsheimer, “E. H. Carr vs. Idealism: The Battle Rages On,” International Relations, Vol. 19, No. 2 (2005), pp. 139-152.

Week 3 (9/16): Other Theories: Constructivism, Marxism and Feminism

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 2.

* Emanuel Adler, “Constructivism in International Relations: Sources, Contributions, and Debates,” in Handbook, pp. 112-145.

Week 4 (9/23): Foreign Policy and Explanation of International Decision Making

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 3.

* Duncan Snidal, “Rational Choice and International Relations,” in Walter Carlsnaes, Thomas Risse, and Beth Simmons, eds., Handbook of International Relations, 2nd. edition pp. 85-111 (London: SAGE, 2012). [Hereafter: Handbook].

Week 5 (9/30): Great Powers, Hegemony, and Rivalries

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 4.

* David Lake, “Great Power Hierarchies and Strategies in Twenty-First Century World Politics,” in Handbook, pp. 555-577.

Week 6 (10/7): Emerging Powers and the Global South

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 5.

* Richard Ned Lebow and Benjamin Valentino, “Lost in Transition: A Critical Analysis of Power Transition Theory,” International Relations, Vol. 23, No. 3 (2009), pp. 389-410.

Week 7 (10/14): Increasing Relevance of Non-state Actors

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 6.

* Marianna Charountaki, “Conceptualising Non-State Actors in International Relations,” in Marianna Charountaki and D. Irrera, eds., Mapping Non-State Actors in International Relations. Non-State Actors in International Relations, pp.1-16 (Cham: Springer, 2022).

Week 8 (10/21): Midterm Examination

Week 9 (10/28): The concept of War and its Threats

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 7.

* Brian Efird, Jacek Kugler and Gaspare Genna, “From War to Integration: A Generalized Power Transition Dynamic,” International Interactions, Vol. 29, No. 4 (2003), pp. 293-313.

Week 10 (11/4):  The Quest for Security, Power, and Alliances

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 8.

* Jeffrey Taliaferro, “Security Seeking under Anarchy: Defensive Realism Revisited,” International Security, Vol. 25, No. 3 (2000/01), pp. 128-161.

Week 11 (11/11): The Maintenance of Peace, International Law, and Collective Security

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 9.

* John Ikenberry, “Liberal Internationalism 3.0: America and the Dilemmas of Liberal World Order,” Perspectives on Politics, Vol. 7, No. 1 (2009), pp. 71-87.

* Sebastian Rosato, "The Flawed Logic of Democratic Peace Theory," American Political Science Review, Vol. 97, No. 4 (2003), pp. 585-602.

Week 12 (11/18): Economic Globalization and International Finances

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 10.

* Jonathan Kirshner, “The Economic Sins of Modern IR Theory and the Classical Realist Alternative,” World Politics, Vol. 67, No. 1 (2015), pp. 155-183.

Week 13 (11/25): Economic Development and International Trade

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 11.

* Jana Honke and Markus Lederer, “Development and International Relations,” in Handbook, pp. 775-800.

Week 14 (12/2): Demographic and Cultural Transformations and their impact on IR

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 12.

* Monica Duffy Toft, “Religion and International Relations Theory,” in Handbook, pp. 673-691.

* Gallya Lahav and Sandra Lavenex, “International Migration,” in Handbook, pp. 746-774.

Week 15 (12/9): Political Change and Human Rights in IR

Blanton and Kegley, World Politics, Chapter 13.

* Thomas Risse, “Transnational Actors and World Politics,” in Handbook, pp. 426-452.

Week 16 (12/16): Final Examination

None

This course is a required course for students at the Diplomacy Department, and student's attendance and participation are vital elements to its passing. Preparation and discussion are therefore highly encouraged. The composition of evaluation is as follows:

Midterm Exam: 20%

Final Exam: 30%

Team-based presentation: 20%

Depending on the number of students enrolled in this course, the instructor will ask them to form teams and each one will be making a presentation throughout the semester. Each team will be selecting a study case to be presented, after previous consultation with the instructor. The team presentations will take place between Week 5 and Week 15. The number of teams and their members will be defined in the first weeks of the semester, depending on the total number of students enrolled in this course. Also, depending on the number of members per team, the average length recommended for each presentation will be determined.

After its definition and selection of the topic, the team should read all the required and supplementary materials for that session, and connect its contents to the case they will present. The team can use audiovisual materials, such as PowerPoint, Canva or Prezi files during the presentation; and if time allows it, some interactive activities at the end of it, to engage the audience.

The score of the presentation will consist in: organization and coordination of the team members (20pts.); content and coherence of the presentation (40pts.); performance of team members during the presentation and time management (40pts.).

Attendance and Participation: 30%

Attendance and punctuality are a key element in the course, as well as constant participation by students. Discussion will be relevant, particularly during the last hour of each session. 

The required text book for this course is:

Shannon L. Blanton and Charles W. Kegley, World Politics: Trend & Transformation, 18th Edition (Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2025).

The list supplementary of materials will be given to the students during the first weeks of the semester, and most of them can be found in the following edited volume:

Walter Carlsnaes, Thomas Risse, and Beth Simmons, eds., Handbook of International Relations, 2nd. edition (London: SAGE, 2012).