This syllabus is also available in PDF format.
Both the media and much of political science scholarship portray domestic politics as taking priority over international politics. We often hear about how politicians’ domestic interests affect their decisions in the international arena, but rarely the reverse. This course flips the traditional way of thinking about “domestic politics and international relations” on its head. We will spend the semester examining how international politics affects domestic political leadership, policies, cleavages, and even institutions. The point is not to argue that international factors trump all others—they do not—but instead to think critically about how homegrown political phenomena may have roots abroad.
A broader goal of the course is to practice a scientific approach to the study of politics. We will be particularly interested in how scholars propose hypotheses about the domestic-international relationship and how they use empirical evidence to test these propositions. There are few (if any) universally accepted findings in this relatively young field of study. In fact, most of the readings focus on areas of disagreement in the literature—all the better to observe the process of dialogue through which scientific progress is made.
Because the readings are drawn mostly from the political science literature of the past two decades, and the majority of such research uses quantitative analysis in one form or another, you will inevitably run into some math. But don’t panic! This course does not require any math background, and you will not be tested on quantitative concepts. Even when we read material with a quantitative component, our focus will be on theories, hypotheses, and research design—not mathematical details.
Your grade in PSCI 285 consists of the following components:
Short Papers (45%). You will write three short papers (6–8 pages each).1 You will select the topic of each paper from a set of prompts that will be handed out a week and a half before the paper is due. The first paper will be due September 26, the second October 24, and the third November 21.
Midterm Exam (20%). An in-class midterm consisting of short essay questions will be held on October 3. If you cannot be present in class on October 3, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can make alternative arrangements.
Final Exam (25%). A final exam consisting of longer essay questions will be held on December 10 from 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Participation (10%). This class is a seminar, and your participation is crucial for its success. I expect you not only to attend class, but also to have completed the readings and prepared to discuss them. Your attendance, preparation, and engagement in class discussion will all be reflected in your participation grade.
As in all courses at Vanderbilt, your work in PSCI 285 is governed by the Honor Code. I encourage you to discuss course material and assignments with your peers, but the written work you turn in must be solely your own. You are required to write and sign the Honor Pledge on all written assignments and examinations: “I pledge on my honor that I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment.”
I have no tolerance for plagiarism. If you turn in plagiarized work, you will receive a failing grade for the course and be reported to the Honor Council. Plagiarism is not just verbatim copying and pasting—representing someone else’s ideas as your own without citing the source is also a form of plagiarism. Ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism is not an excuse or a defense. For more information about what is and is not plagiarism, refer to the Student Handbook section on the Honor System. Always remember: when in doubt, cite.
If you need course accommodations due to a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me or with the Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Disability Services Department (2-4705) as soon as possible.
The use of technologies for audio and video recording of lectures and other classroom activities is allowed only with the express permission of the instructor. In cases where recordings are allowed, such content is restricted to personal use only unless permission is expressly granted in writing by the instructor and by other classroom participants, including other students. Personal use is defined as use by an individual student for the purpose of studying or completing course assignments. When students have permission for personal use of recordings, they must still obtain written permission from the instructor to share recordings with others.
For students registered with EAD and who have been approved for audio or video recording of lectures and other classroom activities as a reasonable accommodation, applicable federal law requires instructors to permit those recordings. Such recordings are also limited to personal use, except with permission of the instructor and other students in the class.
The following books are required:
Giacomo Chiozza and Hein Goemans, Leaders and International Conflict (Cambridge University Press, 2011).
Douglas M. Gibler, The Territorial Peace: Borders, State Development, and International Conflict (Cambridge University Press, 2012).
Ronald Rogowski, Commerce and Coalitions: How Trade Affects Domestic Political Alignments (Princeton University Press, 1990).
The schedule of readings is tentative and is subject to change. I will inform you at least a week in advance of any changes to the required readings.
Links to all journal articles are available in the syllabus on the course website, http://bkenkel.com/psci285/syllabus.html.
J. David Singer, “The Level-of-Analysis Problem in International Relations,” World Politics 14, no. 1 (1961): 77–92.
Robert D. Putnam, “Diplomacy and Domestic Politics: The Logic of Two-Level Games,” International Organization 42, no. 3 (1988): 427–460.
No class Friday, August 29.
Andrew Moravcsik, “Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics,” International Organization 51, no. 4 (1997): 513–553.
Peter Gourevitch, “The Second Image Reversed: The International Sources of Domestic Politics,” International Organization 32, no. 4 (1978): 881–912.
Gabriel A. Almond, “The International-National Connection,”, British Journal of Political Science 19, no. 2 (1989): 237–259.
William D. Baker and John R. Oneal, “Patriotism or Opinion Leadership? The Nature and Origins of the ‘Rally ‘Round the Flag’ Effect,” Journal of Conflict Resolution 45, no. 5 (2001): 661–687.
Matthew A. Baum, “The Constituent Foundations of the Rally-Round-the-Flag Phenomenon,” International Studies Quarterly 46, no. 2 (2002): 263–298.
Giacomo Chiozza and Hein Goemans, Leaders and International Conflict, ch. 1, 2, 5.
Recommended:
First short paper to be assigned Monday, September 15.
Chiozza and Goemans, Leaders and International Conflict, ch. 3, 4.
Recommended:
First short paper due Friday, September 26.
Nita Rudra, “Globalization and the Strengthening of Democracy in the Developing World,” American Journal of Political Science 45, no. 4 (2005): 704–730.
Helen V. Milner and Bumba Mukherjee, “Democratization and Economic Globalization,” Annual Review of Political Science 12 (2009): 163–181.
Jon C. Pevehouse, “Democracy from the Outside-In? International Organizations and Democratization,” International Organization 56, no. 3 (2002): 515–549.
No class Friday, October 10.
Kathryn Firmin-Sellers, “Institutions, Context, and Outcomes: Explaining French and British Rule in West Africa,” Comparative Politics 32, no. 3 (2000): 253–272.
Matthew K. Lange, “British Colonial Legacies and Political Development,” World Development 32, no. 6 (2004): 905–922.
Ola Olsson, “On the Democratic Legacy of Colonialism,” Journal of Comparative Economics 37, no. 4 (2009): 534–551.
Recommended:
Second short paper to be assigned Monday, October 13. No class Friday, October 17 due to fall break.
Daniel N. Posner, “The Political Salience of Cultural Difference: Why Chewas and Tumbukas Are Allies in Zambia and Adversaries in Malawi,” American Political Science Review 98, no. 4 (2004): 529–545.
Edward Miguel, “Tribe or Nation? Nation Building and Public Goods in Kenya versus Tanzania,” World Politics 56, no. 3 (2004): 327–362.
Elliott Green, “On the Size and Shape of African States,” International Studies Quarterly 56, no. 2 (2012): 229–244.
Second short paper due Friday, October 24.
Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, “Transnational Dimensions of Civil War,” Journal of Peace Research 44, no. 3 (2007): 293–309.
Idean Salehyan and Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, “Refugees and the Spread of Civil War,” International Organization 60, no. 2 (2006): 335–366.
Stathis N. Kalyvas and Laia Balcells, “International System and Technologies of Rebellion: How the End of the Cold War Shaped Internal Conflict,” American Political Science Review 104, no. 3 (2010): 415–429.
Patrick M. Regan, “Third-Party Interventions and the Duration of Intrastate Conflicts,” Journal of Conflict Resolution 46, no. 1 (2002): 55–73.
Dylan Balch-Lindsay and Andrew J. Enterline, “Killing Time: The World Politics of Civil War Duration, 1820–1992,” International Studies Quarterly 44, no. 4 (2000): 615–642.
Kristian Skrede Gleditsch and Kyle Beardsley, “Nosy Neighbors: Third-Party Actors in Central American Conflicts,” 48, no. 3 (2004): 379–402.
Ronald Rogowski, Commerce and Coalitions, entire book.
Recommended:
Third short paper to be assigned Monday, November 10.
Paul Midford, “International Trade and Domestic Politics: Improving on Rogowski’s Model of Political Alignments,” International Organization 47, no. 4 (1993): 535–564.
Michael J. Hiscox, “Class versus Industry Cleavages: Inter-Industry Factor Mobility and the Politics of Trade,” International Organization 55, no. 1 (2001): 1–46.
Michael J. Hiscox, “Commerce, Coalitions, and Factor Mobility: Evidence from Congressional Votes on Trade Legislation,” American Political Science Review 96, no. 3 (2002): 593–608.
Third short paper due Friday, November 21.
Geoffrey Garrett, “Global Markets and National Politics: Collision Course or Virtuous Circle?” International Organization 52, no. 4 (1998): 787–824.
Layna Mosley, “Room to Move: International Financial Markets and National Welfare States,” International Organization 54, no. 4 (2000): 737–773.
Nita Rudra, “Globalization and the Decline of the Welfare State in Less-Developed Countries,” International Organization 56, no. 2 (2002): 411–445.
Recommended:
The final exam will be held Wednesday, December 10 from 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Page lengths quoted assume a double-spaced document with 12-point text and 1-inch margins. ↩