APU IRLS502 All Weeks Forums Latest 2019 August

IRLS502 International Political Systems

Week 2 Discussion

Do
International Institutions Matter?

It is
generally acknowledged that the number of international organizations has
dramatically increased in the past century. IR scholars, however, disagree about
the implications of this phenomenon.

Has this
growing number of international organizations fundamentally changed the nature
of international governance? If so, how? If not, why? Explain your answer using
the weekly readings as your guide, and by referring to actual empirical
examples.

Instructions:
Your initial post should be at least 500 words. Please respond to at least two
other students. Responses should be a minimum of 250 words. All three required posts should be supported
by course readings using parenthetical references.

IRLS502 International Political Systems

Week 3 Discussion

Great Power
Politics: Continuity or Change?

Scholars of
international relations disagree about the inevitability of Great Power
rivalries in the international system. Which of the arguments that you have
read this week you find the most convincing? Why? (If you find none of the
arguments convincing, offer your own alternative) Given your answer, and your
knowledge of current international politics, should we expect a Great Power
rivalry to develop in the near future? Why, or why not?

IRLS502 International Political Systems

Week 4 Discussion

The end of
international war? Assessing the Democratic Peace

The debate
about the pacifying effects of democracy on international politics has been
ongoing for the last several decades, fueled by the absence of major warfare
between the democratic states of Western Europe in the post-WW II era. Given
what you know about the causal arguments behind the Democratic Peace Theory (DPT),
and the empirical evidence in support of the theory, do you believe that we
should see a decline in international warfare in the Middle East? Why, or why
not?

IRLS502 International Political Systems

Week 5 Discussion

Explaining
Regional Integration

Scholars of
international relations disagree about the reasons that lead states to pursue
regional integration arrangements. What theory best explains the creation of
ASEAN? Why? Given the theoretical approaches that we have read, do you believe
that the members of ASEAN are likely to pursue deeper integration in the
future? Why, or why not?

IRLS502 International Political Systems

Week 6 Discussion

The Demise
of the State? Globalization and the decline of sovereignty

While some
IR scholars believe that globalization is leading to the “erosion of the
state,” others believe that the nation-state will continue to remain the most
important actors in the international system. Which argument do you find most
convincing? Why? Regardless of your answer, what do you believe is the most
important challenge that globalization poses to the role of the nation-state
today?

IRLS502 International Political Systems

Week 7 Discussion

The Power
of Social Movements: Transnational Actors and International Politics

The
readings on the abolition of the Atlantic Slave trade and the adoption of the
Ottowa Treaty, as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is known, offer a
variety of arguments about the condition under which (transnational) social
movements and advocacy networks have been successful in shaping international
politics. How can the “lessons learned” from these cases help us understand the
failure of similar transnational coalitions to bring about a global climate
change treaty?

http://www.economist.com/news/international/21568355-no-progress-today-slightly-better-chance-progress-tomorrow-what-doha-did