Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Susan Waltz
1:00-2:30
swaltz@umich.edu
Tues-Thurs
3227 Weill Hall
1110 Weill Hall
Office hours Tues and
Thurs
GSI Peter Saling
psaling@umich.edu
Office hours TBA
This course is intended to provide insight into the dynamics of global politics and international relations.
Nation states remain the primary actors in contemporary international relations, but increasingly they are
joined by a range of non-state actors whose views and interests must be taken into account. How can
we understand the interests and interactions of these various actors, states and non-states? How do
they identify issues to address, and how do they devise effective strategies for dealing with policy
concerns? In this class we will consider courses of action open to various actors based on the attributes
and capacity they bring to the situation, but we will also consider the constraints that are embedded in the
international system, and in international institutions. To what extent can states achieve objectives on
their own? To what extent is multilateralism a desirable strategy for international problem-solving? In
addition to considering the choices and strategies open to various actors, this course looks at a number
of institutional contexts in which international actors meet and conduct their affairs. In the international
arena, states create institutional patterns, and these same institutions help shape their behavior. The UN
and the Bretton Woods system have nearly identical memberships, but they often produce very different
sorts of policies--and occasionally they produce policies that are contradictory. How does this happen,
and why?
The course places great emphasis on writing and policy analysis. There will be several short written
assignments and one longer policy analysis with several different parts. The policy analysis is part of a
group project; it is due at the end of the semester and should represent a culmination of your work over
the semester. The short written assignments, as well as the longer project, are designed to help you
develop specific skills related to policy analysis. Further information about the assignments and about
grading is provided in the Assignment Guide for the course.
In addition to the papers and roundtables, the main course requirement is to keep up with assigned
readings and participate in class discussions.
Readings
Most of the readings for this course are listed in the syllabus. (Some readings for topical issues will not
be chosen until October or early November). Virtually all of the readings are available on-line and can be
accessed in multiple ways (through live links on the syllabus posted to the Ctools site or through the
university’s electronic reserves). For student convenience, a coursepack with many of the required
readings is available at Dollar Bill Copying at 611 Church St. (A coursepack with every required reading
would probably be cost-prohibitive. Readings have been selected for inclusion in the coursepack based
on copyright fees to minimize cost to students. STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL REQUIRED
READINGS, whether or not included in the coursepack.)
Additional materials have been placed on reserve in the Ford School Reading Room and will be used in
class discussion/assignments.
• KSG Case Studies, “Pakistani Textile Exports, Fast Track, and the US War on Terror: A Collision
of Foreign and Trade Policy Goals” (1825.0, 2006).
• Pew Case Study Center, “It’s Not Just the Economy, Stupid: Linking Free Trade and the War on
Terror.” (Case 293, 2007).
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Throughout the course and indeed, throughout your program at the Ford School, you may also wish to
make a regular practice of consulting some of the following journals, which address foreign policy, global
governance, IR, and current events:
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Policy
World Policy Journal
Global Governance
Millennium
Orbis
International Security
World Politics
International Studies Q
Am. J of International Law
Journal of Foreign Service Officers http://www.afsa.org/fsj/
You may also wish to consult the websites of a number of policy institutes (and potential employers!):
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COURSE OUTLINE
Some of the readings below present conceptual material (implying that you should read for content);
others offer example of concepts, approaches, or policy writing (implying that you should read to
understand the illustration).
Readings marked as “teasers” are intended to help you see the relevance of some conceptual or
theoretical material to current policy debates. Please read those quickly and move on.
If it’s not clear to you why a particular reading has been included, please ask!
Sept 10-15 What kind of issues commonly arise in international relations? What challenges confront
the policy professional with an interest in contemporary world issues? What is the connotation of the
word “policy”? What does a “policy paper” look like? Is there a reasoning process unique to policy
questions, and what is the relationship between policy work and academic research? This segment of
the course includes an overview of the policy process and a presentation on backgrounders, the
first main assignment in your policy project.
Background Readings (Carlsnaes and Lepgold will be treated briefly in class Sept 10)
Carlsnaes, Walter. “The Agency-Structure Problem in Foreign Policy Analysis,”
International Studies Quarterly , 36 (1992): 245-270.
CP Lepgold, Joseph. “Is Anyone Listening: International Relations Theory and the Problem
of Policy Relevance.” Political Science Quarterly (Spring 1998): 43-62.
Garrison, Jean (ed). “Foreign Policy Analysis in 20/20: A Symposium,” International
Studies Review 5 (2003): 155-2-2.
George, Alexander L. Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice in Foreign Policy.
Washington, DC: U. S. Institute of Peace Press, 1993.
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Part II: Frames, Ideology, Beliefs, Approaches, and Analysis
Sept 17-22-24 Over these 3 class periods, we will explore the sub-strata of policy work—the values,
beliefs, and orientations that shape ideas and policy solutions. What is the role and place of opinion in
policy work? Can we legitimately disagree about the place of opinion in good quality policy work? Note
that this issue reappears throughout the course, and especially on Nov 5. These questions lead naturally
to a discussion of the main theoretical perspectives that lie behind many well-regarded policy
publications. If you are unaware of, or unfamiliar with, these perspectives, your ability to read and
interpret policy publications—and contribute to broad policy discussions--will necessarily be limited.
Some of the readings below present, unpack or engage debates about these perspectives; others
employ, embed or illustrate them. This segment of the course includes a presentation on framing
and framing memos, the second major component of your policy project.
Readings for in-class discussion and exercises. We will probably refer to the Ikenberry
chapter several times during these 3 class periods, so I have put it at the top of the list below. More
generally, we will progress through topics in the order of these readings and it will probably be to your
advantage to read them in sequence. Note that several readings are very short and in many cases they
were chosen simply to illustrate a concept. Readings most likely to be discussed in class are marked with
an asterisk.*
*Ikenberry, G. John, “Introduction: Woodrow Wilson, the Bush Administration and the
Future of Liberal Internationalism,” in The Crisis of American Foreign Policy (Princeton
University Press, 2009).
Sept 29 Tackling Analysis. What is the dictionary definition of analysis? What are the implied
commonalities among global trends analysis, political risk analysis, foreign policy analysis, content
analysis? What is the relationship between academic research/analysis and policy analysis? This class
period relates to the separate analysis papers required for your policy projects.
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Additional Readings:
Tetlock, Philip and Aaron Belkin. “Counterfactual Thought Experiments,” in
Counterfactual Thought Experiments in World Politics: Logical, Methological, and
Psychological Perspectives. Philip Tetlock and Aaron Belkin, editors. Princeton,
NJ: Princeton University Press, 1996, 3-25.
Neustadt, Richard E. and May, Ernest R. Thinking in Time: The Uses of History for
Decision Makers. New York: Free Press, 1986.
Oct 1 Institutions and Actors. Institutions? Think UN or WTO. Actors? Think China or Oxfam.
Historically, large states have usually acted on their own (via bilateral foreign policy), independent of an
institutional context. Increasingly, though, European states conduct foreign policy within the context of
the EU, and the US likewise pursues some of its foreign policy objectives within the constraints of a
specific institutional setting. Small and medium states tend to pursue most of their foreign policy within
institutional contexts. Obviously, you’re not in a good position to analyze or propose policy-related
actions if you’re not familiar with the rules and patterns of institutional arrangements. Scholars have used
“regime analysis” to study the relationship between international actors, and the institutional contexts in
which they operate. Some questions to keep in mind as you read: How do actors and institutions
constrain each other? In a very practical sense, who sets the rules for big multilateral organizations like
the UN or IMF? To what extent do the working rules favor large actors and reflect their interests? What
does it take for a particular actor to exercise influence in a multilateral context? Can very small actors –
like the country of Mauritius, or a non-governmental organization—exercise effective influence? Can they
ever trump a powerful state like the US? When do countries decide to act on their own, and when do
they work multilaterally? To what extent to international organizations have “agency” (act on their own)?
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Additional Readings
Barnett and Finnemore, Rules for the World (Cornell University Press, 2004). (pp 1-44
and 166-173 are on electronic reserves – highly recommended)
Drezner, Daniel W. Locating the Proper Authorities: The Interaction of Domestic and
International Institutions. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2003.
Jervis, Robert. System Effects: Complexity in Political and Social Life. Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press, 1997.
Oct 6 Global Frameworks: The UN. The UN is one of two global frameworks. Its name is
well-recognized, but most Americans have little insight into its workings, or its (in)effectiveness. Our
focus will be on recent efforts to reform the global body. First question: How is the UN currently
structured? What doesn’t appear to be working? What led to reform efforts? (As future policy analysts,
can you categorize the problems that required fixing? Does this list extend from recognized objective
problems, or is it more a function of values, opinion, ideology, etc?) What was decided in September
2005? What progress has been made? What dynamics shape the likelihood of deep reform?
Teaser: “UN Secretary General: The Score at Half Time” Economist, June 2009
http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?
story_id=13825201 (and for more teasers, read some of the comments)
CP Weiss, Forsythe, Coate and Pease. The United Nations and Changing
World Politics, Fifth Edition (2007). Coursepak readings - Excerpts from
“Introduction” (“The UN: Actor or Institutional Framework?” and “UN Politics”)
and all of Chapter 4, “The Challenges of the 21st Century.”
Malone, David. “Introduction” in Malone, ed., The UN Security Council (Lynne Reinner,
2004), 1-13.
Wallensteen, Peter and Johansson, Patrik. “Security Council Decisions in Perspective,”
in Malone, ed., The UN Security Council (Lynne Reinner, 2004), 17-33.
UN Charter, http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/index.html (esp. Chapters I, VI, VII and
VIII)
UN website, http://www.un.org/aboutun/mainbodies.htm and http://www.un.org/issues/
UN Peacebuilding Commission website http://www.un.org/peace/peacebuilding/
Students with possible interests in working at or with the UN are encouraged to consult:
IPI, “UN Reform” http://www.ipacademy.org/our-work/un-reform
IPI, “Coping with Crisis” http://www.ipacademy.org/our-work/coping-with-crisis
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Additional Readings
Weiss, Forsythe, Coate and Pease. The United Nations and Changing World Politics,
Fifth Edition (2007)
Kennedy, Paul. Parliament of Man (Random House, 2006).
Mingst, Karen A. and Margaret P. Karns. The United Nations in the Twenty-First
Century. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2006.
And for earlier writing and expectations about Ban Ki Moon:
Traub, James. “Marching Orders for the UN’s Boss,” FP, Jan/Feb 2007
“UN’s Ban Ki Moon Emerges as Dogged Reformer” Christian Science Monitor, March 12,
2008. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0312/p01s01-wogi.html
Oct 8 Global Frameworks: The Bretton Woods System. (World Bank, IMF, WTO and
system of foreign currency exchange.) What was the concern and vision that led to the creation of the
Bretton Woods system? How does it relate to the UN? Are the rules for decision-making within BW
similar to or different from rules at the UN? Who “controls” the BW institutions? (And can we group
these together, or do they require separate discussion?)
Teaser: “International Monetary Reform: IMF Not in the Game,” July 2009
http://brettonwoodsproject.org/art-564824
Teaser: “Record World Bank Lending” July 2009
http://brettonwoodsproject.org/art-564849
CP Barnett and Finnemore, Rules for the World (Cornell University Press, 2004), 45-72.
Bretton Woods Institutions,
http://brettonwoodsproject.org/institution/index.shtml#index-537848
Nye, Joseph S., Jr. “Globalization’s Democratic Deficit: How to Make International
Institutions More Accountable.” Foreign Affairs 80 (Jul/Aug 2001): 2-6.
Thoma, Mark. “The WTO Tipping Point,” Economist’s View blog, July 1, 2008
http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2008/07/the-wto-tipping.html
Additional Readings
Stiglitz, Joseph E. Globalization and Its Discontents. W.W. Norton, 2003: 3-22.
Sachs, Jeffrey D. “Memorandum: How to Run the IMF,” Foreign Policy (2004): 60-64.
Overseas Development Institute, “Bretton Woods Reform: Sifting Through the Options
in the Search for Legitimacy,” May 2006, pdf available at
http://se1.isn.ch/serviceengine/FileContent?serviceID=ISN&fileid=9E288426-F4F5-
12D4-EE34-9C3C671DCD0B&lng=en (4 pages)
* Ruggie, John. “The United Nations and Globalization: Patterns and Limitations of
Institutional Adaptation,” Global Governance 9 (July-Sept 2003). [this article
compares the approaches adopted by BW and UN on Millennium Development
Goals]
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Oct 13 International Frameworks: Law. Where does international law fit in? If you want to
propose a policy solution for issues that cross international boundaries, chances are it will involve some
sort of legal arrangement, even if it is considered “soft law” (a politically binding agreement less formal
than a treaty). Students who have not previously studied IL frequently want answers to some very basic
questions: Who makes international law? To whom does it apply? Is it only used for rhetorical purpose—
is it ever enforced? Is there more than one World Court? (What’s the difference between the ICJ and the
ICC, below?) If international law can’t solve, or resolve, the most difficult problems of IR – like the threat
of war over Iran’s apparent nuclear proliferation—what good is it? The readings below should help with
some answers. What questions remain? What other questions do you have? How important is it for
policy analysts to have a good grasp of the principles of IL?
Teaser: Confirmation Hearings for H. H. Koh as State Department Legal Advisor, April
2009. http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090428p.html (Click on
“HEARINGS” for video recording – full hearing runs nearly two hours. It is all
interesting! See the 10-minute exchange between Senator Coker and Dean Koh
at c. 58 minutes, re the role of the Advisor and the relevance of international law.
Teaser: “The Reckoning” –the story of the ICC (video)
http://www.pbs.org/pov/reckoning/
CP “The International Legal System,” Selection from Rourke, John T. International Politics
on the World Stage NY: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill: 311-19.
Alvarez, Jose. “International Organizations: Then and Now,” American Journal of
International Law , 100 (April 2006), pp 324-347
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969 (scroll through to review headings, text)
http://untreaty.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/1_1_1969.pdf
International Court of Justice http://www.icj-cij.org/court/index.php?p1=1 and Ecuador v.
Colombia, 2008 case re aerial spraying
http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/138/14470.pdf
International Criminal Court http://www.icc-
cpi.int/Menus/ICC/About+the+Court/Frequently+asked+Questions/
ICC Multimedia timeline
http://www.pbs.org/pov/reckoning/photo_gallery_icc_timeline.php
UN News Service, “International Criminal Court Already Changing Behavior,” 2 July 2007
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=23120&Cr=criminal&Cr1=court
UNFCC, “Kyoto Protocol,” http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php
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Teaser: “NATO Summit Show Mood Grows Sunnier, but Trans-Atlantic Divides Persist,”
Radio Free Europe, April 2009
http://www.rferl.org/content/NATO_Summit_Show_Mood_Grows_Sunnier_But_T
ransAtlantic_Divides_Persist/1602175.html
Rubin, James. “Building a New Atlantic Alliance,” Foreign Affairs, July/August 2008, pp.
99-110.
“NATO’s Role in Afghanistan,” http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_8189.htm
CP CRS, “NATO in Afghanistan: A Test of the Transatlantic Alliance,” 2008,
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33627.pdf
The North Atlantic Treaty (document) http://www.nato.int/docu/basictxt/treaty.htm
NATO website http://www.nato.int/
Oct 22 Non-State Actors (NSA). If states are the most important actors in international relations and
global governance, how and where do non-state actors fit into the picture? First, what sort of actors are
included under this broad heading? To what extent do they have power and influence? Are they worth
studying (do they have an impact on policy or decision-outcome?) If we do want to study them, what
concepts and analytical tools can help the policy analyst or advocate understand the real or potential
influence that non-state actors might wield? To what extent is the potential influence of a non-state actor
constrained or enhanced by institutional setting?
Return to the issue of values and ideology, and the question of framing. What, if any, special advantage
would you expect NSA’s to enjoy? (You may want to keep this question in mind as you read Keck and
Sikkink, as well as Haas and Slaughter.)
Recommended:
Wapner, Paul. “Politics Beyond the State: Environmental Activism and World Civic
Activism.” World Politics 47 (April 1995), 311-40.
Sanjeev Khagram, “Restructuring the Global Politics of Development: The Case of
India’s Narmada Valley Dams” in Khagram, Riker, and Sikkink, Restructuring
World Politics: Transnational Social Movements (U Minn Press, 2002).
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Oct 29-Nov 3 States, Sovereignty and Foreign Policy Priorities. States
are considered the main actors in international relations—and indeed it has not been so
long ago that they were considered the only actors worth studying. What is a state, and
how do states differ? In particular, what makes a state “strong”? What is sovereignty,
and how does it relate to state strength and power? How does state strength, and
overall capacity, affect the nature and content of its foreign policy?
Pew Case Study Center, “It’s Not Just the Economy, Stupid: Linking Free Trade and
the
War on Terror.” (Case 293, 2007).
Nov 5 Statecraft and Foreign Policy Analysis. During this class period, we will use some actual
policy papers to explore some practical, but conceptual questions. The first major question is: how, in a
practical sense, can we evaluate foreign policy? How do we gauge a foreign policy “mistake”? Is it
always and only a matter of opinion (and values), or are there analytical tools that policy analysts can
use? The topic of “foreign policy mistakes” leads to a broader question – How do we assess the quality
of a foreign policy position or recommendation? What makes one policy “better” than another? How can
we evaluate “statecraft”? And….what is the place of values, beliefs, ideology, etc, in assessing the
quality of a policy? What else besides values, beliefs, etc, bears on policy analysis? [This class period
directly relates to your policy project. Many of the sample policy documents—especially the
options papers—can be used as “models” for your final paper.]
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Sample Policy Analyses and Options Papers (These papers illustrate the process of
policy analysis – read a sample, and compare general form/content with the policy
statements below)
Krueger and Laitin, “’Mis-Underestimating Terrorism” Foreign Affairs (Sept/Oct 2004).
(more sophisticated but assessable data analysis)
Nasr, Vali. “Battle for the Middle East,” selection from The Shia Revival (NY: WW
Norton, 2006), pp 227-254 (analysis followed by options and recommendations)
China’s Rising Role in Africa,” Council on Foreign Relations, July 2005.
http://www.cfr.org/publication/8436/chinas_rising_role_in_africa.html (analysis)
CP Republican Policy Committee, “Backgrounder: Conflict in Liberia and US Policy Options,”
July 10, 2003. http://rpc.senate.gov/releases/2003/fr071003.pdf (options)
Sample Policy Documents (These are the real thing: look at several)
The National Security Strategy of the US, 2006 http://georgewbush-
whitehouse.archives.gov/nsc/nss/2006/
The National Security Strategy of the US, 2002 (Bush Administration)
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/nsc/nss/2002/
A National Security Strategy for a Global Age, 2000 (Clinton Administration)
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/nss/nss_dec2000_contents.htm
(This doc is long – “Preface” and “Fundamentals” sections are recommended)
Quadrennial Defense Review Report 2006
www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/QDR20060203.pdf
Quadrennial Defense Review Report 2001
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/qdr2001.pdf
Heritage Foundation. “The 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review: Strategy and Threats.”
April 20, 2005 http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/wm728.cfm
Project for a New American Century. “Rebuilding America’s Defenses: Strategy, Forces,
and Resources for a New Century” (2000)
http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf and
http://www.pnac.info/
Raman, B. “National Security Doctrine” (India), South Asia Analysis Group, paper 578
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers6/paper578.html
Nov 10-12-17 The Makings of Foreign Policy: Domestic Determinants and Policy Process. What
is the relationship between a country’s domestic politics—including the personality of key leaders and the
influence of bureaucracy as well as the political concerns of constituents—and its foreign policy? And
whose opinions, beliefs, ideologies have greatest influence? Over these 3 class periods, we will focus
on the case of the US and consider these questions from different perspectives. The first perspective
focuses on individual leaders, the second on the second tier of US foreign policy makers (State Dept et
al), and the third will consider the role of Congress and public opinion. In general, to what extent does
the Levels of Analysis tool help sort out relevant (and causal) factors?
Recommended
Kaufmann, Joyce. A Concise History of U.S. Foreign Policy (Rowman & Littlefield,
2006). (Chapter 5 “Beyond the Cold War” is on electronic reserves)
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