POLITICS 231E WORKBOOK

Date

Topic

Resources

Class 01

M, Sept. 12

Introductory Session

Course outline

Class 02

W, Sept. 14

Introduction to International Relations and Question Period

Class 03

M, Sept. 19

Creating the Post-War Era: The Legacies of Warfare

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 04

W, Sept. 21

Dawning of the Nuclear Era: Legacies of World War II

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 05

M, Sept. 26

Important Theoretical Approaches for Explaining International Relations

Lecture slides     Lecture notes     Chart

Class 06

W, Sept. 28

Geography Quiz

Practice maps (blank)     Practice maps (labelled)

Class 07

M, Oct 3

The Cold War Revisited: Nuclear Deterrence Strategy, the Cuban Missile Crisis and Realism

Lecture slides     Lecture notes (corrected)

Class 08

W, Oct. 5

New Information about the Cuban Missile Crisis

HOLIDAY

M, Oct. 10

Thanksgiving Holiday

Class 09

W, Oct. 12

A Case-Study in Crisis Decision-Making: Roleplaying the Nuclear Crisis (Part A)

Class 10

M, Oct. 17

Liberal Internationalism, Lester Pearson and the Nobel Peace Prize

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Supplementary [Simpson-Principles of...]

Class 11

W, Oct. 20

A Case-Study in Crisis Decision-Making: Roleplaying the Nuclear Crisis (Part B)

Note: If you are in Group B, you will receive your individualized roleplaying material at the end of the class on Monday, October 17. If you cannot pick up your individualized material on Monday, you must drop by Professor Simpson's office hours before Wednesday, October 20, otherwise you will not be able to play a role.

Class 12

M, Oct. 24

'Level-of-Analysis' Issue in the Study of World Politics

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 13

W, Oct. 26

Debriefing the Cuban missile crisis and Cold War Ideas: Basic Assumptions of 'Realists', 'Idealists', 'Liberal-Internationalists' and 'Neo-Realists'

Debriefing the Cuban missile crisis

Supplementary reading [The World Tomorrow...]

Class 14

M, Oct. 31

Using Case Studies to Theorize About International Relations: Trudeau's Foreign Policy-Making Record

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 15

W, Nov. 2

Assignment #1: Choosing a Theoretical Approach to Explain International Affairs, 1945-1989

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Supplementary reading 01    Supplementary reading 02

Class 16

M, Nov. 7

Class System Theory (Neo-Marxist), Feminism and Post-Modernism

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 17

W, Nov. 9

Question & Answer Session

Class 18

M, Nov. 14

Bilateralism, Continentalism, Collective Defence, and Free Trade

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 19

W, Nov. 16

Writing the Final Drafts of Assignment #1

Essay writing guide     Conquering procrastination

Class 20

M, Nov. 21

International Policy in the 1990s: Directed Multilateralism?

Assignment #1 is due today

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 21

W, Nov. 23

What Does Paul Martin's Foreign Policy Look Like?

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 22

M, Nov. 28

Foreign Policy-Making

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Foreign policy community

Class 23

W, Nov. 30

Assessing the Prospects for International Organizations

Debate talking points

Class 24

M, Dec. 5

The Instruments of Foreign Policy-making

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 25

W, Dec. 7

Return of Assignment #1 and Mid-Year Exam Preparation

Exam study guide

- essays that were submitted on time (by Nov. 21 midnight) will be returned to you (not a friend) during this class.

- If you cannot attend this class in order to pick up your essay and hear about the exam, then you can pick up your essay ONE WEEK LATER on Monday, Dec. 12 between 2:40 and 4:30 p.m. from TA Barb Holcman [SSC 4139]

- essays that were submitted after November 30 will be returned during the exam on Dec. 19

Monday

December 19

Exam

Monday, December 19 - 2:00pm

click for campus map

Last names A to McLernon

Class 26

M, Jan. 9

Pursuing a Career in International Affairs

Required reading: What can I do with a BA in Political Science?

1. Exams will be returned during this class.

2. This will be the first opportunity to sign up for Team Presentations.

Class 27

W, Jan. 11

Power and Capabilities

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 28

M, Jan. 16

Game Theory: A Systemic-Level Approach to Understanding International Affairs

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 29

W, Jan. 18

Q & A Session on Essaywriting, Teams, and Readings

Essay question

Class 30

M, Jan. 23

Belief Systems: An Individual-level Approach to Understanding IR

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 31

W, Jan. 25

Explaining Violence

Class 32

M, Jan. 30

UN Reform and Model UN Simulation

Class 33

W, Feb. 1

UN Peacekeeping

If you couldn't attend Monday's class, please return your individualized roleplaying material for your country today or next Monday.

Lecture slides

Supplementary reading:

       More Advice on Writing Papers: How to Avoid Procrastination

Class 34

M, Feb 6

The NATO Alliance in the 21st Century: Issues and Debates

Guest Lecture: Peace and Conflict Studies

Erika Simpson will lecture for one hour (instead of 2 hours) on The NATO Alliance in the 21st Century. The powerpoint slides and lecture notes will be discussed in the first hour from 2:30-3:30.

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

The coffee break is cancelled.

Dr. H. Peter Langille will speak on "An Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies" from 3:30-4:20.

Lecture notes

Important Note re. Exam: Dr. Langille's powerpoint slides will not be posted. The material he discusses will be covered for the exam so you need to take notes during his lecture.

Class 35

W, Feb.8

Terrorism and Increased Security Measures

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 36

M, Feb. 13

Guest Lecture

Senator Roche will lecture to the class from 2:30-4:15 p.m.
 

Important Note re. Exam: Senator Roche's powerpoint slides will not be posted on the course homepage. The material he discusses will be covered for the exam so you need to take notes during his lecture.

Class 37

W, Feb. 15

Team 01: UN Reform
Team 02: UN Peacekeeping

Team 1 and Team 2 will present on "UN Reform" and "UN Peacekeeping".

You should take some notes during each Team Presentation. The material they cover may be covered on the exam if Professor Simpson thinks that the concepts or ideas were already discussed in a previous lecture and/or in the course textbook.

Teams may also email their powerpoint presentation to Prof Simpson so she can post the presentation on the course website, if the team wishes.

Class 38

M, Feb. 20

Nuclear Weapons Proliferation, Conventional Weapons and the Arms Trade

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 39

W, Feb. 22

Team 3: NATO in the 21st Century and the Wars in Kosovo, Bosnia, & Afghanistan
Team 4: Terrorism and Increased Security Measures

NO CLASS

M, Feb. 27

No class: conference week

NO CLASS

W, Mar. 1

No class: conference week

Class 40

M, Mar. 6

International Economic and Trade Policy

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 41

W, Mar. 8

Team 5: Nuclear Proliferation
Team 6: Conventional Weapons and the Arms Trade

Class 42

M, Mar. 13

The Problem of International Debt and Canada's Dilemmas: Debt and National Disunity

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 43

W, Mar. 15

Team 7: NAFTA and Freer Trade in North America
Team 8: The WTO and Regional Trading Blocs

Class 44

M, Mar. 20

International Development and Human Rights

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Link: Law School Admission Test (LSAT) preparation questions and materials

Class 45

W, Mar. 22

Team 9: The Problem of International Debt
Team 10: Canada's Dilemmas: Debt or National Disunity

Class 46

M, Mar. 27

The Environment and Sustainable Development

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Supplementary reading 01: Stress

Class 47

W, Mar. 29

Team 11: Official Development Assistance, CIDA and Disasters
Team 12: Human Rights and International War Crimes

Class 48

M, April 3

World Population Pressures, Population Pressures, Population Movements and Canada's Immigration and Refugee Policy

Lecture slides     Lecture notes

Class 49

W, April 5

Team 13: The Environment and Sustainable Development
Team 14: National Resources and International Competition

Class 50

M, April 10

Team 15: Human Rights and Genocide
Team 16: World Populations Pressures & Population Movements

Team 17: Canada's Immigration and Refugee Policy

Exam study guide

Class 51

W, April 12

Final Administrative Details

Most students will not need to attend this class.

You should attend this class if:

- You have not received Assignment 2 back and you submitted it at least two weeks before the last day of classes. (Notably, most students will have received their essay back already)

- You have not received your Team Participation Mark yet. (Notably, nearly all students will have received their team mark already)

 
- You need to make administrative arrangements with Professor Simpson regarding the course requirements.
You would like to team up with study partner(s), if you have not done so already.

In future years, I would appreciate hearing from you. Postcards from far-flung locations are fun. Keep in touch (simpson@uwo.ca). I will always remember your face, maybe not your exact name. It’s a small world and we’re only on it together for a short time!
 

Exam

Sat, April 29

Time: 9:00 am

Location: Western Science Centre Rm 55    [click for campus map]