POLIS 1102 - Introduction to Global Politics

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to global politics, focusing in particular on its origins and historical evolution, its key concepts, major theoretical frameworks, main actors and institutions, the global architecture of power, and its dynamic nature in the process of globalisation. More specifically, the course introduces concepts of power, statecraft, diplomacy, foreign policy, political economy and international security, and examines the evolution of international relations in the 20th and 21st centuries. The course combines the study of concepts and theories with a range of questions about global politics, including: Why bother with theory? Have we reached 'the end of history'? Why is the world divided in nation-states? What factors influence the foreign policy of states? Is the sovereign state in decline? What is the 'new world (dis)order'? Are we experiencing a 'clash of civilisations'? Why do wars occur? Is there such a thing as a just war? What are the causes of terrorism? How is the world organised economically? Do transnational corporations rule the world? Is free trade the solution to global poverty? What are the main global threats of the 21st century? These and other questions will be explored through the examination of a wide range of contemporary issues and case studies, including: the rise of China; the resurgence of Russia; the nuclear threat posed by North Korea; the tensions in the South China Sea; the role of the United Nations; the future of the European Union, particularly after Brexit; the role of the United States in global politics; the increasing power of transnational corporations, such as Wal-Mart, Google and Facebook; the terrorist threat posed by Al-Qaeda and Islamic State; the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Palestine; the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar; the impact of global pandemics (e.g. Covid-19); and the multiple threats posed by climate change in the 21st century.