APU IRLS502 Full Course 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

IRLS502 International Political Systems

Assignment Journal Entry

Instructions:

For this
assignment you will write a journal entry of one – two pages (or do an
equivalent audio or video discussion) in which you answer the following
questions:

How is your
research project going? What sources
have you found most useful? What
obstacles have you encountered? Do you
need any advice or clarification from the instructor?

If you want
to do a video entry you can use the Media Gallery tab on the left side of the
classroom to upload your video presentation.
You can use the webcam feature in the Media Gallery to record your video
presentation. Please add this to your Media Collection and be sure to share
it. You can also turn it in using the
assignments tab if the file is small enough. Please label your file as follows:
LastName.FirstName.Week4Assignment (note: is it very important to include your
name!)

IRLS502 International Political Systems

Assignment Research Proposal

To complete
this assignment you are asked to:

(1)
Identify a research topic that analyzes the interactions of state,
non-state, and supra-national actors to examine for your 15-page research paper
that is due at the end of Week 6

(2)
Identify a specific research question that your paper will address. The
question should be analytical, and not descriptive, in nature (The question
should examine why something happened, not describe how it happened).

(3) Offer a
brief explanation of the topic and your planned research

(4) Write a
preliminary literature review of at least 6 sources. You must watch this video before doing the
literature review. It explains how to do
a literature review as opposed to an annotated bibliography. Do NOT provide an annotated
bibliography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2d7y_r65HU

The total
length of this assignment will be approximately 5 pages. Detailed instructions
for each of these components are outlined below:

Research
Topic and Question:

Your
proposed research question should be approximately one paragraph in length and
concisely state the issue you are proposing for the Research Paper, and the
specific question that you are interested in answering.

You will
have considerable leeway in choosing your topic, although it should center on
patterns of conflict and cooperation in the international system. Examples of
appropriate topics are, for instance, the relative success and failure of
regional integration efforts, but you could also look at one particular
instance of regional integration. You may want to explore the causes and nature
of war, or peace. Make sure to identify your general topic, but also a concise
research question that can be answered in the space and time that you hae
available.

Of course,
you can always Message your instructor with any questions about a relevant
paper topic.

Purpose
Statement:

The purpose
statement should be approximately 1-2 pages in length and outline (1) why you
chose this particular topic and (2) what your preliminary findings or
hypotheses are. It is, of course, quite likely that your hypotheses and
conclusions may change over the course of the four weeks of doing research. The
purpose statement should be considered a rough map towards the eventual paper.

Submission
details:

The
research question/topic, purpose statement, and Literature Review should be
assembled in a single Word Document. The document should be approximately 5
pages in length, and submitted through the Assignments tab under Week 2,
Research Question/Purpose Statement/Literature Review Assignment. Name your
file LASTNAME#1.

General
Instructions for Assignments

All
assignments should be written in Word and uploaded as attachments within the
Assignments section of the classroom.
Use 12 pt. font and double-space.
Be sure to put your name and class information on the document and put
your name on the file. Insert page
numbers. Assignments will be graded
using a rubric appropriate for your class level.

IRLS502 International Political Systems

Assignment Research Paper

Use this
tab to upload your Research Paper by Week 8.
The Research Paper will be based on the topic you proposed in the Week 2
Research Question/Purpose Statement/Literature Review Assignment.

The paper
should be between 13-15 pages in length (double-spaced, 12-point font), not
including the cover page, references, and any appendices. References must be in Turabian format. For
more tips on writing a good research paper, see the resources here.