World Politics is an introduction to the study of International Relations (IR) in the contemporary world — a subfield of political science. The subject is a broad, complex one that is constantly shifting and evolving even as scholars try to develop theories to explain it and policy makers try to manage foreign policy from day-to-day. This course will provide students with a solid background and understanding of the major trends and issues of current world politics as well as in the main theories and explanations used by scholars of IR.

World Politics is an interdisciplinary course that draws on the disciplines of political science, economics, and history to provide an overview of the complexities of international relations. It seeks to present a conceptual framework and analytical tools for a better understanding of international relations.

Although this is not a course on current events, it will make use of current events and issues to illustrate concepts and demonstrate that world politics is best viewed as a dramatic moving picture, not an album of snapshots.

The student will be introduced to critical concepts, theoretical approaches, policy issues and case studies to the subject, including foreign policy process and the main sources of international tensions such as ethnic, territorial and economic conflicts. In the current period, this means examining issues such as the Iraq war, terrorism, development and poverty in the global South, the efforts of international and regional institutions, and other concerns.

Importantly, the course seeks to take advantage of the fact that we are located in Washington, DC that is home to a number of institutions who play or seek to play a significant role in international relations. Students will visit these government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and have an opportunity to engage directly with those who efforts impact the nature of IR today.