Introduction to international politics courses typically have multiple goals. On the one hand, instructors seek to introduce students to the discipline through readings and discussions of foundational theoretical perspectives and ongoing debates. On the other hand, instructors seek to help students become informed participants in policy debates about foreign policy and international politics issues by highlighting pressing contemporary issues. Effectively addressing both concerns requires more than simply including both topics in the course syllabus or in a textbook. It requires making systematic linkages between theory and policy. This is a long standing challenge in international politics, one raised many years ago by Alexander George in Bridging the Gap in which he called for greater communication between academic scholars and practitioners. This text seeks to link theory and policy in an organized and efficient fashion that does not ignore or slight the conceptual discussion of international relations or simply chase newspaper headlines. Chapters are organized around "Global Challenges and Policy Responses." The challenges are presented as concrete policy problems relevant to the theme of the chapter. The discussion of responses emphasize concrete actions being taken or proposed by international organizations, the foreign policies of key states, international agreements, and actions taken by NGOs. Theoretical insights are used to help students understand challenges, think about solutions, and learn from the past.
PART I: FOUNDATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS Chapter 1: Thinking Critically About International Politics Making Sense of International Politics Korea Then and Now Learning from Personal Experience Learning from History Learning from Theory Using Challenges and Responses to Make Sense of International Politics Summary/ Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions Chapter 2: The Theory Challenge Historical Perspective: The Fall of the Berlin Wall Realism Liberalism Theory Spotlight: Prisoner's Dilemma Economic Structuralism Constructivism Feminism Applying Theory to the Arctic Policy Spotlight: Fights, Games, Debates Regional Spotlight: The Third Pole A Contemporary Perspective: The Ukraine Summary/ Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions PART II: THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM Chapter 3: The Sovereignty Challenge: Who Is In Charge? Historical Perspective: The Common Market to the European Union States Policy Spotlight: When is a State a State? International Organizations Theory Spotlight: Integration Theory Regional Spotlight: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Non-state Actors Contemporary Perspective: Leaving the EU-Grexit and Brexit Looking to the Future Summary/ Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions Chapter 4: The Values Challenge: Deciding What to Do Historical Perspective: The Nansen Passport International Politics Values Theory Spotlight: The Global Community and Global Justice A Two Level Game Societal Influences on Foreign Policy Making Global Influences on Foreign Policy Making The Pathway from Ideas to Policy Policy Spotlight: The Democratic Peace Contemporary Perspective: The Refugee Flow into Europe Regional Spotlight: Internally Displaced People in Africa Looking to the Future Summary/ Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions PART III: TRADITIONAL GLOBAL CHALLENGES Chapter 5: The Power Challenge: The Ability to Act Historical Perspective: The Case for Strategic Bombing Power and International Politics Policy Spotlight: Why Strong States Lose War Theory Spotlight: Measuring Soft Power The Challenge of Using Power Cyber Power Instruments of Power Regional Spotlight: China's Power Contemporary Perspective: Armed Drones Looking to the Future Summary/ Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions Chapter 6: The Cooperation Challenge: Working Together Historical Perspective: Ebola in 1976 and 2000 The Dynamics of International Cooperation Policy Spotlight: Negotiating with the Enemy Alliances Diplomacy Theory Spotlight: Regimes and Regime Complexes International Law Regional Spotlight: The Oceans Contemporary Perspective: Ebola in 2013 Looking to the Future Summary/ Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions Chapter 7: The Security Challenge Historical Context: The Arab-Israeli Conflict Peace and War/War and Peace Theory Spotlight: Peace Studies 21st Century Wars Regional Spotlight: The Colombian Civil War Peace Operations Nuclear Stability Policy Spotlight: A New Arms Race? Contemporary Perspective: Syria Looking into the Future Summary/ Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions PART IV: NEW GLOBAL CHALLENGES Chapter 8: Economic Challenges: Who Is in Charge of the Global Economy? Historical Perspective: The North American Free Trade Agreement, 1994 The Challenge of Economic Globalization Theories of International Political Economy and Economic Globalization Regional Spotlight: China's Belt and Road Initiative Theory Spotlight: Feminist International Political Economy From the UN's Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals Policy Spotlight: Eliminating Poverty in Mexico and Brazil The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Contemporary Perspective: The North American Free Trade Agreement, 2019 Looking to the Future: Controlling Speculative Capital and Excessive Military Spending Summary/ Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions Chapter 9: Human Rights Challenges: Protecting Human Dignity Historical Perspective: The Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal, 1945-1946 The Global Roots of Human Rights From Westphalia to the U.N. Human Rights System Regional Spotlight: Genocide or Ethnic Cleansing in Myanmar? Is there a difference or does it matter? Policy Spotlight: The Global Struggle for LGBT Rights Contemporary Perspective: The International Criminal Court, 1998-2019 Looking to the Future: The United States, China and the U.N. Human Rights System Theory Spotlight: Cultural Relativism versus Universality Summary / Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions Chapter 10: Global Environmental Challenges: The Global Commons Historical Perspective: Global Environmental Governance 1870-1992 Global Environmental Challenges: Climate Change, Overfishing, Species Extinction Policy Spotlight: Is a Carbon Tax a Viable Policy Option? Regional Spotlight: The Antarctica Treaty Regime Theory Spotlight: Human Rights & Environment Contemporary Perspective: Global Environmental Governance, 2002-2019 Looking to the Future: The Potential Environmental Impact of Trade and the Precautionary Principle Summary / Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions CONCLUSION Chapter 11: Looking Forward: New Policy Challenges and Responses Trade Wars Creating Images of the Future Global Trends 2035 Future Foundations of International Politics New Actors in the Future International System New Traditional Challenges New Global Challenges Summary/ Key Terms/ Critical Thinking Questions
