2019 - Fall - Determinants of International Cooperation
Undergraduate course, University of Mannheim, Department of Political Science II - European Politics, 2019
The course focuses on the determinants and results of international cooperation. Key questions are: Why do states cooperate in international agreements and organizations? How do they design these agreements and organizations? What are the drivers of cooperation? When does cooperation fail? The 14 sessions of this course are structured in four blocks. First, we will discuss the theoretical foundations of scholarship on international cooperation (1). Then we will turn to international organizations (2) and international agreements (3). In a final substantive block we will look at the failure of cooperation and the results of failed cooperation (4). The last sessions of the course will allow students to present their own research ideas in order to receive feedback on their final papers.
Course Objectives
This course will provide students with an understanding of the theoretical and methodological background that enables them to conduct their own empirical analyses in the field of international cooperation. Besides familiarising students with the current state of research in the field as well as the research designs and methods political scientists have used to address these topics, this course will encourage students to critically discuss and evaluate the literature and develop and answer their own empirical research question. To facilitate this process, students will have the opportunity to present their research proposals in class and receive written feedback from a fellow student and the instructor.