Course Calendar

August 26 – December 14
Introduction to World Politics
8:30 – 9:20 MWF in CLB 203
Calendar last updated on December 7
August 24 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Why did we go to war in Iraq?
* Discussion Topic: Levels of Analysis
* Discussion Topic: The Three Perspectives: Security, Sharing, Self
* Read for today: Nau: Introduction
August 26 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Game Theory
* Discussion Topic: The Prisoner's Dilemma
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 1
* Major assignment due today:
Political Leanings
August 29 (Monday)
* Read for today: How the Irish Can Save the Middle East
* Read for today: To be announced
August 31 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Reading through Perspective Glasses
* Major assignment due today:
Desu Nōto
September 2 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Perspectives on World History
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 2
* Quiz: Map Quiz 1: South America
September 5 (Monday)
* Note: Labor Day
September 7 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: The Concert of Europe: Realist or Liberal?
September 9 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: The Great War
* Discussion Topic: Nationalism and Communism
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 3
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
September 12 (Monday)
* Quiz: Map Quiz 2: Western Europe
* Assignment due today: Activity
September 14 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: The League of Nations and the Concert of Europe
* Read for today: Covenant of the League of Nations
* Read for today: Wilson's Fourteen Points
September 16 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Atlantic Charter; World War II
* Read for today: Atlantic Charter
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 4
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
September 19 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: World War II: The Cause
* Quiz: Map Quiz 3: Eastern Europe
September 21 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: The UN Charter and the Atlantic Charter
* Discussion Topic: Perspectives until the Cold War
* Discussion Topic: How did we fight the Cold War? Why?
* Read for today: Kennan's "Long Telegram"
* Read for today: Charter of the United Nations
September 23 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Why no World War III?
* Discussion Topic: Polarity
* Discussion Topic: The Balance of Power
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 5
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
September 26 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: The Late Cold War
* Discussion Topic: The Tripolar World and President Nixon
* Discussion Topic: Terrorism as Foreign Policy
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 6
September 28 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: After the Cold War
* Discussion Topic: The Unipolar World and the American Moment
* Discussion Topic: The Re-Rise of Nationalism
* Discussion Topic: Global Integration
* Discussion Topic: The Three Perspectives
* Read for today: UN Resolution 1441
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 7
September 30 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Globalization in History: How the West was Rich
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 8
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
October 3 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: The Rich West and the Poor Rest
October 5 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Review
October 7 (Friday)
* Examination: First Examination
October 10 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: Tunawars Discussion
* Read for today: Tunawars Manual
* Quiz: Map Quiz 4: Sub-Saharan Africa
* Note: Tunawars Simulation: Begin
October 12 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Globalization Today
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
October 14 (Friday)
* Note: Fall Break
October 17 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: How Globalization Works
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 9
* Note: TW: Brief debriefing, the restart!
October 19 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Does Globalization Work?
* Quiz: Map Quiz 5: MENA
October 21 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Trade and Investment
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 10
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
October 24 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: Development: Asian Tigers
October 26 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Banana Republics: Wealth without Prosperity
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 11
October 28 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Discuss: Essay Answers
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
October 31 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: Sub-Saharan Africa: Promise
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 12
* Major assignment due today:
Course Essay
November 2 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: The Middle East and North Africa: Sand and Oil
* Quiz: Map Quiz 6: South Asia
November 4 (Friday)
* Note: No class for us
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
November 7 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: Critiques of Globalization
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 13
November 9 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Conflict without the Cold War
November 11 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Global Environment
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 14
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
November 14 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: Debrief Evaluations
* Major assignment due today:
Course Essay Evaluation
November 16 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Nonstate Actors
* Discussion Topic: Non-Governmental Organizations
* Discussion Topic: Terrorist Groups
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 15
* Quiz: Map Quiz 7: Southeast Asia
November 18 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Global Governance
* Read for today: Nau: Chapter 16
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
November 21 (Monday)
* Tunawars discussion: The End is Near
November 23 (Wednesday)
* Note: Thanksgiving
November 25 (Friday)
* Note: Thanksgiving
November 28 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: The UN, ICJ, and ICC
* Read for today: UN Charter
* Read for today: Rome Statute
November 30 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: The UN, ICJ, and ICC
December 2 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: The Democratic Peace Thesis and Kant
* Read for today: Kant's Perpetual Peace
* Assignment due today: Foreign Event Analysis
December 5 (Monday)
* Discussion Topic: The Democratic Peace Thesis
* Read for today: Nau: Conclusion
December 7 (Wednesday)
* Discussion Topic: Tunawars discussion and debriefing
* Major assignment due today:
Tunawars Journal
* Quiz: Map Quiz 8: The World
December 9 (Friday)
* Discussion Topic: Where next?
* Discussion Topic: Final Thoughts
* Major assignment due today:
Tunawars Debriefing Paper
One Week Two Weeks Month All
Today:
April 2, 2025
Major Assignments:
i*Political Leanings
i*Desu Nōto
i*Course Essay
i*Course Essay Evaluation
i*Tunawars Journal
i*Tunawars Debriefing Paper
Quizzes and Exams:
*Map Quiz 1: South America
*Map Quiz 2: Western Europe
*Map Quiz 3: Eastern Europe
*First Examination
*Map Quiz 4: Sub-Saharan Africa
*Map Quiz 5: MENA
*Map Quiz 6: South Asia
*Map Quiz 7: Southeast Asia
*Map Quiz 8: The World
*Final Exam (8:00am)
The final exam for this course will be held on Friday, December 16, from 8:00 until 9:50am.