CurtisBell University of Colorado at Boulder

African Politics

PSCI 3082  |  Spring 2011, Fall 2011 Syllabus [PDF]

This course examines the history underlying contemporary sub-Saharan politics and discusses some of the issues that concern Africans and their leaders today. You do not need extensive prior knowledge of African affairs to succeed in this course, but you will need a healthy dose of curiosity and the willingness to engage in course readings and discussions.

Sub-Saharan Africa is a diverse and dynamic region, and we can only begin to scratch the surface of the puzzles we will explore this term. We will balance more general discussions of trends in African politics with focused examinations of some especially interesting cases. The special case studies will include Rwanda, Mozambique, Ethiopia, The Asante Empire, Mali, and the Congo Free State.

Civil War

PSCI 3193  |  Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Fall 2011 Syllabus [PDF]

Civil war is the most prevalent form of large-scale violent conflict in the international system. Relative to wars between states, civil wars involved three times as many states and claimed five times as many lives during the second half of the twentieth century.

Scholars continue to debate the causes of these deadly conflicts and we will take part in this important discussion this semester. Primordial ethnic differences, opportunistic elites, natural resources, poverty, authoritarianism, and even climate change are among the primary explanations proposed by the political scientists, anthropologists, and economists studying these wars. This intense and persisting debate makes civil war one of the more puzzling international behaviors witnessed in the contemporary international system.

This semester you will evaluate some of the major theories of civil war with intensive week-long case studies of ten civil wars spanning four continents. As you consider the merits of various explanations for civil war, you will contribute to this discussion by devising your own theory of civil war, which you will use to assess the future risk of civil war in the state of your choice.

Introduction to International Relations

PSCI 2223  |  Summer 2010, Spring 2012 Syllabus [PDF]

International relations scholars examine a broad range of international phenomena, including war, trade, migration, international organizations, and the interactions among states, ethnic groups, NGOs, and other actors. This course serves as an introduction to these diverse topics, many of which are studied to a greater extent in the upper-level political science courses that will be available to you once you pass this class.

Our course is divided into three sections. In the first section we will evaluate the assumptions we use to make sense of our complex international system. We will see that different schools have formed around these assumptions, including realism, liberalism, and constructivism. In the second section we will study how leaders, ideologies, ethnic groups, and culture complicate international interactions. We end the course by turning to some special topics, such as international political economy, international organization, the environment, and nuclear proliferation.

International Organization

PSCI 4173  |  Summer 2009, Fall 2011, Spring 2012 Syllabus [PDF]

Over the course of this term, we will study theories of international cooperation, discuss the common obstacles to cooperation, and evaluate strategies that states and non-state actors might use to overcome these obstacles. This will require us to consider our basic assumptions about the international system and state interests. It will also require us to scrutinize extant international organizations and treaties to better understand patterns of interstate cooperation. Through careful reading and the completion of a major research project, you will gain the ability to evaluate cooperative strategies available to states as they address a wide range of problems in international relations.

The bulk of your grade will be determined by an extensive research project to be completed over the course of the term. For this research project, you will apply the theories of cooperation discussed in the course to the international organization/treaty of your choice. You will research the origin, history, and scope of your organization/treaty, you will evaluate an important problem with your organization/treaty, and you will develop a feasible policy proposal for addressing this problem.