International Organization:

Theory & Practice

Political Science 4173/Fall 2011

Till the war-drum throbb'd no longer and the battle-flags were furl'd
In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the World
There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe
And the kindly earth shall slumber, lapt in universal law

-Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Locksley Hall" (1837)

Instructor: Dr. Gregory D. Young

Office: Ketchum Hall Room 4A

Office Phone: (303) 492-4265

E-mail: gyoung@colorado.edu

Course Times/Location: Tues & Thurs 3:30-4:45/ Clare Small 207

Professor’s Office Hours: Tues & Thurs 11:00-12:30 or by appointment

Teaching Assistant – Ms. Seungbin Park

Office: Ketchum 401/Office Phone (303) 492-2982

TA Office Hours: Thursday 12:00-3:00pm

TA Email: Seungbin.Park@colorado.edu

This Syllabus: http://socsci.colorado.edu/~gyoung/index/4173/4173_syllabus.htm

Course Links

· Schedule for Current Event Presentations

· Schedule and Links to Course Reading Summaries

· Links to International Organizations

· Link to PowerPoint Presentations

· Link to Midterm Exam Questions

· Midterm Grading Statistical Summary

· Model United Nations

· Final Exam Terms

Course Objectives and Description

International Organizations were once believed to be the panacea to end the evils and rivalries of the Westphalian state system. A liberal utopian vision of the future had the world governed by a very democratic global government. War, nationalism, and territorial disputes had vanished from the globe. The recent demonstrations in Seattle and Geneva against the WTO indicate that to some, the current reality doesn’t match the vision. International organizations are suffering from a “democratic deficit” and are now often perceived to be the lackeys of the world capitalist system. Which of these alternative visions is the correct one? Recurring themes for the criticisms of international organizations are a lack of Democracy, Legitimacy, Accountability, and Effectiveness of IOs

This study of international organizations focuses on the problem of cooperation in world politics. Under what circumstances does cooperation take place? Can cooperation be institutionalized? What role do formal international organizations play in promoting cooperation across international borders? This course explores both the theory and practice of international organization. After surveying major theoretical approaches in the field, we turn to an examination of the unsuccessful League of Nations, the development of the United Nations as a security organization, and the challenges faced by the European Union. We then consider four prominent issues on the agenda of several international organizations: human rights, the environment, trade, and development. The course ends by contemplating the shortcomings and future prospects of international organizations.

Required Readings

All of the course readings are available for purchase online at http://americaandtheworld.com. Current Subscription cost for one year is $45. Other readings will be linked to this syllabus. The Textbooks on America and the World are also available for purchase online. We will be using only excerpts from each of the following:

1. (D) Diehl, Paul F. (ed.), (2005), The Politics of Global Governance: International Organizations in an Interdependent World. Boulder CO: Lynne Rienner Pub.
2. (KKP) Pease, Kelly-Kate S. (2010), International Organizations
3. (IK).Ikenberry, G. John (2001), After Victory: Institutions, Strategic Restraint, and the Rebuilding of Order After Major Wars. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.
4. (K&M) Karns, Margaret P. & Karen A. Mingst (2004), International Organizations: The Politics and Processes of Global Governance. Boulder CO: Lynne Rienner Pub.

The texts listed above, are also on short-term reserve at the Norlin library.

Course Requirements

Surgeon General’s Warning

This a three-credit course with a substantial workload. In addition to the midterm and final exams, this course requires a substantial amount of writing. Please familiarize yourself with the course requirements. If you are not sure now that you will be able to commit the necessary time and effort to complete the required work, you should consider dropping the course.

Attendance, Readings and Class Participation

It is essential that students attend every class on time. Regular attendance and active participation in class discussion will enhance your understanding of the course material and almost certainly improve your performance on the mid-term and final exams, which are together worth 50% of the course grade. Attendance is also a large portion of your 10% participation grade. Students who have more than five unexcused absences for the semester will automatically fail the course. Notifying your instructor via email prior to class will constitute and excused absence. Send your email absence notifications to gyoung@colorado.edu. The required readings range from 150 to 200 pages per week, as set out in the course schedule. Your knowledge and understanding of the required readings will be tested in the mid-term and final exams. Students should come to class having already completed (and thought carefully about) the assigned reading for each class period.

Mid-Term and Final Exams

The mid-term exam will be held on Thursday, September 29^th in the usual class meeting times. The final exam will be on Saturday, December 10^th from 7:30-10:00am;. Students must write the final exam in order to pass the course. The final exam will be comprehensive, but will focus on the material after the midterm. Blue books should be purchased by each student and brought in the class period prior to the midterm and final; 8.5x11 Blue books are preferred. Do not put your name on your Blue book, as they will be randomly redistributed on exam day. Make-up exams will not be given unless the instructor has been notified in advance or a doctor’s note is provided.

Reading Summary

Each student in the class will sign up for a section or chapter of the course reading. For each section of the reading, two-three students will summarize the readings due in class that day. In a 2-3 page synopsis of each assigned article or section, the designated student will give an overview of the key points of the reading. The summary can either be in outline form or complete paragraphs. The summary should include an answer to the “so what?” question, in other words, why should one read it when studying International Organizations. On the due date, by midnight the night before the start of class, the students will submit an electronic copy (in WORD) that the instructor will post on the web for the review of your classmates. These summaries are 10% of your final grade. Late Reading Summaries will be docked 10% per class day up to 50%.

Current Events

In addition, two to three students will present a current event orally to the class each day. The presentation should be no more than five minutes in length. The source should be from a respected news source, be less than one week old and pertain in some way to one or more international organizations. Each student should try to relate the article to some element of what we have been discussing in class. News reports on the Internet are acceptable sources. The current event presentation will be part of your 10% participation grade. Students will hand in or email a copy of the article presented. If you forget or miss your current event, you will be given one opportunity to make it up. The current event presentation schedule is linked to this syllabus.

Model UN Simulation

Three days of the course will be spent simulating the deliberations of the UN Security Council to resolve a potential regional crisis. The grade in the simulation counts 10% of your final course grade. A detailed handout for the UN simulation is linked to this syllabus. Due to the large size of this class two separate Model UN simulations will be conducted from 10-17 November.

Research Essay

Each student in the course will be required to complete a research essay that examines one of the following international organizations:

World Trade Organization (WTO)

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The World Bank

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

International Labor Organization (ILO)

The Arab League

Organization of American States (OAS)

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

African Union (AU)

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

International Atomic Energy Commission (IAEA)

If you wish to study an international organization that is not on the list above, speak to your instructor after the class or in my office hours. Since we will be discussing UN reform in class, it is deliberately not on the list. For information on a wide range of international organizations, see the following website:

http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/resource/internat/igo.html

International Organizations suffer from serious criticism that they lack democracy, transparency and accountability. Your assignment is to make a serious proposal to reform the institutional structure of the organization you have chosen to study. “Institutional structure” does not mean the particular policies of the organization, but the design of the organization: its membership, voting rules, committee structure, decision making system, bureaucracy, regulations or procedures. Specifically, your essay should answer the following four questions:

1. What problem(s) or weakness(es) exist in the current institutional structure of the organization?
2. What efforts, if any, have been made in the past to fix the problem(s)? Why have these efforts worked or not worked? 
3. How democratic is this organization? Does the organization respond to democratic norms, the issues of the general populace or public opinion? 
4. What remedy would you propose to fix the problem(s) or lack of democratic control? Explain how your remedy will succeed in overcoming the obstacles to reform. 

A preliminary thesis and bibliography will be due on Thursday the 13^th of October. This will be ten percent of your final paper grade. The final essay is due on Thursday, December 1st at the start of class or in your instructor’s mailbox in Ketchum 106 by 4:30pm on the due date. The paper must be between 2500 and 3000 words in length (approximately 9 to 12 pages).Include a word count on the first page. Late essays will be docked one grade (10%) per class day of lateness (e.g., A- to B-, C to D, etc.) up to 50%, unless you provide a doctor’s note explaining why it was impossible for you to meet the deadline. Computer malfunction is not an acceptable excuse for a late paper. Re-read your essay for clarity, grammar, spelling and punctuation, since poor execution of these elements will also affect half your grade. Append a bibliography and provide references or footnotes where appropriate. No more than 75 percent of your sources may be internet-based. Each paper will be submitted in both paper and electronic formats. The electronic copy will be emailed to the instructor and will be run through an anti-plagiarism service to which CU subscribes.

Link to the Library Research Guide for your paper

Grading Criteria

Reading Summary 10%

Mid-term exam 25%

Research Paper 20%

Final exam 25%

Model UN 10%

Current events, attendance & participation 10%

Total 100%

Final Course Grades will be curved unless a straight 90/80/70/60 etc system proves more beneficial to the students (higher overall grade average). If curved, the mean overall average will become the highest C grade, and two standard deviations below the mean will be necessary to fail the course. One standard deviation about the mean becomes the criteria for an A grade. The grading policy will be explained in detail on the first day of class.

PSCI 4173/Fall 2011

SCHEDULE OF LECTURES, READINGS, AND ASSIGNMENTS:

Day/Date	Topic/Event	Assigned Reading Due
Tuesday 23 Aug	Course Introduction and Administration	None
Thursday 25 Aug	Why Global Governance? Collective Security and the Tragedy of the Commons	Emmanuel Kant, “Perpetual Peace” (excerpts). K&M Ch. 1 (pp. 3-34)
Tuesday 30 Aug	Historical Evolution of International Organizations: Restoring order.	K&M Ch. 3 (pp.63-96) IK Ch. 1
Thursday 1 Sep	Varieties of Order	IK Ch. 2
Tuesday 6 Sep	Institutional Theory of Order Formation	IK Ch. 3
Thursday 8 Sep	The Settlement of 1815	IK Ch. 4
Tuesday 13 Sep	The Settlement of 1919	IK Ch. 5
Thursday 15 Sep	The Settlement of 1945	IK Ch. 6
Tuesday 20 Sep	After the Cold War	IK Ch. 7
Thursday 22 Sep	Order after Future War	IK Ch. 8
Tuesday 27 Sep	Make Up Day/Review for Midterm Bring Blue books for Midterm	Come prepared with questions
Thursday 29 Sep	Midterm Examination	Review
Tuesday 4 Oct	How is International Politics Organized? The Actors in Global Governance Recurring Themes: Legitimacy, Accountability, and Effectiveness of IOs	· K&M Ch. 3(pp. 63-96) and Ch. 2 · Pevehouse et al., “International Governmental Organizations” (D-1).
Thursday 6 Oct	Go Over Midterm Exam Discuss Research Paper & Model UN. Distribute Model UN materiel.
Tuesday 11 Oct	IR Theory: General Explanations and Expectations for Global Governance: Liberalism, Realism, Marxism, Feminism and Constructivism Research topics due	· KKP CH 3 and Ch. 4 · Abbott and Snidal, “Why States Act Through Formal IOs” (D-2). · Mearsheimer, “The False Promise of International Organizations.” (D-3). · Ellen Dorsey, “The Global Women’s Movement: Articulating a New Vision of Global Governance.” (D-17)
Thursday 13 Oct	IR Theory (Part II) Research paper thesis & partial bibliography due
Tuesday 18 Oct	Regional Organizations: Whither goes the EU?	· McCormick The European Union Ch. 2 · The Economist “Fit at 50?” March 17, 2007
Thursday 20 Oct	The United Nations: The Relevance of Rules and the Power of Persuasion	· K&M Ch. 4 (pp.97-144) · Ian Johnstone, “The Role of the UN Secretary-General” (D-5) · Barry O’Neil, “Power and Satisfaction in the Security Council,” (D-6)
Tuesday 25 Oct	The UN (part II)
Thursday 27 Oct	Peace and Security: Tougher Cases for International Organization?	· KKP Ch. 5 · Lynn Miller, “The Idea and Reality of Collective Security,” (D-8) · Robert Jackson, “International Engagement in War Torn Countries,” (D-9) · Paul Diehl, “Forks in the Road: 21^st Century Peacekeeping,” (D-10)
Tuesday 1 Nov	Peace and Security (Part II)
Thursday 3 Nov	Economic Issues: The Paradigmatic Liberal Cases of Cooperation	· KKP Ch. 6 · Leslie Armijo, “Political Geography of World Financial Reform,” (D-11) · Iida, “Is WTO Dispute Settlement Effective?” (D-13)
Tuesday 8 Nov	International Organizations: Democratic, Transparent and Accountable?	Zweifel, International Organizations and Democracy. Chapters 1 & 10
Thursday 10 Nov	Model UN simulation
Tuesday 15 Nov	Model UN simulation
Thursday 17 Nov	Model UN simulation
Tue/Thu 22-24 Nov	Thanksgiving Holiday	No Class
Tuesday 29 Nov	Global Development: Who is responsible?	· KKP Ch. 7 · Eric Neumayer, “Aid Allocation by RDBs and UN Agencies,” (D-12) · UN Millennium Development Goals Report 2006/ · UN Millennium Development Report 2009
Thursday 1 Dec	Global Environment and Health. Term Paper due	· KKP Ch. 8 · Adil Najam, “The Case Against a New Intl. Environmental Org,” (D-16)
Tuesday 6 Dec	Protecting Human Rights: Social and Humanitarian Activities: Do human rights trump sovereignty?	· KKP Ch. 9 · Andrew S. Natsios, “NGOs and the UN System in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies: Conflict of Cooperation?” (D-15)
Thursday 8 Dec	International Organizations and the Future: The Big Challenges Ahead Bring Blue Books for Final	KKP Ch. 10
Saturday 10 Dec	Final Exam 7:30-10:00pm	Study, Study, Study

Optional Suggested Reading for International Organizations:

Henry Kissinger, A World Restored, 1959.

Robert Gilpin, The Political Economy of International Relations, 1987.

Ann Marie Slaughter, A New World Order, Princeton, 2004.

Hall and Biersteker, Private Authority in Global Governance, 2002.

David Lake, “Beyond Anarchy: the Importance of Security Institutions,” 1999.

John Ruggie, Multilateralism Matters, Columbia. 1993.

Robert Cox, Production, Power and World Order. Columbia Press. 1987.

David Dessler, “What’s at Stake in the Agent Structure Debate?” 1989.

Robert Keohane, After Hegemony, 2^nd ed., Princeton.2005.

Barnett and Finnemore, “Politics, Power and Pathologies of IOs”

Ian Johnstone, “The Power of Interpretive Communities in UNSC,”

Donald Puchala, “World Hegemony and the United Nations,” 2005.

Stephen Krasner, Structural Conflict: Against Global Liberalism, 1985.

Lisa Martin, Coercive Cooperation: Multilateral Economic Sanctions, 1992.

Randall Stone, Lending Credibility: IMF and Post-Communist Trans., 2002.

Lyne, Nielson and Tierney, A Problem of Principals, 2006.

Haftendorn et al, Imperfect Unions: Security Institutions over Time, 1999.

Robert Jervis, “From Balance to Concert,” 1985.

Cortell and Peterson, “Dutiful Agents or Rogue Actors: WHO and WTO,” 

Oran Young, International Governance: Protecting the Environ. Cornell, 1994.

Haas, Keohane and Levy, Institutions for the Earth, MIT Press, 1993.

Keohane and Levy, Institutions for Environmental Aid, MIT Press, 1996.

Boli and Thomas, Constructing World Culture: INGOs, Stanford, 1999.

Kal Raustiala, “States, NGOs, and International Environmental Institutions, “97.

Hemmer and Katzenstein, “Why is there no NATO in Asia?” 2002.

Donald Puchala, “World Hegemony and the UN,” ISR, December 2005.

Fukuyama and Ikenberry, Report of the Grand Strategy Working Group, 2005.

Robert Dahl, “Can International Organizations be Democratic?” 1999.

Fox and Brown, The Struggle for Accountability: World Bank and NGOs, 1998.

Course Administration

CELLULAR TELEPHONE/LAPTOP COMPUTER POLICY

Needless to say, all cellular phones must be turned off and put away at the beginning of each class meeting. Classes failing to comply will be issued a stern warning on the first occasion. The entire class will have a pop quiz over the previous reading assignments/lectures on the second and subsequent occurrences. Phones, PDA’s, MP3 players and Blackberrys will not be out on desks or used during any quiz or examination. Laptop computers will be allowed in this class as I believe they still can contribute to learning in the classroom. If, however, they become a distraction, they will be banned.

Students With Disabilities

If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices

Disability Services' letters for students with disabilities indicate legally mandated reasonable accommodations. The syllabus statements and answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be found at www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices

Cheating and Plagiarism

Cheating (using unauthorized materials or giving unauthorized assistance during an examination or other academic exercise) and plagiarism (using another's ideas or words without acknowledgment) are serious offenses in a university, and may result in a failing grade for a particular assignment, a failing grade for the course, and/or suspension for various lengths of time or permanent expulsion from the university.

All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council and those students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member involved and non-academic sanctions given by the Honor Code Council (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Please refer to www.colorado.edu/honorcode to view the specific guidelines. If you have any questions related to this policy, please contact the Honor Code Council at honor@colorado.edu.

The development of the Internet has provided students with historically unparalleled opportunities for conducting research swiftly and comprehensively. The availability of these materials does not, however, release the student from appropriately citing sources where appropriate; or applying standard rules associated with avoiding plagiarism. Specifically, the instructor will be expecting to review papers written by students drawing ideas and information from various sources (cited appropriately), presented generally in the student’s words after careful analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. An assembly of huge blocks of other individuals' existing material, even when cited, does not constitute an appropriate representation of this expectation. Uncited, plagiarized material shall be treated as academically dishonest, and the paper will be assigned an “F” as a result. Papers submitted by any student, written in part or in whole by someone other than that student, shall be considered to constitute fraud under the University Honor Code, and result in the assignment of an 'F' for the entire course. If the student is confused as to what constitutes plagiarism, he/she should review the CU Honor Code on this topic. If you have any questions regarding proper documentation in your writing, please discuss it with your instructor.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

The University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff and faculty. Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual attention. It can involve intimidation, threats, coercion, or promises or create an environment that is hostile or offensive. Harassment may occur between members of the same or opposite gender and between any combinations of members in the campus community: students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Harassment can occur anywhere on campus, including the classroom, the workplace, or a residence hall. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been sexually harassed should contact the Office of Sexual Harassment (OSH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the OSH and the campus resources available to assist individuals who believe they have been sexually harassed can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh/

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES

The university has received valid complaints from students regarding the lack of adequate faculty accommodation for some students who have serious religious obligations, which may conflict with academic requirements such as scheduled exams. Campus policy states that faculty must make reasonable accommodation for such religious observances and in so doing, be careful not to inhibit or penalize those students who are exercising their rights to religious observance. Every effort shall be made to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. Please notify your instructor of anticipated conflicts as early in the semester as possible so that there is adequate time to make necessary arrangements. A comprehensive calendar of the religious holidays most commonly observed by CU-Boulder students is at http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/

BASIC COURTESY TO YOUR CLASSMATE AND YOUR INSTRUCTORS

Please arrive on time and do not leave early. If you absolutely must leave early, please let me know at the beginning of class and sit near a door so you do not cause too much disruption. Similarly, if arriving late, please take a seat as quickly and quietly as possible. Take care of all your business before class begins; do not leave and return during class as this creates a disturbance to others.

Taking this course signifies acceptance of the terms and conditions stated in this syllabus