PSCI 2223 (Spring 2006)

Introduction to International Relations

Professor Jupille

Final Examination Preview

Exam Nuts and Bolts

· Pen (blue or black);

· Exam Time: Monday, May 8^th, 4:30-7:00p.m., MATH 100;

· Blue books will be handed out along with exams at the time of the final.

Exam Format

• Identifications 5 (of 7) @ 4 exam points each (20%)

· Short Essay: 1 (of 2) @ 30 exam points (30%)

· Long Essay: 1 @ 50 exam points (50%)

Coverage

• This final is cumulative.
• The identification questions and short essays will focus substantially (though not exclusively) on materials covered since the second midterm, as well as related articles from the Economist. For the long essay portion, you will be expected to communicate synthetic understanding of broad course themes, bringing to bear a wide array of evidence and arguments from throughout the semester.
• Because you have not had identification questions yet in this class, a few words about them are in order. For this part of the exam, you will be given a word or term. These will be drawn from the bold-faced terms in Kegley and Wittkopf and from the “key terms” appended to the end of every set of lecture notes. Two parts will comprise a successful answer. First, you must “identify” the term (i.e., say what it is or what it means). Second, you must state its relevance to broad course themes. Failure to fulfill one or the other of these requirements (e.g., failure to state relevance) will allow for a maximum of half-credit, regardless of how thorough your half-answer is. Be clear and concise in identifying terms and stating relevance. A sample answer is given below.

Study Strategies

· Do the readings.

· For KW, pay special attention to general concepts and boldfaced words. Ask about how KW materials relate to lecture materials, how they work together to paint a picture of that subject.

· For non-KW readings, be able to associate authors with arguments. You will receive more credit if you correctly identify the author of an idea in addition to accurately articulating the idea in question. In all cases, you should be capable of providing a "bottom line": that is, a distilled version of each author's thesis, or main argument.

· Revisit the Lectures

· Use lecture outlines to your advantage. They, along with the syllabus, communicate important information to you about how the professor carves up the complicated reality that is international relations.

· Understand the overall theme of each lecture, and how it relates to broader course themes. Then address yourself to more specific issues, connecting them to lecture themes and from there to course themes.

· I have provided key terms for lectures at the end of each outline. Know them. That is, be able to identify what each term means and how it is relevant (relates to broader themes).

· Think

· How might all of the above be brought together? Given the readings assigned and the lectures given, what questions might be asked?

Test-Taking Strategies

· Relax.

· Manage your time.

· Write legibly.

· Completely answer the question.

Sample Questions

• Identification. Liberal International Economic Order

Potential Answer. The Liberal International Economic Order (LIEO) refers to the set of open international economic regimes (including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade [GATT] in the area of trade and the World Bank and International Monetary Fund [IMF] in the area of finance) established by the United States after World War II to govern the global economy. Its goals were to promote monetary stability and the free flow of goods and capital. It is relevant because, as its name implies, it is largely consistent with the liberal theory of International Political Economy (IPE), which emphasizes minimal state interference and mutually beneficial economic exchange. It is also relevant insofar as it was said to disadvantage less developed countries, who in the 1960s and 1970s proposed a “New International Economic Order” focused on goals of justice and development.

• Short Essay. The question of human rights has risen high on the international agenda during the postwar period. Using evidence and arguments drawn from course readings, analyze and assess this trend. Begin by describing some of the contours of the emergence of human rights during the postwar period. Next, identify how realists and liberals would explain this surprising development. Which theory does a better job of explaining the rise of human rights? Develop and defend your answer.