International Relations (IR)

Courses

IR 002 Current Issues in World Affairs 3 Credits

This is a survey course designed primarily for non-IR majors or minors. The purpose is to acquaint students with some of the concepts and historical facts behind current global issues. The content of this course will, in part, be dictated by international events as they unfold.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 010 Introduction to World Politics 4 Credits

Introduction to the major principles, concepts, and theories of international relations, along with a historical background focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries. Topics to be covered include the nature of power, balance of power theories, national interest, decision-making in foreign policy, theories of war and expansion, patterns of Cooperation, and international political economy.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 011 International Relations in Popular Culture 4 Credits

International politics inspires all forms of cultural response, including novels, poetry, art, and film. These media are as or even more influential in shaping public views of international relations, and often policy, than is social science research. This course examine international politics through the artistic lens, juxtaposing artistic interpretations with social science explanations.
Attribute/Distribution: HU

IR 015 Authoritarianism 4 Credits

Authoritarianism has been the dominant form of government throughout history, and more than half of the world lives under it today. This course addresses its various forms and central dynamics. Learn how rulers organize coups, repress societal opposition, create cults of personality, enrich cronies, and avoid being overthrown by rivals. Use real-world case studies from the Mideast, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America to find out how authoritarian regimes have dealt with technological change and Western democracy promotion.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 026 Political Economy of Corruption I 4 Credits

This course examines causes and consequences of various forms of corruption from the political-economic perspective; helps students better understand various sources, types, patterns, and consequences of corruption; considers corruption that exists in both the public and private sectors; evaluates how corruption affects economic growth and resource allocation; and assesses global and national strategies to reduce corruption. Students may not receive credit for both IR 026 and IR 226.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 030 The Nuclear Revolution 4 Credits

The invention of nuclear weapons has revolutionized international politics more profoundly than anything since the invention of agriculture. States can now destroy each other without defeating each other militarily or even if defeated themselves, leading to elaborate concerns about nuclear deterrence, nuclear proliferation, and custody of fissile material. Some credit nuclear deterrence with making the Cold War into the Long Peace. This course explores these and related questions, including whether we can expect the Long Peace to continue.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 034 Society, Technology and War 4 Credits

This course explores the links between war and society in both directions: the impact of social, economic, and technological change on how wars are fought and the purposes for which they can be fought; as well as the impact of war mobilization needs and of war itself on how societies develop, including the rise of capitalism, democratization, economic planning and other modern institutions, and emancipation of disadvantaged groups in society, such as blacks and women in the United States.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 036 International Terrorism 4 Credits

Has global terrorism peaked, or is the worst still to come? This course examines psychological, religious, and political explanations of terrorism; legal and moral statuses of terrorism; explanations for the increasing scale of terrorism and the more frequent targeting of Americans; major terrorist organizations, structures, and means of operation; suicide terrorism; threats and vulnerabilities facing the United States and Western countries today; means of coping with terrorism as an individual and through national policy; possible future developments.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 040 The United Nations 4 Credits

Provides overview of key issues and debates in the United Nations and helps students understand the formal and informal operations of this global organization. We will explore two major questions. First, what are the major obstacles to effective international cooperation in the United Nations? Second, what does globalization mean for UN efforts to promote democracy, development, and human rights? Includes a trip to UN Headquarters in NY and an in-class UN simulation exercise.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 041 U.N. Practicum 1 Credit

Only students participating in the U.N. Youth Representative program are eligible to register for this course. In addition to their regular activities in that program, students are required to maintain a journal of their experiences and write a brief reflective essay on how those experiences have affected their view of international activism, the UN, and the importance on international NGOs. Consent of department required.

IR 052 Ukraine at the Crossroads: Regime Change and International Politics 4 Credits

This course investigates Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, Euromaidan protests, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine. It will analyze domestic and international causes and consequences of these events through the lenses of news reports, social media, and scholarly publications. The course will introduce students to some basic concepts in the study of domestic and international conflict and facilitate a better understanding of current international events.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 056 European International Relations 4 Credits

Examines the evolution of the modern states system in Europe. Conceptual, theoretical and historical topics include the transition from feudalism to the Westphalian system, nationalism, imperialism, the causes of war and attempted peace settlements, the Cold War, the European Union, and the impact of the collapse of the USSR on the political and strategic structure of Europe.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 057 Political Economy of Post-Communist Transitions and European Integration 4 Credits

Central and Eastern Europe, which was once ruled by communist regimes supported by the Soviet Union, underwent radical political and economic transformations in the 1990s. For the first time after decades of communism, East European countries held competitive elections, introduced market principles in their economies, and joined European institutions. This course focuses on the analysis of post-communist economic transitions and the region’s economic integration with the European Union.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 061 (ASIA 061) East Asian International Relations 4 Credits

Introduction to East Asian international relations, with emphasis on post-1945 period: historical background of Asian international system; Cold War conflicts; China's rise and regional responses; Japan's changing international role; the two Koreas; ASEAN and Asian regionalism; U.S. and Russian policies; current and future issues.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 063 (ASIA 063) U.S.-China Relations 4 Credits

Introduction and analysis of the historical context and key aspects of contemporary US-China relations: Cold War US containment, rapprochement and diplomatic normalization; American arms sale and the Taiwan controversy; conflict and cooperation in the Korean Peninsula; economic interdependence and frictions; human rights and security relations; Asian regional disputes. Students may not receive credit for both IR/ASIA 063 and IR/ASIA 163.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 066 (ASIA 066) Japan in a Changing World 4 Credits

This course explores Japanese foreign policy through its historical and international context; domestic determinants; foreign and security policymaking processes; policy toward major regional players; foreign economic policy; current grand strategic debates.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 074 American Foreign Policy 4 Credits

Addresses major themes and trends in U.S. foreign policy, including its historical evolution. Assesses the interests and values that underlie the goals of policy and the beliefs that shape decisions on how to achieve those goals. Also examines issues such as the constitutional division of authority, bureaucratic politics and processes, civil-military relations, and public opinion.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 082 (JST 082) Middle East in World Affairs Since 1945 4 Credits

Rise of Turkish, Iranian, and Arab nationalism; creation of Israel; decline of British and French power; growth of U.S. and Soviet influence; Middle East as the world's major oil producer.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 086 (JST 086) The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 4 Credits

Origins of the Zionist movement and of Palestinian national identity. Evolution of the conflict before, during, and after the Israeli War of Independence/Palestinian Nakhba (Catastrophe). 1967 and subsequent occupations. Camp David, Oslo, and subsequent peace negotiations. The 2006 Fatah/Hamas split and state of Palestinian and Israeli politics and policy. Role of the Arab states and of global powers such as the United States.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 100 Methods and Research Design 4 Credits

The course has two principal aims - to introduce students to the logic of social scientific research and to equip them with the basic tools of research design. To that end the course 1) examines controversies surrounding the scientific method; 2) analyzes the logics of experimental, statistical, and case-study methods; 3) explores the most common methodological errors in social scientific research; and 4) gives students a hands-on experience in designing a study.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 108 Game Theory and International Politics 4 Credits

The course is designed as a rigorous treatment of the concept of strategic interaction. The focus is on topics like collective action, bargaining under incomplete information, problems of moral hazard and adverse selection, and evolutionary models of interaction. The empirical examples will mostly be drawn from international politics, but anyone curious about the general claim that good outcomes do not necessarily follow from good intentions should find this course interesting.
Attribute/Distribution: MA, SS

IR 119 Issues in International Relations 1-4 Credits

Readings on selected themes in world politics, with theme to change each semester. Offered on an occasional basis only.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 127 Research in International Relations 4 Credits

Research skills in international relations. The role of theory, models and evidence in the explanation of international phenomena. Literature review; problem formulation; theory construction; research design, methods and measures; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; principles of hypothesis testing. Professional writing, either through individual research projects under faculty supervision or an apprenticeship in ongoing faculty research projects. Consent of instructor required.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 132 Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict 4 Credits

The ideal of nationalism exerts a powerful pull on almost all people everywhere. This course investigates the sources, spread, and possible future decline of nationalism and national identity, the manipulation of nationalist feelings for political purposes, and the sources of national and ethnic conflict. We will also consider proposals for managing ethnic conflicts and their records of success (or failure). We will study recent and current cases, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ethnic relations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Balkans, or others as current events demand. Prospects for the futures of nationalism, ethnic conflict, and ethnic conflict management. Simulations of decision-making of groups involved in ethnic conflicts.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 163 (ASIA 163) U.S.-China Relations 4 Credits

Introduction and analysis of the historical context and key aspects of contemporary US-China relations: Cold War US containment, rapprochement and diplomatic normalization; American arms sale and the Taiwan controversy; conflict and cooperation in the Korean Peninsula; economic interdependence and frictions; human rights and security relations; Asian regional disputes. This is an advanced course on US-China relations. Students may not receive credit for both IR/ASIA 063 and IR/ASIA 163.
Prerequisites: IR 010 or IR 061
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 164 (ASIA 164) Japan in a Changing World 4 Credits

IR 169 Russia and the West 4 Credits

The course is an exploration of the most important issues and debates about the politics of the post-Soviet space. They include the collapse of communism, the collapse of the USSR, the problems of economic and political transition, the conflicts of the post-Soviet space, the problem of selective integration of post-Communist states into the Western integration, and many others.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 177 International Relations of Latin America 4 Credits

Survey of major international and domestic crises facing Central and South America. Examines factors affecting Latin American system of states such as international debt, involvement of foreign powers, and social and political instabilities.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 205 Theories of International Relations 4 Credits

The role of theory in historical explanation, prediction, and policy. Issues of theory design and testing. Important approaches to international relations, including Realism; the Democratic Peace; the domestic politics of foreign policy; history and mythmaking; psychological explanations.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 210 Foreign Policy 4 Credits

This course explores the major international and domestic determinants of foreign policy, as well as contemporary problems associated with the conduct of foreign policy in the 21st century. Principal topics include the influence of the international system, geography, leadership, regime-type, transnationalism, and non-governmental organizations on foreign policy. The course draws upon the experiences of a variety of Western democratic states.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 220 Globalization and World Politics 4 Credits

An exploration of the economic, political, cultural, and military manifestations of globalization and the effects on the internal order of states and the relations among them.
Prerequisites: IR 010 and ECO 001
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 222 Political Economy of North-South Relations 4 Credits

Political economy of relations between developed and less developed countries. Issues arising from trade, investment, and foreign aid. Consequences of North-South transactions. Controversies over system structure and reform proposals for international institutions (e.g. World Bank, IMF, WTO).
Prerequisites: IR 225 or POLS 225
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 223 Work & Labor in a Global Economy 4 Credits

Explores the ways that global economic integration affects workers & the nature of work. Using theoretical frameworks and case studies from around the world investigates issues such as labor standards and labor rights, migration, automation, income inequality both within and across countries, female labor force participation, political power of labor, & transnational labor activism. We will consider the ways that outcomes for workers are different in developed vs. developing economies, democracies vs. non-democracies, according to race, gender, and class status.
Prerequisites: IR 010 and ECO 001
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 225 (POLS 225) International Political Economy 4 Credits

Principles governing the interaction between the economic and political components of international phenomena. Political aspects of trade, investment, and global economic order. Political underpinnings of international economic relations. Domestic and international political consequences of economic policy and international economic relations.
Prerequisites: IR 010 and ECO 001
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 226 Political Economy of Corruption II 4 Credits

IR 229 Issues in International Political Economy 1-4 Credits

Selected issues in international political economy, with theme to change each semester. Offered on an occasional basis only.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 234 Great Power Politics 4 Credits

Overview of the dynamics of strategic interaction between great powers, including the causes of conflict, origins of alliances, logic of coercion, sources of order, and definition of national interests. Focus on the interwar period (multi-polarity), the Cold War (bio-polarity), and the post-Cold War period (uni-polarity).
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 235 International Security 4 Credits

Explanations of international wars, civil wars, genocides, and terrorism. Arms races, escalation, and conflict resolution. The nuclear revolution and ballistic missile defense. Tools of national grand strategy, including alliances, deterrence, coercion, and institutions and norms. Current issues and near future prospects. Case studies.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 236 Causes of War 4 Credits

Systematic examination of major schools of thoughts on the origins and prevention of war, including system-level theories of war and peace, domestic and societal sources of conflict, military policy, and ideational and psychological causes of war. Application and testing of theories to classic cases of war and conflict in history and the contemporary world.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 237 National Security: The Military Instrument of Foreign Policy 4 Credits

This course will begin by exploring the theory, logic and history of US strategy, the elements of ground forces, air power, naval power and nuclear power, and the economics of military strategy. The second half of the course will examine contemporary problems and debates over US security policy.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 242 International Law 4 Credits

This course deals with the nature and sources of international law and the major theoretical and historical developments that have created the legal system of states as it now stands. Topics include: armed conflict, international trade, human rights and international environmental law.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 245 International Organization 4 Credits

Examines how cooperation is achieved and sustained in world politics. Under what circumstances does cooperation take place? What role do formal international organizations play? What is the relative importance of power, ideas, and economic interests? Pursues questions theoretically and in practical terms across topical issues (e.g., humanitarian intervention, environmental protection).
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 257 Political Economy of Post-Communist Transitions and European Integration 4 Credits

IR 321 Economic Relations of Advanced Industrial Societies 4 Credits

Foreign economic policies of advanced industrial nations. Bilateral and multilateral economic relations; international economic regimes and institutions; interdependence and Cooperation; managing conflict. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 225
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 322 Poverty and Development 4 Credits

Patterns and causes of poverty in poor countries. Diagnosis of development problems and evaluation of development planning. Explanations for choices of development policy, especially issues of trade, foreign aid, and foreign direct investment. Written and oral presentation of individual country research. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 323 Political Economy of Industrialization and Development 4 Credits

Political foundation and consequences of economic development and growth. Global inequality in the rates and levels of economic development. Analysis of the differences between the development strategies adopted in different parts of the world. Explanations for patterns of success and failure. Origins of underdevelopment; the politics of failed development strategies; the challenge of the increasingly competitive world economy and relations with the U.S. and other developed nations. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 225 and IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 330 Mass Murder 4 Credits

Is mass murder modern or ancient? Is such violence committed by states or societies? Why do some conflicts degenerate to mass murder and some do not? Are democracies immune to committing this kind of violence? These are just some of the questions that inform the critical examination of the literature on mass murder, which is the principal aim of this course. The prominent cases of mass murder in the 20th century form its main empirical content. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 332 The Quest for Peace 4 Credits

The most important focus of the discipline of international relations has been to understand the causes of war and the paths to peace. This course will explore some of the leading contemporary theories of peace and cooperation. It will conclude with a discussion of the prospects for war and peace in the emerging international system.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 334 Prospects for Peace in the 21st Century 4 Credits

Will the 21st century be more or less peaceful than the “terrible 20th?” This course examines: globalization as a force both for and against peace, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, nationalism and communal conflict, humanitarian intervention and peacekeeping, climate change and other issues affecting prospects for peace in the near future. We will also consider the special situation of American as the world's sole superpower, choices in U.S. policy between unilateral and multilateral approaches to preserving global and regional peace, and decision-making processes of the U.S. and other important actors. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 335 Intervention 4 Credits

Strong states frequently intervene in the affairs of weaker societies. Since 1945, the most frequent intervener has been the United States. International norms cut both ways—sovereignty opposes intervention while an emerging “responsibility to protect” sometimes favors it. This course explores why and by what means states and international organizations intervene and what factors influence the success of interventions. We focus mainly on two types – counterinsurgency and humanitarian intervention – that have been and are likely to remain the most common. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 337 Conflict and Cooperation 4 Credits

The course is designed as an advanced undergraduate seminar to students, who are interested in getting deeper familiarity with the rational choice literature on conflict and cooperation. Its primary focus is on socially suboptimal outcomes in situations that can be modeled as a prisoners’ dilemma, collective action problems, bargaining failures due to incomplete information and commitment problems, etc. The applied material deals with issues like crisis bargaining, alliance politics, revolutions, interventions, trade, democratic transitions, etc. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 344 International Politics of Oil 4 Credits

Historical influence of oil in international politics and the role it plays today. Focus on differing views of producers, such as Middle Eastern and Latin American states, and consuming nations, largely the economically developed Western states. Consent of department required .
Prerequisites: IR 010 or ECO 001
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 345 Democratization 4 Credits

Interdisciplinary analysis of international and transnational influences on regime transitions. Addresses the role of war, trade, colonial legacies, waves of democratization, socializations, demonstration effects, and international law; the policies of the United States, EU, OAS, UN, World Bank, and NGOs; and the efficacy of different instruments of democracy promotion. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 346 Contemporary Ethical Dilemmas in World Politics 4 Credits

This course is designed to explore, challenge, and re-conceptualize the boundaries of moral community and ethical responsibility through such current dilemmas in world politics as famine, terrorism, torture, genocide, weapons of mass destruction, organized crime and more. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 347 Non-State Actors in a Globalized World 4 Credits

Role of non-state political groups (e.g. international advocacy organizations, multinational corporations, news media, terrorists, etc.) in world affairs. Thematic focus on globalization, the relationship between non-state and state actors, and the implications of non-state actors for the future of world order. Themes explored through past and current events (e.g., the WTO demonstrations, 911, the CNN effect, AIDs, anti-sweatshop campaigns.) Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 010
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 364 (ASIA 364) Chinese Foreign Policy 4 Credits

Research-oriented seminar focusing on the sources of Chinese foreign policy preferences and goals, foreign policy decision-making processes, international implications of the rise of China, and the pressing regional and global issues that China is facing now and in the future. Students are strongly recommended to take at least one China/East Asia course before, or simultaneously with, IR364. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: IR 010 or IR 061 or ASIA 061 or IR 062 or ASIA 062 or IR 063 or ASIA 063 or IR 161 or ASIA 161 or IR 163 or ASIA 163
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 367 International Relations of Russia and other Post-Soviet States 4 Credits

Analysis of foreign relations of Russia and the other fourteen states that emerged after the collapse of the USSR. Consent of department required.
Prerequisites: (IR 010 or IR 169)
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 388 Honors Thesis in International Relations 4 Credits

International relations majors with senior standing may undertake an intensive, two-semester project under the direct guidance of a faculty member in the student's special area of interest. Students who successfully complete the thesis and whose GPA in the major at the time of graduation is 3.5 or higher receive Departmental Honors. Department permission required. See IR Department website http://cas.lehigh.edu/ir for additional information.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.

IR 389 (MLL 389) IR/MLL Capstone Project 4 Credits

A research project on international politics that will include original research in at least one foreign language under the joint supervision of an adviser in IR and one in the relevant language in MLL. Consent of department required.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 390 Readings in International Relations 1-4 Credits

Directed course of readings intended for students with special competence or interest in fields of international relations not fully covered by regular course offerings. Department permission required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 391 Internship in International Relations 1-4 Credits

Internship in public or private agency. Department permission required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 392 Independent Study 1-4 Credits

This course enables students to work with faculty on individual projects and material not covered by the current course offerings. Department permission required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 393 Seminar in International Relations 3,4 Credits

Advanced seminar, comparable to other 300level seminars, that focuses on discussion and research on specialized subjects in international relations. Variable subject matter. Junior standing and department permission required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 394 Special Topics in International Relations 1-4 Credits

Intensive, research oriented study for students with a special competence or interest in fields of international relations not fully covered by regular course offerings. Department permission required.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.
Attribute/Distribution: SS

IR 493 IR Graduate Seminar 3 Credits

Graduate level research seminar.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated.