Office Hours: TBA, and by appointment (no appointments on Wednesdays)
Office: Glatfelter 315
Phone: x6039
E-mail:
International
Organization
Prof. Kurt Mills
POL 203
Gettysburg College
Spring 2004
Office Hours: TBA, and by appointment (no appointments on Wednesdays)
Office: Glatfelter 315
Phone: x6039
E-mail:
This course examines the
role of international organizations in the world today. It takes as its starting
point the process of globalization and the challenges that globalization brings
to states and the world as a whole. In particular, the course will focus on
how a wide variety of organizations (both governmental and non-governmental)
attempt to deal with a number of international issues.
I start with the assumption that you will learn more the greater you are involved
with the material covered in class. Thus, there will be elements of class discussion
as well as lectures, writing, and interactive activities.
The formal requirements for the course are as follows:
1) Do the Reading. To gain an adequate understanding of the basic concepts
and to be able to participate in class discussion, you must do all of the assigned
reading. Readings can be found in two books ordered for the class, as well as
on Blackboard. A number of readings will also be found on the web. I may also
distribute short readings via e-mail, the Internet or handouts. Required books
are:
•Thomas Weiss, David Forsythe, and Roger Coate, The United Nations and
Changing World Politics, 3rd Edition (Boulder: Westview, 2001)
•A Global Agenda: Issues before the 58th General Assembly of the United
Nations (New York: United Nations Association of the United States of America,
2003)
•PEW Cases. I will provide instructions on how to download the cases.
2) Follow the News. Throughout the semester, we will tie the concepts
and ideas covered in the course to current international political events. During
many class meetings we will start with a brief discussion of some of the most
important international developments and how they relate to the UN and other
international organizations, and following the international news regularly
will help provide a common base from which all of us can work. The best paper
for general international news is the New York Times, which is also available
on the Internet (www.nytimes.com). The
Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com)
is another good source of international news. You should also subscribe to U.N.
Wire, a free daily digest of issues related to the UN (www.unwire.org).
3) Class Participation And Attendance. Class attendance is crucial since
much of the class is based on what goes on in the classroom, and you will be
unable to fully engage with the material in the course if you do not attend
class on a regular basis. Beyond attendance, however, one of the best ways for
me to ensure that you have mastered the course material is to evaluate your
participation in class. Thus, you are expected to take an active part in the
general discussion in the class. This includes the regular news discussions
mentioned above. Quality of comments and questions is valued more than quantity.
Attendance and participation will be 20% of the final course grade.
4) Response Papers. Four times during the semester you will write a short
(2 pages) reaction to the week’s readings. This should not be a summary
of the readings, but rather your reaction to the main points raised in the readings.
You should identify the key themes in the week’s readings and comment,
referring to the arguments made in several of the articles. Due at the beginning
of the first class of the weeks you choose to write a paper. At least two of
the papers should be written by Week 8. 20% of the final course grade.
5) PEW Case Summaries. Three times throughout the semester, we will do
case studies of international organizations. You will write a 2-3 page summary/analysis
of each case, to hand in at the beginning of the class in which we cover the
cases (Friday of the week the cases are due unless I announce differently).
5% for each, for a total of 15% of the final course grade.
6) International Organization Profile. Each student will choose an international
organization (either governmental or nongovernmental) and write a profile of
the organization, answering (among others) the following questions: What is
the purpose of the organization? How and why was it created? Who does it serve?
What are its relationships with states and other organizations? What are the
main issues it deals with? Is it effective? Why or why not? The paper should
be 5-7 pages in length. Due at the beginning of class on April 5. 15% of the
final course grade.
7) Memo to the Secretary-General. You will act as advisors to the UN
Secretary-General. You will choose a particular issue facing the world, laying
out possible responses by the UN and your preferred response. This memo will
have two parts—a one page executive summary laying out the main points
and a 15-20 page paper which discusses the issue and the alternatives in detail
and lays out why you chose your preferred option. At the end of the semester,
each person will give a briefing to the class. Final draft at the beginning
of class on May 7. 30% of the final course grade.
Other
Policies:
The policies in this syllabus will be strictly adhered to. If you are unable
to follow these policies at any time during the semester, please consult with
me in person as you become aware of any difficulty. Do not wait until the end
of the semester to raise your concerns.
You are encouraged to come talk with me about questions you may have regarding
the material in the class. I will also be happy to discuss your performance
in the class with you at any time.
E-mail: All class members must check their Gettysburg e-mail address
regularly. I will distribute announcements and other materials via e-mail.
Honor Code: Any instances of academic dishonesty will be dealt with according
to the honor code. If you have questions of what might constitute an infraction
of the honor code, including plagiarism, please feel free to talk with me.
Class Conduct: This class will be conducted in an open and supportive
manner. Please be respectful others in the classroom, and expect the same respect
from your classmates.
Papers: All papers are to be typed, double-spaced, in a 12 point font.
You are responsible for all errors in your papers, including grammatical and
spelling mistakes. All papers should have footnotes and a bibliography.
Late Assignments: Late assignments will be significantly penalized, if
I choose to accept them.
Failure to complete an assignment is grounds for failure in the course.
I reserve the right to modify this syllabus during the course of the semester.
Participation in this course implies acceptance of all of the policies and
requirements stated in this syllabus.
Week 1: Introduction
(Jan. 23)
•Read the syllabus
Week 2: Globalization and Global Governance
(Jan. 26, 30)
•“Measuring
Globalization: Who’s Up, Who’s Down,” Foreign Policy
•Blackboard: Kurt Mills, Human Rights in the Emerging Global
Order: A New Sovereignty?, pp. 18-36
•Jessica Matthews, “Power Shift,” Foreign Affairs 76 (Jan./Feb.
1997): 50-66
•Wolfgang Reinicke, “Global Public Policy,” Foreign Affairs
76 (Nov./Dec. 1997): 127-139
•Blackboard: Paul Wapner, “Governance in Global Civil Society,
” in Oran R. Young, ed., Global Governance: Drawing Insights from the
Environmental Experience, pp. 65-84
•Blackboard: James Muldoon, “Introduction: In Search of Global
Governance” in The Architecture of Global Governance (Boulder: Westview,
2003): 1-12
Week 3: IO Theory/Evolution of IOs and the UN
(Feb. 2, 6)
•Research presentation in the Library (Feb. 6)
•Blackboard: Olav Schram Stokke, “Regimes and Governance
Systems,” in Oran R. Young, ed., Global Governance: Drawing Insights
from the Environmental Experience (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1997): 27-63
•Blackboard: Kenneth W. Abbot and Duncan Sindal, “Why States
Act Through Formal International Organizations,” in Paul Diehl, ed., The
Politics of Global Governance (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2001):
9-43
•Weiss, et al: “Introduction,” pp. 1-18
•Weiss, et al: “The Theory of UN Collective Security,” pp. 21-46
Week 4: International Security and Peacekeeping
(Feb. 9, 13)
•Weiss, et al: “The Reality of UN Security Efforts During the
Cold War,” pp. 47-64
•Weiss, et al: “UN Security Operations After the Cold War,” pp.
65-110
•Weiss, et al: Groping into the Twenty-First Century,” pp. 111-137
•A Global Agenda, pp. 2-16, 32-40, 52-110
Week 5: Human Rights
(Feb. 16, 20)
•Universal Declaration
of Human Rights
•Weiss, et al: “The United Nations, Human Rights, and Humanitarian
Affairs: The Theory,” pp. 141-164
•Weiss, et al: “The United Nations and Applying Human Rights Standards,”
pp. 165-206
•Weiss, et al: “Change, the United Nations, and Human Rights,”
pp. 207-224
•A Global Agenda, Advancing Human Rights and Society,” pp.
111-162
Week 6: Humanitarian Issues: Responding to Refugee Crises
(Feb. 23, 27)
•UN High Commissioner for Refugees, State of the World’s Refugees:
Fifty Years of Humanitarian Action, (2000), Chapter
11--The Changing Dynamics of Displacement
•Blackboard: Gil Loescher, “The UNHCR and World Politics: State
Interest vs. Institutional Autonomy,” International Migration Review
35 (Spring 2001): 33-56
•Blackboard: Kurt Mills, “Neo-Humanitarianism: The Role of
International Humanitarian Norms and Organizations in Contemporary Conflict”
•Kurt Mills, “Refugee
Return from Zaire to Rwanda: The Role of UNHCR”
•PEW (471): Jolene Kay Jesse, “Humanitarian Relief in the Midst
of Conflict: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees in the Former Yugoslavia”
Week 7: International Law/ICC
(Mar. 1, 5)
•A Global Agenda, pp. 217-258
•Blackboard: Tom Farer, “Restraining
the Barbarians: Can International Criminal Law Help?” Human Rights
Quarterly 22 (February 2000): 90-118
•PEW (258): Eric K. Leonard, “Establishing an International
Criminal Court: The Emergence of a New Global Authority?”
•PEW (270): “The International Criminal Court (ICC): Could
American Military Officers Be Tried in the Hague?”
Week 8: Development and Trade
(Mar. 8, 12)
•A Global Agenda, “Mobilizing Support for the Millennium Development
Goals,” pp. 163-200
•A Global Agenda, “Tackling Trade Issues,” pp. 201-215
•TBA
Week 9: Nongovernmental Organizations
(Mar. 23, 25)
•Blackboard: Margaret Keck and Kathryn Sikkink, Activists Beyond
Borders (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998): 1-38
•Blackboard: Ramesh Thakur, “Human Rights: Amnesty International
and the United Nations,” in Paul Diehl, ed., The Politics of Global
Governance, 2nd edition (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2001): 365-387
•Blackboard: “Greenpeace and Political Globalism” and
“Friends of the Earth and Political Internationalism” in Paul Wapner,
Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics (Albany: SUNY Press,
1996): 41-71, 117-151
Week 10: Cyberspace: Governing the Ungovernable?
(Mar. 29, Apr. 2)
•Blackboard: “The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers and Internet Governance,” in Seán Ó Siochrú,
Bruce Girard, and Amy Mahan, Global Media Governance: A Beginner's Guide
(Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littelfield, 2002): 99-116
•Blackboard: “Information Policy and Governance,” in Jospeh
S. Nye and John D. Donahue, eds., Governance In A Globalizing World (Washington,
DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2000): 330-346
•ICANN: www.icann.org
•ICANN Watch: www.icannwatch.org
•World Summitt on the Information Society: http://www.itu.int/wsis/
•TBA
Week 11: Regional IGOs: The European Union
(Apr. 5, 8)
•International Organization Profile Due
•TBA
•PEW (268): “Understanding Policy Making in the European Union—The
1991 Negotiations of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Components
of the Maastricht Treaty: A Simulation
Week 12: The US in the UN
(Apr. 16)
•Blackboard: Edward Luck, “The United Nations, Multilateralism,
and U.S. Interests,” in Charles William Maynes and Richard Williamson.eds.,
U.S. Foreign Policy and the United Nations System (New York: W.W. Norton
& Company, 1996): 27-53
•Blackboard: Wlilliam Luers, “Choosing Engagement: Uniting
the UN with U.S. Interests,” Foreign Affairs (September/October
2000): 9-14.
•Blackboard: G. John Ikenberry, “Is American Multilateralism
in Decline?” Perspectives on Politics 1 (September 2003): 533-550
•Madeleine K. Albright, “Think Again: United Nations,” Foreign
Policy 138 (September/October 2003): 16-24.
•“The
United Nations,” Chapter 55 of the CATO Handbook for Congress, 107th
Congress
Week 13: Memos to the Secretary-General
(Apr. 19, 23)
Week 14: Memos to the Secretary-General
(Apr. 26, 30)
Week 15: Where To? The Future of Global Governance
(May 3, 7)
•Weiss, et al: “Conclusion: Learning from Change,” pp. 308-31
•Blackboard: Giulio Gallarotti, “The Limits of International
Organization: Systematic Failure in the Management of International Relations,”
in Paul Diehl, ed., The Politics of Global Governance (Boulder: Lynne
Rienner, 1997): 375-414
•Blackboard: Chadwick Alger, “Thinking About the Future of
the UN System,” in Paul Diehl, ed., The Politics of Global Governance,
2nd edition (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2001): 483-508
•Blackboard: James Muldoon, “Conclusion: The ‘New World
Order’ and the Future of International Organizations” in The Architecture
of Global Governance (Boulder: Westview, 2003): 259-274
•Memos to the Secretary-General Due