2021 - Fall -Introduction to International Cooperation
Undergraduate course, University of Mannheim, Department of Political Science II - European Politics, 2021
The goal of this class is to introduce the varying forms and causes of international cooperation. By focusing on theories of cooperation, students will learn to critically assess cooperative agreements. By introducing empirical research on different types of cooperation, students will familiarize themselves with a broad range of cooperative arrangements. Empirically, this class relies on case-studies of specific agreements and arenas as well as large-N quantitative studies. Thereby, exposing students repeatedly to key methods of scholarship about international relations.
Course Structure and Objectives
The 14 sessions of this course are structured in two blocks. First, we will discuss the theoretical foundations of scholarship on international cooperation. Then we will turn to different types of international cooperation and international discuss different cases of cooperation through agreements, organizations, and between non-state actors.
- Introduce varying forms of international cooperation with examples
- Understand the fundamental drivers of international cooperation
- Develop a research idea and write a research proposal
- Critically read scholarly literature
- Introduce students to the analytical framework of the two-level game by Putnam (1988)
- Enable students to critically assess cooperative regimes
Fundamental Readings:
Bueno De Mesquita, B. (2009). Principles of International Politics: People’s Power, Preferences, and Perceptions. (4th ed.) Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.