International Relations Theory

Class Number 3249
Term Code 3330

Class Info
Unit Value 6 units
Mode of Delivery In Person
COURSE CONVENER
- Dr Brandon Yoder

Class Dates
Class Start Date 20/02/2023
Class End Date 26/05/2023
Census Date 31/03/2023
Last Date to Enrol 27/02/2023

View Class Timetable

This honours course is designed as an introduction to contemporary theories, debates, and major scholarly traditions in international relations. As a core course offered in this field, the intention is to provide honours students with a general, but not elementary, overview. The course explores major traditions in international relations scholarship, including classical and modern rationalist approaches based in realist and liberal traditions, as well as psychological and constructivist conributions. Our primary concern is to examine and assess each approach’s foundational assumptions, logic, problem definition, understanding of the units of world politics, conceptualization if international institutions, agency and international structure, and key insights. In addressing these and other questions, we will explore several issue areas of world politics, such as international security, international political economy, and connections between domestic politics and foreign policy. There will be an emphasis on connecting theory to empirical tests.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

understand different international relations theories;
apply international relations theories to case studies and issue areas of world politics;
understand how world politics works; and
think, write, and argue critically and logically about issues of world politics from a political science perspective.

Additional Course Costs

There are no additional costs associated with this course.

Examination Material or equipment

Details about the material or equipment that is permitted in an examination room will be outlined during the semester and on the course’s Wattle site.

Required Resources

There is no required textbook. Instead, a number of articles and book chapters are required and can be downloaded from Wattle, along with supplementary recommended readings.

Recommended Resources

A large number of journals and periodicals exist that include the cutting-edge developments of the discipline. Being familiar with these sources and surveying at least some of them regularly will assist you in this course.

International Organization

International Studies Quarterly

American Political Science Review

American Journal of Political Science

European Journal of International Relations

World Politics

Foreign Affairs

International Security

Journal of Conflict Resolution

Journal of Politics

Security Studies

Review of International Political Economy

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

· News postings will provide feedback to the whole class on Wattle.

· Workshops offer immediate feedback on your ideas and your understanding of course materials.

· Your course convener is available to provide feedback on your essay plans prior to their due dates.

· Your course convener will provide written feedback on your essays on Wattle.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

The information provided is a preliminary Class Outline. A finalised version will be available on Wattle and will be accessible after enrolling in this course. All updates, changes and further information will be uploaded on the course Wattle site and will not be updated on Programs and Courses throughout the semester. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Course Convenor.

Course Logistics

The course has one session per week on Thursdays 4:00-6:00 pm Marie Reay 4.05. Each session consists of Socratic class discussion, interspersed with group activities and brief lecturing.

As the course is a workshop in format, the course sessions will not be recorded. All the lecture notes and handouts, if any, will be emailed to your ANU email account.

You are expected to arrive to class on time, as late arrivals are disruptive to your fellow students. Please note that the use of mobile phones, including text messaging, is strictly prohibited in class. Please do not use your laptop computer during class for non-class activities (for example, email or web-surfing unrelated to class) because it detracts from your fellow students’ learning experience.

Extensions and penalties

As Wattle is the only acceptable way that you can submit your assessment tasks, you do not need to hand in a hard copy of your assessment. Your submission time will be determined by the time at which your paper has arrived within the dropbox as marked by Wattle Turnitin in our course Wattle. Uploading a wrong paper (for example, a paper for a different course than ours) is no submission and will result in zero for a given assignment. Also, submitting your paper to a wrong place (for example, the Turnitin practice site) is no submission until and unless you complete uploading it on our proper course Wattle. It is your responsibility to ascertain that your assessment has been properly uploaded on Wattle.

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The course convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations.

There will be no extensions granted, except for a documented medical or family emergency. If you need an extension, you must request it in writing on or before the due date of each assessment. That is, you must contact your course conveners via email before 2:00pm, 30 March 2020 for the Theoretical Memo, and before 2:00pm, 18 May 2020 for the Research Paper. Also, you must provide a course convener with appropriate verifying documentation at the time of your request. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date. Note that in case you might request a second extension after receiving the initial extension, the same ANU policy on extensions will apply to your case: you must contact your course convener before your extended due date expires and with appropriate updated documentation at the time of your second request. Please note that the maximum length of extension granted will be limited by the School’s policy on extensions.

Per ANU policy (specifically, Article 16 of Procedure: Student Assessment (Coursework)), “The due date of an assessment task is not extended beyond the date for return of the assessment item specified in the course outline.”

Extension is not granted for the Research Proposal Presentation assessment.

Late submission of assessment will be accepted with the following penalty per the ANU’s Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.

Late submission is not accepted for the Research Proposal Presentation assessment.

Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Note that you have almost the entire semester to work on your assessment tasks. Thus, time management is your responsibility.

Academic Integrity

Academic misconduct can seriously jeopardize your academic career, your future, and, if you are an international student, your ability to stay in Australia to study. It is the responsibility of each individual student to ensure that:

· they are familiar with the expectations for academic honesty both in general, and in the specific context of particular disciplines or courses

· work submitted for assessment is genuine and original

· appropriate acknowledgement and citation is given to the work of others

· they do not knowingly assist other students in academically dishonest practice.

Please note that I have zero tolerance for academic dishonesty including cheating, plagiarism, collusion, fabrication/submission of work that is not original, and recycling. Academic dishonesty will be punished by disciplinary action at the University level. For more details on the ANU’s Academic Misconduct Rules and what constitutes a breach of these rules, please see: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2014L01662 (Academic Misconduct Statute 2014),

http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/academic-honesty-plagiarism (Academic honesty & plagiarism), and

http://drss.anu.edu.au/asqo/breaches.php (What is a breach?). Specifically, the ANU defines plagiarism as follows:

“Plagiarism is copying, paraphrasing or summarising, without appropriate acknowledgement, the words, ideas, scholarship and intellectual property of another person. This remains plagiarism whether or not it is with the knowledge or consent of that other person. Plagiarism has also taken place when direct use of others' words is not indicated, for example by inverted commas or indentation, in addition to appropriate citation of the source (emphasis added).”

It must be noted that intention does not matter for determining whether plagiarism has occurred: Whether intentional or not, plagiarism is plagiarism and, if the end result of your writing constitutes plagiarism, it will be punished as such. Also, please note that self-plagiarism (that is, reusing, in whole or in part, one’s own previous work for our course assignments) is plagiarism and will be punished equally. My policy on exceptions to this general prohibition of self-plagiarism is specified in the Assessment Tasks section in the above. As the guideline for avoiding plagiarism in all your course assignments, you must refer to the section, “Successful vs. unsuccessful paraphrases,” which is available at the following webpage https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/quotingsources/. This resource is also available at the end of the PDF version of this course outline on Wattle.

Referencing requirements

It is a requirement of this course that your essays conform to academic writing standards and referencing. The Chicago referencing style is required: you may use either in-text notes or footnotes. You may contact the ANU Academic Skills and Writing Centre for further advice. For details about the Chicago citation style, please see the ANU style guide website at https://academicskills.anu.edu.au/resources/handouts/referencing-style-guides

COURSE OUTLINE

WEEK 1: Introduction and Course Overview

Required reading (51 pages)

Stephen Van Evera, Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1997), “Chapter 1. Hypotheses, Laws, and Theories: A User’s Guide,” pp. 7-48 (42 pages).

Theda Skocpol and Margaret Somers, “The Uses of Comparative History in Macrosocial Inquiry,” Comparative Studies in Society and History 22: 2 (1980), only pp. 174-176 para. 1, 181 para. 3-187 para. 1 (i.e. the section Comparative History as Macro-Causal Analysis) (8 pages).

Jeffry Frieden, “Research Proposal Template,” (N.d.) (1 page).

(WEEK 2: Rationalism I and II: Neorealism (aka Structural Realism) and Neoliberalism

Required reading (97 pages)

John J. Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2001), “Chapter 1. Introduction” and “Chapter 2. Anarchy and the Struggle for Power,” pp. 1-54 (54 pages).

Robert O. Keohane, “The Demand for International Regimes,” International Organization 36: 2 (1982), pp. 325-355 (31 pages).

Andrew M. Colman, Game Theory and its Applications in the Social and Biological Sciences, Second Edition (London: Routledge, 1999), only pp. 100-101 para. 2, 107 para. 2-108 para. 2, 110 para. 2-118 (12 pages).

Recommended reading

John J. Mearsheimer, “The False Promise of International Institutions,” International Security 19: 3 (1994-1995), pp. 5-49.

Sebastian Rosato, “Europe’s Troubles: Power Politics and the State of the European Project,” International Security 35: 4 (2011), pp. 45-86.

Beth A. Simmons, “International Law and State Behavior: Commitment and Compliance in International Monetary Affairs,” American Political Science Review 94: 4 (2000), pp. 819-835 (15 pages).

Virginia Page Fortna, “Interstate Peacekeeping: Causal Mechanisms and Empirical Effects, World Politics 56: 4 (2004), pp. 481-519.

WEEK 3: No Class – Your Course Convener on International Conference Travel

Mandatory Individual Consultation for Paper Topic Selection

Week 3 Workshop is replaced by a mandatory individual consultation for your paper topic during 22nd-24th March.

(WEEK 4) March 19: Rationalism III: Liberalism

Required reading (49 pages)

Andrew Moravcsik, “Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics,” International Organization 51: 4 (1997), pp. 513-553 (36 pages).

Ronald Rogowski, “Political Cleavages and Changing Exposure to Trade,” American Political Science Review 81: 4 (1987), pp. 1121-1137 (13 pages).

Recommended reading

Andrew Moravcsik, “The Origins of Human Rights Regimes: Democratic Delegation in Postwar Europe,” International Organization 54: 2 (2000), pp. 217-252.

(WEEK 5: Constructivism I and II: Structural and Postmodern Constructivism

Required reading (55 pages)

John W. Meyer, John Boli, George M. Thomas, and Francisco O. Ramirez, “World Society and the Nation-State,” American Journal of Sociology 103: 1 (1997), pp. 144-181 (32 pages).

Helen M. Kinsella, “Securing the Civilian: Sex and Gender in the Laws of War,” in Michael Barnett and Raymond Duvall, eds., Power in Global Governance (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), pp. 249-272 (23 pages).

Recommended reading

Alexander Wendt, “Anarchy is what States Make of it: The Social Construction of Power Politics,” International Organization 46: 2 (1992), pp. 391-425.

Jennifer Milliken, “The Study of Discourse in International Relations: A Critique of Research and Methods,” European Journal of International Relations 5: 2 (1999), pp. 225-254 (24 pages).

MARCH 30: Research Question Proposals Due by 2:00 pm at Wattle Turnitin

(WEEK 6: Constructivism III: Agentic Constructivism

Required reading (57 pages)

Jeffrey T. Checkel, “The Constructivist Turn in International Relations Theory,” World Politics 50: 2 (1998), pp. 324-348 (25 pages).

Dongwook Kim, “International Nongovernmental Organizations and the Global Diffusion of National Human Rights Institutions,” International Organization 67: 3 (2013), pp. 505-539 (32 pages).

Recommended reading

Michael N. Barnett and Martha Finnemore, “The Power, Politics, and Pathologies of International Organizations,” International Organization 53: 4 (1998), pp. 699-732.

J Muir Macpherson, “Palace wars and privatization: did Chicago beat Cambridge in influencing economic policies,” European Management Review 3: 3 (2006), pp. 190-198 (7 pages).

No Class. Teaching Break.

(WEEK 7: Interstate Conflict

Required reading (43 pages)

Jack S. Levy, “The Causes of War and Conditions of Peace,” Annual Review of Political Science 1 (1998), pp. 139-165 (24 pages).

Jessica L. Weeks, “Strongmen and Straw Men: Authoritarian Regimes and the Initiation of International Conflict,” American Political Science Review 106: 2 (2012), pp. 326-347 (19 pages).

Recommended reading

James D. Fearon, “Rationalist Explanations for War,” International Organization 49: 3 (1995), pp. 379-414.

(WEEK 8: The International Politics of Arms Transfer

Required reading (40 pages)

Keith Krause, “Military Statecraft: Power and Influence in Soviet and American Arms Transfer Relationships,” International Studies Quarterly 35: 3 (1991), pp. 313-336 (21 pages).

Srdjan Vucetic and Érico Duarte, “New Fighter Aircraft Acquisitions in Brazil and India: Why Not Buy American?” Politics & Policy 43: 3 (2015), pp. 401-425 (19 pages).

Recommended reading

Srdjan Vucetic and Atsushi Tago, “Why Buy American? The International Politics of Fighter Jet Transfers,” Canadian Journal of Political Science 48: 1 (2015), pp. 101-124 (19 pages).

(WEEK 9: Economic Sanctions and International Cooperation

Required reading (55 pages)

Lisa L. Martin, “Institutions and Cooperation: Sanctions during the Falkland Islands Conflict,” International Security 16: 4 (1992), pp. 143-178 (35 pages).

Bryan R. Early, “Unmasking the Black Knights: Sanctions Busters and Their Effects on the Success of Economic Sanctions,” Foreign Policy Analysis 7: 4 (2011), pp. 381-402 (20 pages).

Recommended reading

Eugene Gholz and Llewelyn Hughes, “Market structure and economic sanctions: the 2010 rare earth elements episode as a pathway case of market adjustment,” Review of International Political Economy First View (2019), pp. 1-24 (17 pages).

(WEEK 10: Human Rights

Required reading (35 pages)

Beth A. Simmons and Allison Danner, “Credible Commitments and the International Criminal Court,” International Organization 64: 2 (2010), only pp. 225-239, 252 para. 3-254 (18 pages).

Margarita H. Petrova, “Rhetorical Entrapment and Normative Enticement: How the United Kingdom Turned From Spoiler Into Champion of the Cluster Munition Ban,” International Studies Quarterly 60: 3 (2016), pp. 387-399 (11 pages).

John W. Meyer, “The Nation as Babbitt: How Countries Conform,” Contexts 3: 3 (2004), pp. 42-47 (6 pages).

Recommended reading

Sarah Sunn Bush, “International Politics and the Spread of Quotas for Women in Legislatures,” International Organization 65: 1 (2011), pp. 103-137 (31 pages).

Thomas Risse and Kathryn Sikkink, “The socialization of international human rights norms into domestic practices: introduction,” in Thomas Risse, Stephen C. Ropp, and Kathryn Sikkink, eds., The Power of Human Rights: International Norms and Domestic Change (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999), pp. 1-38 (38 pages).

MAY 18: Theoretical Argument Papers Due by 2:00 pm at Wattle Turnitin

(WEEK 11: Conclusion and Semester Review

Required reading (37 pages)

John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, “Leaving theory behind: Why simplistic hypothesis testing is bad for International Relations,” European Journal of International Relations 19: 3 (2013), pp. 427-457 (23 pages).

David A. Lake, “Why “isms” Are Evil: Theory, Epistemology, and Academic Sects as Impediments to Understanding and Progress,” International Studies Quarterly 55: 2 (2011), pp. 465-480 (14 pages).

(WEEK 12: Student Presentation

In-Class Research Proposal Presentations during 2:05-3:55 pm and PowerPoint Slides Due by 2:00 pm at Wattle Turnitin

Recommended reading

Columbia University Center on Teaching and Learning, “How to Give Highly Effective Lectures—Job Talks and Conference Presentations,” (N.d.) (5 pages).

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction and Course Overview
2	Theory & Reality
3	Classical Realism
4	Liberalism	Week 4: Deadline for individual paper topic consultation
5	Neorealism
6	Neoliberalism	Week 6: Research Question Proposals Due by 2:00 pm Monday at Wattle Turnitin
7	Constructivism and other non-rational approaches	Week 7: Proposal results and feedback returned via Wattle Turnitin
8	Psychology of IR
9	War & Peace
10	IPE
11	Conclusion and Semester Review	Week 11: Theoretical Argument Papers Due by Monday 2:00 pm at Wattle Turnitin
12	Student Presentation	Week 12: In-Class Research Proposal Presentations during seminar and PowerPoint Slides Due by 2:00 pm at Wattle Turnitin

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Class Participation	20 %	*	*	1, 2, 4
Research Question Proposal	20 %	30/03/2023	20/04/2023	1, 2, 3, 4
Theoretical Argument Paper	50 %	18/05/2023	29/05/2023	1, 2, 3, 4
Research Proposal Presentation	10 %	28/05/2023	*	2, 4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
Student Surveys and Evaluations
Deferred Examinations
Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Due date: Eleven (11) workshop sessions will be run in weeks 1-2 and 4-12. Value: 20%

Class participation marks will be based upon evidence of having done the assigned readings, evidence of having thought about the issues, contribution and participation in class, and consideration and respect for other class members. As part of the class participation mark, you are required to email me at least three possible discussion questions about each week’s readings by 9:00 pm, the day before our workshop (i.e. every Thursday) in Week 2 and from Weeks 4 to 11. When submitting your questions, be sure to explain how your questions are relevant for each week’s readings or topics. Please come prepared to share your own questions and thoughts about each week’s course materials, especially the readings, and to proactively participate in exchange of ideas with your course convener and fellow students.

Assessment Task 1

Value: 20 %
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 4

Class Participation

Due date: Eleven (11) workshop/seminar sessions will be run in weeks 1-4 and 6-12. Value: 20%

Class participation marks will be based upon evidence of having done the assigned readings, evidence of having thought about the issues, contribution and participation in class, and consideration and respect for other class members. As part of the class participation mark, you are required to email me at least three possible discussion questions about each week’s readings by 9:00 pm, the day before our workshop (i.e. every Wednesday) from Weeks 2 to 4 and 6 to 11. When submitting your questions, be sure to explain how your questions are relevant for each week’s readings or topics. Please come prepared to share your own questions and thoughts about each week’s course materials, especially the readings, and to proactively participate in exchange of ideas with your course convener and fellow students.

A roll will be called at each class by the convener. If you do not attend, it is not possible to gain participation marks. At the end of the semester, 1 point will be deducted from participation for each class missed after the first (i.e. you can miss 1 workshop session without penalty). Accordingly, if you attend 8 workshops total (missing 3), the maximum score you can get for participation is 8/10, given the 2 point deduction (and this assumes perfect participation for those workshop sessions you do attend).

Note that if you may arrive late in the course session, it is your responsibility to double check whether your convener has marked your presence.

Assessment Task 2

Value: 20 %
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4

Research Question Proposal

Due date: 30 March 2023, 2:00 pm. Value: 20%

Word limit: 1,000 words of text in length, excluding footnotes (or endnotes), the references, tables, figures, appendices, and the cover sheet, if any, from the word count. Per ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences, an assignment must not deviate from the prescribed word limit either up or down by more than 10%. In other words, the acceptable word count for your paper is minimum 900 and maximum 1,100 words of text.

Details of task: You must write about an international relations topic of your choice and relating to the themes of the course. To maximise the utility of this course for your honours thesis project, you are advised and expected to write about the international relations topic that you chose for your honours thesis. Following Jeffry Frieden’s Research Proposal Template (assigned for Week 1 and available on Wattle), your research question proposal must include the following sections: (1) an introduction and (2) a section describing the dependent variable (i.e. the outcome to be explained) and justifying your case selection (i.e. why you choose both the topic and your specific country cases).

Note that for your convener to help you make early progress on your honours thesis project, you must get the permission of your course convener about your topic selection by 19 March after a mandatory individual consultation during 16-18 March and before you start to write about it. You are welcome to approach your convener to discuss your paper topic well in advance of this due date.

As this Course Outline notes about academic integrity below, recycling (i.e. self-plagiarism) is expressly prohibited in our course. The only exception is that if you may work on the same research topic in our course and POLS4011 Research Training: Scope and Methods (and/or another honours course), you may reuse your own work submitted to the other course for our course’s assessment tasks. However, note that there are several caveats to note. First, you must ask the conveners of the other honours courses whether they explicitly permit you to reuse your work submitted to our course for their courses. Be aware that the other course conveners may prohibit and punish any assessment recycling. Second, the Head of SPIR has made it clear that dual submission (i.e. submitting the same paper for two different courses) is strictly prohibited. No exceptions. Thus, even if you are permitted in our course to work on the same research topic that you do in the other courses and certain overlap may be unavoidable, you must still write a brandnew, original paper for our course. Third, SPIR Honours Conveners have officially confirmed that the CASS and the SPIR never tolerate any assessment recycling. Per this SPIR policy, if you may work on the same research topic in two different courses, it is your sole responsibility to ensure that your paper will meet the ANU rules against self-plagiarism when submitted to Turnitin: dual submission will fail to pass Turnitin’s originality check, and it will be punished as an offence of academic integrity breach by the ANU. Last but not least, grading criteria will differ among different honours courses because of different learning outcomes. As such, it is your responsibility to meet the requirements and grading criteria of our course in completing and submitting the assessment tasks.

See below in the Theoretical Argument Paper assessment for more details on submission/formatting instructions.

Grading criteria: Your paper will be graded based on the following criteria:

(1) the quality of the argument;

(2) the overall quality of writing, including structure, spelling and grammar; and

(3) the quality and appropriateness of the research, including proper attribution and referencing.

Assessment Task 3

Value: 50 %
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4

Theoretical Argument Paper

Due date: 18 May 2023, 2:00 pm. Value: 50%

Word limit: 2,500 words of text in length, excluding footnotes (or endnotes), the references, tables, figures, appendices, and the cover sheet, if any, from the word count. Per ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences, an assignment must not deviate from the prescribed word limit either up or down by more than 10%. In other words, the acceptable word count for your paper is minimum 2,250 and maximum 2,750 words of text.

Details of task: You must provide a sophisticated theoretical explanation to the same research question that you proposed to answer in your Research Question Proposal assessment, utilising International Relations theories you have learned in our course as well as other relevant social science theories. Following Jeffry Frieden’s Research Proposal Template (assigned for Week 1 and available on Wattle), your theoretical argument paper must include the following sections: (1) a one-paragraph summary of your research question; (2) a thorough, synthetic literature review; and (3) a full-blown section on your proposed theory (separately from your literature review). Each of (2) and (3) should be approximately 1000 words long.

In your theory section, you need to have your own argument and it must be richly informed by IR theories. Specifically, what is your main argument? What existing literatures do you build on in developing your argument? What is your theoretical story in detail? In other words, what are the causal mechanisms of your theory? For instance, you may want to address the following issues, although these are not prescriptive but suggestive or illustrative: who are the main political actors in your explanation?; are they primarily driven by material interests or identities and norms?; how do those actors cause the international relations outcome of your interest? For more advice on how to write a good IR theory, please read Van Evera (1997, 7-27 para. 2) assigned for Week 1.

Note that this assessment tests your mastery of the relevant theoretical literature on your topic: Do not include your actual empirical analysis as if it were a theory.

Submission instructions:

· To structure your essay, please put an appropriate section title at the beginning of each section of your paper.

· As Turnitin does not accept certain file types (for example, Mac’s word processing program), please use only the Microsoft Word or PDF file formats for uploading your paper on Wattle.

· You are required to use the Chicago Style of referencing that employs either in-text or footnote citations (of the author and year, page if direct quotation). You then type the complete citation in a bibliography at the end of your document. Also, use footnotes (but not endnotes) for any brief explanations needed which are not integral to your argument.

o Details on the ANU website: https://academicskills.anu.edu.au/resources/handouts/referencing-style-guides

· Your word count excludes your bibliography and tables/figures.

· I prefer you use 12 point Times New Roman, double-spacing, and standard one-inch (2.54 cm) margins. I prefer you do not use a coversheet, as this looks like plagiarism on Turnitin!

· Please put your University ID number and course title in the Header of your paper. Please write a word count at the end of the essay (before the bibliography).

· Please put page numbers in the Footer of your paper.

Some advice

· Do not cite any online sources (for example, Wikipedia), except for major news sources (such as Al Jazeera English, BBC News, Reuters, and The New York Times) and credible nongovernmental, intergovernmental, or governmental reports.

· Articles and books should be your main references. It is perfectly legitimate to use academic articles downloaded from e-journal databases like JSTOR or HeinOnline.

· Do not include direct quotations unless absolutely necessary; write in your own words. Abuse of direct quotations will be strongly penalised.

Grading criteria: Your paper will be graded based on the following criteria:

(1) your mastery of the course materials, particularly key IR theories and concepts

(2) the quality of the argument including both your literature review and theory development;

(3) the overall quality of writing, including structure, spelling and grammar; and

the quality and appropriateness of the research, including proper attribution and referencing.

Assessment Task 4

Value: 10 %
Learning Outcomes: 2, 4

Research Proposal Presentation

Due date: 26 May 2023, 2:05-3:55 pm. Value: 10%

Details of task: You must do an in-class oral presentation on your research project on 30 May during the class time. You prepare maximum ten minutes of remarks to summarise your research project for your convener and fellow students. Following Jeffry Frieden’s Research Proposal Template (assigned for Week 1 and available on Wattle), your research proposal presentation must include (1) a section on methodology and (2) a section on implications, in addition to all the other elements of your research project that you have developed in the Research Question Proposal and the Theoretical Argument Paper assessments. Research projects will be presented in the alphabetical order of student surname. You must use PowerPoint slides to make your presentation effective, and upload your PowerPoint slides by 2:00 pm, 28 May 2020 via Wattle Turnitin.

Note that you must attend the entire presentation session, and that no make-up work will be granted for missing this presentation session.

Grading criteria: All aspects of your presentation will be graded, such as the structure, clarity, effectiveness, and time management of your oral presentation and the quality of PowerPoint slides.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned through the course Wattle site.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Students may resubmit their assignments on Turnitin once before the due date if they are not happy with their text-matching report. Turnitin allows only one resubmission per 24 hours. There are no other conditions under which assignments may be resubmitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students

Dr Brandon Yoder

u1092333@anu.edu.au

Research Interests

international relations, comparative foreign policy, game theory, US-China relations, experiments, signaling and credibility, power transistions

Dr Brandon Yoder

By Appointment