Course Description: Global politics introduces students to the study of the world's political systems and to the debates over certain global issues. Various theoretical frameworks are examined throughout the semester but the emphasis is on the so-called neo-liberal perspective. Related middle range explanations of war and of international political economy also are studied. While many global political issues will be mentioned the focus will be on the legacies of the East-West conflict, particularly nuclear proliferation, and on the North-South conflict - especially Southern demands for distributional justice. At the end of the semester students will be able to describe and predict the evolution of the global political system. In addition, they will be able to carve out and defend a stand on one of the global issues mentioned above.

Requirements and Grades: Students are expected to complete all the required readings on this syllabus. They also must write three mid-quarter exams and a final exam (four exams in all). Because this is the first time this course has been offered on a semester basis and, as Department Chair, the Professor's schedule is somewhat fluid, exact dates for the exams cannot be specified. The following are target dates:

Mid-term I: on or about Monday, February 11
Mid-term II: on or about Wednesday, March 13
Mid-term III: on or about Wednesday, April 12

Students are responsible for knowing the exact dates of the exams: These dates will be announced well ahead of time in class. All exams will be of the closed book type. They will be administered in the same room and at the same time at which regular class meetings are held. Review sessions will be conducted during the class preceding the exams.

The final exam is scheduled for Friday, May 12, 2000 from 8:00-10:00 am.

Final grades will be calculated on the following basis: mid-terms 20% each, final exam (40%).

NB. Contrary to what appears in some University publications, this spring this course is NOT Writing-Intensive. However, it has been approved for the CLE Social Science Core as well as for the International Perspectives Theme.

Make-up exams: The instructor may ask students to document the reasons they give for missing an examination. He also reserves the right to require students to take a make-up exam on one and only one date. This make-up examination may be the Department make-up exam administered after the end of the spring semester.

Readings: Students should purchase the following three texts:

Charles W. Kegley and Eugene R. Wittkopf, World Politics: Trend and Transformation, Seventh Edition, N.Y.: St. Martin's, 1999.

Joan E. Spero and Jeffre A. Hart, The Politics of International Economic Relations, Fifth Edition, N.Y.: ST. Martins, 1997.

John Stoessinger, Why Nations Go To War, Seventh Edition, N.Y.: St. Martin's, 1998.

These three texts are available for purchase at the H.D. Smith Bookstore on the West Bank. In addition, students will be given a copy of the following reading:

The Economist, A Survey of the New Geopolitics: The Road to 2050, July 31, 1999.

There is no charge for this reprint. It is provided by the Department of Political Science to all class members.

Internet Supplements: An experimental web page is available to students. It can be accessed via the department's address: www.polisci.umn.edu. The web page contains some supplemental materials. Schedule reminders also will appear on it. Use of the web page is optional. (Note that the Professor and Teaching Assistants can be contacted via e-mail. The Professor's email is given above. The Teaching Assistants' email addresses will be distributed during class.)