Spring 2019  |  POL 4885W Section 001: International Conflict and Security (66143)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Discussion
Credits:
4 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/22/2019 - 05/06/2019
Tue 06:20PM - 08:50PM
UMTC, West Bank
Blegen Hall 120
Enrollment Status:
Open (51 of 55 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
An examination of alternative theories of the sources of militarized international conflict. Apply these theories to one or more past conflicts and discuss their relevance to the present.
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?rkrebs+POL4885W+Spring2019
Class Description:
With the end of the Cold War, many foresaw the birth of a new world order. Military strategy, strategic bombing and coercive diplomacy, deterrence and compellence, signaling and the escalatory ladder--these concepts, staples of Cold War thinking, were believed to be outmoded and to have little relevance to the emerging world. The events of the past two decades have shown how wrong this conclusion was. Military force is as pertinent to international politics as ever. Unable to reap the peace dividend that was expected to accompany the end of the Cold War, the United States has since 1989 repeatedly deployed its military forces across the globe--from Kuwait to Somalia to Bosnia and Kosovo to Afghanistan and Iraq. These operations have sometimes ended in apparent success, other times in failure. This course explores central issues regarding the use of military force in international politics. Why do states turn to military force and for what purposes? What are the causes of war and peace? What renders the threat to use force credible? Can intervention in civil wars stall bloodshed and bring stability? Under what conditions is the use of force ethical, and when does it exceed those bounds? How effective is military force compared to other tools of statecraft? What is the future of military force in global politics? Through theoretical readings, concrete historical cases, and contemporary policy debates, this course examines these questions and others.
Exam Format:
No exam. Occasional online quizzes. Final research paper, completed in multiple stages. Weekly reading questions.
Class Format:
75% Lecture
25% Discussion
Workload:
100 pages of reading per week; 15-20 pages of writing per term
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/66143/1193
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
29 April 2015

ClassInfo Links - Spring 2019 Political Science Classes Taught by Ron Krebs

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