IRGN 430: Human Rights, Public Policy and International Politics.

Violations of human rights are insidious. While there are many strategies for reform, people everywhere are repressed. This research seminar is designed to prepare graduate students in international affairs to analyze the causes of repression and the effectiveness of various policy interventions. It applies insights from a variety of disciplines to explore conflicts among peoples competing for power, resources, and autonomy in various contexts. Attention will be focused on developing the tools to evaluate the design, implementation, and effectiveness of human rights policy, including international laws and organizations, democracy and elections, trade and investment, and social movement advocacy. We will consider core intellectual arguments and puzzles as they concern various forms of violations against various groups including children, voters, women and workers. The course emphasizes the development of critical thinking, analytical writing and formal presentational skills. Syllabus.

IRGN 427: International Law and Regulation.

This course exposes students to seminal research on the role of international laws and regulations in world politics. The first part of the course will seek to explain how, if at all, international institutions (IIs) obtain some measure of authority in international affairs. We will consider the legalization of world politics and ask why states delegate certain tasks to international organizations instead of dealing unilaterally or multilaterally outside of an institutional context. We will also consider the role of domestic politics and non-state actors (such as NGOs and other experts), both as sources of international cooperation and limitations. The second part of the course focuses on the design and influence of IIs. We consider in detail enforcement and flexibility features of institutions as well as membership. We also assess whether and how IIs influence state compliance with agreements and explore the conditions under which IIs have influence on political behavior. The final part of the course explores the pathologies and complexities associated with growing legalization. All students will participate in a simulation designed to apply the lessons of the course to a real world problem that requires cooperation. The course emphasizes the development of critical thinking, analytical writing and formal presentational skills. Syllabus.

PS 280: International Law and Regulation Workshop.

The ILAR Workshop is an informal, relaxed group of students that comes together periodically over every quarter to discuss key political issues, read up on and debate over big theoretical or empirical advances in political science and generate feedback on your work in a non-­‐graded and non-­‐competitive environment.

PS 232: International Organizations.

This course exposes students to seminal research on the role of international organizations in world politics. The first part of the course will seek to explain how, if at all, international organizations (IOs) obtain some measure of authority in international affairs. We will consider the legalization of world politics and ask why states delegate certain tasks to international organizations instead of dealing unilaterally or multilaterally outside of an institutional context. We will also consider the role of domestic politics, both as a source of international cooperation and as a limitation. The second part of the course focuses on the design and influence of IOs. We assess the rational design line of explanation and its critics and consider in detail enforcement and flexibility features of organizations. We also assess whether and how IOs influence state compliance with agreements and explore the conditions under which IOs have influence on political behavior. The final part of the course explores organizational evolution and change and also the pathologies and complexities associated with growing legalization. Students will have the opportunity to select an area for more in-depth reading either on human rights or environment for class 9. Syllabus.