Spring 2021  |  POL 4885W Section 001: International Conflict and Security (65521)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Discussion
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
Completely Online
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Online Course
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/19/2021 - 05/03/2021
Tue, Thu 11:15AM - 12:30PM
Off Campus
UMN REMOTE
Enrollment Status:
Open (48 of 55 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
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? How effective is military force compared to other tools of statecraft? How can states cope with the threat posed by would-be terrorists? What is counterinsurgency doctrine? What is the future of military force in global politics? This course addresses these questions - and others. The course is organized loosely into three sections or themes. The first section explores the causes and consequences of interstate war and peace. We will examine whether and how the international system, domestic institutions and politics, ideas and culture, and even human psychology shape the path to war. Along the way, we debate whether war has become obsolete and why great power rivalry might be raising its ugly head once again. Attention is also devoted to the impact of war on economy and politics as well as the relations between armed forces and civilian government. The second section of the class explores the possibilities, limits, and challenges of more limited uses of force - such as the threat of force (coercion), peacekeeping and humanitarian intervention, and terrorism and counterterrorism. A third theme explores the strategic and ethical implications of the use of force and especially of innovation in military technologies - nuclear weapons, cyber, drones. The course is organized around theoretical arguments, historical cases and data, and policy debates. Sessions are deeply interactive, engaged discussion is a must, and the class often divides into smaller groups for more intensive debate. Class time is also devoted to helping students craft an effective final research paper.
Class Notes:
This course is completely online in a synchronous format. The course will meet online at the scheduled times. http://classinfo.umn.edu/?rkrebs+POL4885W+Spring2021
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:
~75 pages of reading per week; 15-20 pages of writing per term
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/65521/1213
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
26 February 2020

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