PSC 116G Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - International Law, Liberalism, European Union
PSC 116G
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
January 24th
What is ISIS?
• Islamic State of Iraq and Syria -- more accurately, Islamic State of Iraq and
Levant(ISIL)
• Islamist rebel group that once controlled major areas of territory in Iraq and Syria.
• Established 2006. Capitalized on the instability caused by the 2003 US invasion
of Iraq and the ongoing civil war in Syria
• Also has operations throughout North Africa and parts of Asia
• Recruited throughout the world including thousands of Western democracies
• Thoroughly modern operation with a strong social media presence.
• Group is responsible for human rights abuses and war crimes
• Engaged in campaigns of ethnic cleansing (Yazidi minority)
What can ISIS tell us about International Politics?
• The world can be a dangerous place. Political violence is a major element
affecting the daily lives of millions of people.
• Past U.S military campaigns helped create problems and decline in U.S relative
power have exacerbated these problems over time.
• The Arab Spring (2011) has contributed to widespread instability throughout the
region.
• Religious divisions (Sunni-Shiite) divide continue to dominate the politics of the
Middle East (See Iran, Saudi Arabia)
• International system has struggled to overcome collective actions problems to
effectively combat a threat to well-established countries. (See U.S., Russia, and
Europe)
• Countries are not the only important actors shaping international politics
• Failed states often create major, long-lasting problems
• Borders are important but can be illusionary, especially in places with weak gov’t
control and fluid identity.
Lots of countries do not want to see the violence and chaos that ISIS brings to the
world, however they will not work together to put an end to it because of other collective
issues between the countries.
What is International Politics?
• Alternatively referred to as International Relations (IR)
• Common definition: the relations between different actors in the world, the
characteristics of those relations, and their consequences.
• Often portrayed as a distant process carried out by elites
• However, Int’l Politics affects everyday life - people are often not aware of its
effects
IR and Daily Life
• Every person makes their own unique contribution to the world of int’l relations,
even if it is minor
• Furthermore, what we think we currently “know” about politics is often incorrect.
Science of International Politics
• Skepticism regarding the ‘science’ of politics but consider:
• Are political outcomes random?
• Are there patterns in politics?
• Do we form generalizations about patterns?
January 26th
Science of International Politics
General Model of Political Science:
• Start with a clearly defined question
• Identify possible answers (hypothesis)
• Probabilistic answers
• Predict observed patterns for each explanation
• Define and measure the key factors
• Choose research method and collect evidence
• Evaluate findings
Practice of Political Science:
• Theory and Policy
• Often a degree of uncertainty in political science theories
• Problems often require action before perfect answer is found
• Evaluating different arguments
• Deciding on most compelling
• Understanding that answers are not perfect
• Example: Gov’ts have different policies to combat terrorism
• Causes of terrorism are still uncertain
• But governments still must act
Course Themes:
• Overriding theme of the course is that the principal features of international
politics are conflict and cooperation.
