The course is divided into three parts.  First we will consider the basic concepts and methods used to study international relations.  We will also study the evolution of the international state system. In the second section we will consider two important processes in world politics:  international competition (from trade to the new international economic order) and global conflict (from individual violence to nuclear warfare).  The final section of the course will focus on international cooperation and the efforts to achieve world order.  We will also discuss contemporary issues in world politics: the spread of democracy; the progress of human rights protection; and global health and environmental concerns.

The study of international organizations is the study of the cooperative efforts among nation-states and other international actors. The course will assess different theories of international relations and will attempt to explain why states succeed or fail at creating institutions for international governance and what effects those institutions have. It will then examine how international organizations attempt to accomplish cooperation. The major emphasis will be on the United Nations system. Yet it will also take a closer look at regional and specialized agencies and will analyze a broad range of issues with which these organizations try to deal.

The course examines the historical development of Latin American countries and the challenge and constraints they face in their efforts to develop politically and economically. The course will examine critically some of the major theories of development and will then assess how well these theories explain the political and economic outcomes in Latin America. More attention will be dedicated to understanding the experiences of Latin American countries since 1945.