PSC 332 International Organization

PSC 332
International Organization
Michelle Benson, PhD.
Department of Political Science
University at Buffalo, SUNY
Park Hall 513
Office Hours: T/R: 8:30-10:30
email: [email protected]
Course Description
Why do states form intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and choose to act through them?
How do IGOs have influence in world politics and what are factors that increase or limit their
effectiveness?
We will attempt to answer the above questions by examining the nature and impact of global
governance and international organization in world politics. We will begin the course by
examining the issues relating to global governance. We will then move to focus on an important
tool states have created to aid in the process of global governance, namely, intergovernmental
organizations. Throughout the course we will examine different theoretical approaches as to
why states choose to form intergovernmental organizations and why and when they choose to act
through such organizations. We will also examine the different tools that IGOs have to
accomplish their goals and also the limitations of IGOs in international politics. While we will
examine the United Nations in some detail through readings and simulations, the remainder of
the course is largely topic oriented (rather than agent oriented). Topics we will cover include
IGOs and international conflict, civil conflict, conflict mediation, economic issues and
humanitarian assistance.
Required Materials
(Available to purchase at the UB bookstore or online—used and prior editions are acceptable).
 Karns and Mingst. International Organizations: The Politics and Processes of Global
Governnance. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers. (K&M in the syllabus)
 Diehl. The Politics of Global Governance. Boulder, CO. Lynner Rienner Pub.
 A UB Clicker
Additional Readings
In addition to the textbooks, there are several articles assigned throughout the semester. Unless
otherwise noted, these articles are available through the E-journals option on the buffalo library
webpage (http://library.buffalo.edu)
Requirements and Grading
10%: Attendance and Discussion (note that class attendance without excellent
participation and a demonstrated familiarity with the readings can substantially
decrease your grade). Attendance will be taken with UB clickers.
5%
IGO Action Presentation
10% Two-page analysis of IGO Action
30% Midterm 1 (Mid-way through the semester)
30% Exam 2 (At the end of the semester)
10% UN Security Council simulation
5%
UN General Assembly simulation
3%
Extra Credit for correct Clicker Questions (based on readings)
1) Regular and Active Participation in Discussions (10% of the course grade):
First is the expectation that you will be properly prepared to constructively participate in class
discussion every day. This means that you will have completed the assigned readings before
each class and be on time for class. Every student should come to class prepared to
independently answer the discussion questions listed on the syllabus. Evidence that a student has
not done the readings or that a student has come to class not prepared to discuss the readings will
substantially lower their participation grade. Attendance will be taken with UB clickers on most
days. Two of your clicker scores will be dropped from your grade to account for absences,
malfunctioning clickers, forgotten clickers, etc.
2) IGO Action Paper and Presentation—(10% and 5% of total grade).
Both your paper and your IGO presentation must be e-mailed to me by midnight the
day before your presentation. You must turn in a hard-copy of your paper to me at the
beginning of class on your presentation day.
Most days of the course, one or two students will give a 5-6 minute presentation on a
specific IGO action. This presentation will be based on students written assessment of a
particular IGO action. Your IGO presentation/summary may focus on the UN or any other
regional IGO. There are no restrictions on the issue that can be examined. There can be no
IGO/issue duplicate presentations during the semester. IGO/issues will be assigned on a firstcome, first-served basis. All students must find IGO actions on their own. A running list of
assigned actions and presentation dates will be posted on UB learns
A cohesive, well written, referenced, two-page (front and back of one single-sheet of
paper) summary of the IGO action, the reason this particular IGO acted, why the IGO acted on
this issue, and outcome and any recommendations for future action is due at midnight the day
prior to your assigned presentation day. The summary of the IGO action should be based on at
least three different non-website reference sources. These sources should be included in the
bibliography (not included in the page limit). I also expect you will cite and reference any prior
course readings that are relevant to the discussion of your IGO action. Website reference sources
should of course be included if they were used but they will not count towards the minimum of at
least three references independent of the course readings. Any evidence of plagiarism will result
in a score of zero for the assignment as well as any relevant disciplinary action.
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Students’ presentations should be either a power-point presentation, a .pdf presentation, or a
similar format. The first minute of the presentation should include information on the IGO (its
organization, membership, brief history). The second minute should cover a brief history of the
background of the issue acted on by the IGO. The next two to three minutes of the presentation
should include a theoretical explanation (based on course readings as well as your own analyses)
as to why this particular IGO acted (instead of another IGO or instead of individual states) and
why the IGO acted on this issue (in comparison to other similar or dissimilar issues). The
last minute should be used discussing the outcome of the IGO action with suggestions/comments
on what you think the IGO could/should have done and why it did not do so. I will cut off all
presentations precisely at the 6-minute mark.
Students must provide at least two weeks notice for a replacement for the presentation.
Students who spend the majority of their presentation reading from their notes or slides will
receive a maximum grade of B- for their presentation. In short, you must practice and memorize
your presentation before class. There are no make-ups for missed IGO presentations. If you do
not present your IGO action on your assigned day you will receive a score of zero. Your IGO
action paper grade will be reduced 1/3 of a letter grade if I do not receive it the evening before
your presentation. After the beginning of class on your presentation day late papers will have
their grades reduced by one full letter grade for each 24 hour period.
3) Exams: (30% each)
There will be two midterms in the course. Midterms will cover course readings and course
lectures. In addition, there will be at least five questions on students’ IGO course presentations.
The midterms will include multiple choice, short answer, and short essay questions. Any
unexcused absences for the midterms will result in a score of zero for that test. If students are ill,
they must come with a doctors note that they were too ill to attend the exam and students must email me before the exam that they will be absent. Any other absences must be approved well
beforehand. There are no-make ups for exams.
4) United Nations Simulations (UNSC=10%, and General Assembly=5%).
This course will be beta testing two new UN simulations developed by the team that created
Statecraft. I have used Statecraft simulations with great success in my PSC 326 (War and
International Security Course). Normally, these simulations cost $35 per student, however, the
developers will generously provide all of our students with free access to the simulation for this
semester. Details on the assignments and grading of the simulation will be forthcoming.
Attendance during the simulation days is essential. Any absences will require a valid doctors
note or prior approval well beforehand. Absences on simulation days of class will lead to a 3%
deduction in the course grade for each absence.
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Learning Outcome
Be able to identify, discuss, and apply key
concepts and major theories in the study of
International Organizations.
Obtain an understanding of individual IGOs
and theoretically analyze individual IGO
actions.
Demonstrate the ability to communicate ideas
clearly and persuasively in oral presentations.
Assessment Measure
Midterm Exams
UNSC and General Assembly Simulations
IGO-action presentations,
IGO action short paper
Exam questions on IGO actions
Participation in class discussions
IGO presentation
UN Simulations
Be able to write an original, clearly written
assessment of an IGO event
Develop and understanding of the United
Nations, its main organs, and the challenges
associated with international cooperation
IGO short paper
UNSC and General Assembly Simulations
Other Issues
If you have any disabilities or language difficulties that might affect your participation in the
class, please let me know at the beginning of the course. Anyone having difficulties in the
course should see me during office hours or after class. The earlier we talk about potential
problems, the better we can handle them.
*Special note to foreign students with English as a second language:
It is expected that you have a fluent written and spoken command of the English language. I
studied abroad during graduate school so I empathize with the difficulties of foreign language
students. However, I must grade you on the same criteria as the other students in this class. This
means that you may have to work much harder than the native English speakers in the class to
complete your readings, to write your papers, and to prepare your presentation. As mentioned
above, you may not read your presentation to the class. You may briefly refer to your notes.
However, for the bulk of your presentation, you must address the class directly. This means you
will almost certainly have to rehearse your presentation several times beforehand and that you
may need to obtain a tutor to make sure that your presentation is clearly understandable.
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Week 1: Introduction
Tuesday 8/26
Introduction
Read the tutorial and register your clicker on the UB Clicks page
http://www.buffalo.edu/ubit/service-guides/teaching-technology/learningresources-for-students/ubclicks.html
Thursday 8/28:
Diehl, Chapter 1: Pevehouse, Jon C., Timothy Nordstrom, and Kevin
Warnke. 2004. "The COW-2 International Organizations Dataset Version
2.0," Conflict Management and Peace Science 21(2):101-119.
“Who Runs the World? Wrestling for Influence.” The Economist July 5,
2008. http://www.economist.com/node/11664289
Week 2: Global Governance
Tuesday 9/2:
K &M: Chapter 1--The Challenges of Global Governance
Clicker attendance grading officially begins.
*Bring a list of at least 2 specific IGO actions that you are interested
in presenting to class (each student will present an IGO/action and
write a short paper on this action). See details in the Requirements
section of the syllabus, above.
Thursday 9/4:
K & M: Chapter 2—The Theoretical Foundations of Global Governance.
Diehl: Mearsheimer “The False Promise of International Institutions”
Week 3: Why IGOs?
Tuesday 9/9:
Diehl: Abbot and Snidal “Why States Act Through Formal IGOs”
Diehl: Miller “The Idea and the Reality of Collective Security”
Thursday 9/11:
Karns and Mingst: Chapter 3: Foundations of the Pieces of Global
Governance
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Week 4: Decision-Making
Tuesday 9/16:
Diehl: Cox and Jacobson “The Framework for Inquiry”
Hawkins, Lake, Nielson, and Tierny. “Delegation under anarchy: states,
international organizations, and principal-agent theory.” (reading available
on UBlearns)
Thursday 9/18:
Diehl: Johnstone: The Role of the UN Secretary –General: The Power of
Persuasion Based on Law.
Week 5: Preferences and Institutional Commitments
Tuesday, 9/23:
Simmons, Beth. 2000. "International Law and State Behavior: Commitment
and Compliance in International Monetary Affairs." American Political
Science Review 94, no. 4 (December 2000): 819-835. (all journal articles are
available through UB’s electronic journals).
Von Stein, Jana. 2005. "Do Treaties Constrain or Screen? Selection Bias
and Treaty Compliance, (2005), The American Political Science Review,
99 (4): 611-622.
Simmons, Beth and Daniel Hopkins. 2005. "The Constraining Power of
International Treaties." American Political Science Review 99, no. 4
(November 2005): 623-631.
Thursday, 9/25:
Grieco, Joseph, Christopher Gelpi, Jason Reifler and Peter Feaver. 2011 "Let's
Get a Second Opinion: International Institutions and American Public Support
for War." International Studies Quarterly.
Joseph Grieco, Christopher Gelpi and Camber Warren. 2009 (Spring).
"When Preferences and Commitments Collide: The Effect of Relative
Partisan Shifts on International Treaty Compliance." International
Organization.
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Week 6: IGOs and Conflict
Tuesday, 9/30:
Oneal, John R., Bruce Russett, and Michael L. Berbaum. 2003. “Causes
of Peace: Democracy, Interdependence, and International Organizations,
1885-1992. International Studies Quarterly. 47(3): 371-393.
Boehmer, Charles, Erik Garzke, and Timothy Nordstrom. 2004. “Do
Intergovernmental Organizations Promote Peace? World Politics. 57(1):
1-38.
Thursday, 10/2:
Diehl: Miller “The Idea and the Reality of Collective Security.”
Diehl: Jackson “International Engagement in War-Torn Countries.”
Week 7: EXAM & The UN
Tuesday, 10/7:
FIRST EXAM
Thursday 10/9:
K&M: Chapter 4, pp. 97-126.
Look over the different components of UN’s website at www.un.org
Week 8: The UN and Regional IGOs
Tuesday, 10/14:
K&M: Chapter 4, pp. 126-144.
Thursday, 10/16:
K&M: Chapter 5, pp, 145-175.
Week 9: Regional IGOs and NGOs
Tuesday, 10/21:
K&M: Chapter 5, pp. 175-210
Thursday, 10/23:
K&M: Chapter 6, pp. 211-223.
UNSC Simulation: Turn Zero
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Week 10: UNSC Simulation and the UN and Conflict
Tuesday, 10/28:
UNSC Simulation Turn 1—Attendance Required
Chapman, Terrence and Dan Reiter. 2004. "The United Nations Security
Council and the Rally 'Round the Flag Effect. Journal of Conflict
Resolution. 48(6).
Thursday, 10/30:
Schmidt, Holger, and Kyle Beardsley. 2012 Following the Flag or
Following the Charter? Examining the Determinants of UN Involvement
in International Crises, 1945-2002 International Studies Quarterly.
Benson, Michelle and Kathman, Jacob. 2014. “UN Bias and Force
Commitments in Civil Conflicts” The Journal of Politics.
Week 11: International Intervention in Conflicts
Tuesday, 11/4:
UNSC Simulation Position Papers Due by 10am—posting details TBA.
End of Turn 1
Diehl, Paul and Daniel Druckman. 2012. “Peace Operation Success: The
Evaluation Framework” Journal of International Peacekeeping 16, 3-4:
pages 209-225.
Thursday, 11/6: UNSC Turn 2 Meeting—Attendance Required
Benson, Michelle A. and Nil Satana. 2008. "Choosing Sides: UN
Resolutions and Non-Neutrality in International Conflicts." In Jacob
Bercovitch and Scott Gartner, eds. International Conflict Mediation: New
Approaches and Findings. Routledge Press. Available on UBlearns.
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Week 12: International Intervention in Conflicts
Tuesday, 11/11:
Voeten, Erik. 2001. “Outside Options and The Logic of Security Council
Action.” American Political Science Review pp 845-858.
Kuziemko, Ilyana, and Eric Werker. 2006. ''How Much is a Seat on the
Security Council. Worth? Foreign Aid and Bribery at the United Nations.:
Journal of Political Economy. pp. 905-930.
Thursday, 11/13:
UNSC Simulation Turn 3—Attendance Required
Diehl: O’Neill, “Power and Satisfaction in the Security Council.”
Week 13:
The UN General Assembly
IGOs and Economic Issues
Tuesday, 11/18:
End of UNSC Simulation Turn 3.
UN General Assembly Simulation, Details TBA
Diehl: Natsios, “NGOs and the UN System in Complex Humanitarian
Emergencies: Conflict or Cooperation?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGCIAXNswfU GA debate,
Responsibility to protect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJL-_fNLSYg Michael Doyle
Responsibility to Protect.
Thursday, 11/20:
UN General Assembly Simulation, Details TBA
Diehl: Armijo, “The Political Geography of World Financial Reform: Who
Wants What and Why?”
Diehl: Neumayer, “The Determinants of Aid Allocation by Regional
Multilateral Development Banks and United Nations Agencies.”
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Week 14:
IGOs and the Future
Tuesday, 11/25:
UN General Assembly Simulation, Details TBA
Diehl: Luck, Reforming the United Nations: Lessons from a History of
Progress.”
Diehl: Alger, “Thinking About the Future of the UN System”
Thursday, 11/27:
NO CLASS (Fall Recess)
Week 15:
Tuesday, 12/2:
SECOND EXAM
Thursday, 12/4:
Film—Attendance will be taken.
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