The United States and the Soviet Union led two great alliances in mortal combat not only for power, but also for the hearts and minds of populations yearning for a better life. But such talk of the halcyon days of a future Nirvana has proven premature at best. Warfare currently engulfs more than forty countries in bloody conflict. Nationalism is resurgent, spawning a new breed of ethnic hatred. Liberals hold the view that greater economic interdependence, political democratization, and technological advancement will lead to the promotion and preservation of peace.
Liberals stress the change in world politics, and wish more of it.
Realists emphasize continuity and stability, and wish to manage the change that does occur. As in any field of inquiry, proper analysis of ongoing phenomena requires a competent knowledge of the trends and events that have led us to this point in time. This course introduces students to the field of World Politics. Its ultimate concern is with understanding the dynamics of relations among and between state and non-state actors. To do this requires an understanding of those circumstances that constitute the basic structures of the international system, and that define the context in which politics take place.