Multiple choice:

1. How many countries in Africa?

• 54

2. How many countries in the world?

• It depends on who you ask.

3. Which countries are in Brics?

• Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (recently joined)

4. How many countries are in the EU?

• 19 countries, 21 members (EU and African union)

5. What is the EU associated with? 

• “Pooled sovereignty”

6. What is a Norm entrepreneur?

• Agents having strong notions about appropriate or desirable behaviour, the way things ought to be (e.g., Sam altman)

7. LIO rise of the US-led world order slide

Essay Questions:

1. What is a collective action problem and how does it manifest itself?

regionalism, climate change 

2. Discuss: Power china, Rise of china, What are the Implications for World Order: Can the two co-exist peacefully? 

3. What is the significance of “America First”? (Liberal international order, US hegemony)

4. Discuss a more crowded world

5. Respond to Gideon rose’s need for a 5th founding following 4 key concepts (level of analysis, actors, power, order) 

6. Select three issues from the two decades of hell and write about it

7. What is power?

•  Joseph nye

Week 1: Power

Reading 1: Joseph Nye

• What is this about?

• Joseph Nye explains the idea of power in global affairs, showing that it depends on relationships and context, not just things like military or money.

• Why does it matter?

• Understanding power this way helps leaders deal with big global issues like climate change, terrorism, and financial crises.

• How does it fit?

• Nye shows that power works in different ways—like controlling actions, setting rules, or shaping preferences—and combining hard and soft power is key in today’s connected world.

Reading 2: Hurrell

• What is this about?

• This reading explores global political order, examining how states and institutions manage issues like climate change, globalization, and security while addressing the challenges of power, inequality, and cultural differences.

• Why does it matter?

• Understanding global political order is essential for tackling major global problems and designing governance systems that ensure stability, fairness, and cooperation among states and non-state actors.

• How does it fit?

• Understanding global political order is essential for tackling major global problems and designing governance systems that ensure stability, fairness, and cooperation among states and non-state actors.

Slides:

• First Face or “Hard Power”

- Direct use of power

- eg. Military or economic power

• Second Face or “institutional Power”

- Indirect, rules, and institutions, subtle 

- Setting the rules of the game

• Third Face or “soft Power”

- Indirect, ideational, really subtle

- Through cultural communication

Order: Relationships of things to each other

• Preducible- based on a clear logic

• Stable- can adjust when disrupted

• Function- promotes a certain goal

Disorder:

• Unpredictable- no clear logic

• Unstable- small disruptions = big shifts

• Dysfunctional- nop common goal or objective

State actors: Countries or Government

Non-state actors: NGOs, social movements

Power is more diffuse (Relating actors to global politics)

• More actors in a very crowded space

• Less coherent global order

• Rules and ideas changing

Week 2: The Rise of the Liberal International Order

Reading 1: Gideon Rose

• What is this about?

• The reading examines the evolution of U.S. foreign policy and the liberal international order, focusing on the idea of a "Fourth Founding," which calls for a renewed commitment by the United States to rebuild the global system after recent declines.

• Why does it matter?

• The liberal order has historically fostered global stability, economic prosperity, and cooperation, and its renewal is essential for addressing pressing challenges like security, economic inequality, and climate change.

• How does it fit?

• By leading a "Fourth Founding," the United States can restore its role as a central actor in global governance, prioritizing trust, collaboration, and mutual benefit to strengthen the international system and ensure future stability.

Reading 2: John Ikkenberry

• What is this about?

• This reading argues that the U.S.-led liberal international order, despite claims of decline, remains resilient and integral to global politics due to its unique blend of power, values, and institutional leadership.

• Why does it matter?

• The liberal order promotes stability, cooperation, and shared progress, making it essential for addressing global challenges and countering the rise of authoritarian alternatives led by China and Russia.

• How does it fit?

• The U.S. continues to shape the global system by balancing power and interdependence, offering a collaborative "third way" between anarchy and hierarchy that sustains alliances and democratic values in an increasingly interconnected world.

Slides:

• Question:

• What brought the US to its position of global dominance?

• Answer:

• 7 decades of deliberate intervention and leadership

• Implication:

• Is it sustainable? The US should still be involved in world politics but needs to focus more on collective interest rather than self interest. (my opinion)

• After the end of WW11 in 1945, the US remained engaged

• The US sponsored the growth and rebuild of Europe-post war and became a global leader

• This lead to US as a hegemon and the rise of the Liberal International Order (LIO)

• President D.Roosevelt established FTAs “if trade does not cross borders, soldiers will.” -Keaynes

• 9/11 (2001) happened resulting in many proxy wars and the 2007 financial crisis (2 decades from hell) started leading to the decline of US leadership

• 2017, Donald Trump got elected- “America First”

• 2021, Joe Biden got elected- “America Back”

• 2024, Trump elected again :(

Liberal internationalism:

• Responsibility to co-manage world affairs maintained through US power

• Global order based on:

• Interlocking institutions

• Norms of cooperation

• Non-violent problem solving

• Leadership by powerful states

Week 3: Forever Wars and Economic Crisis 

Reading 1: Malkasian

• What is this about?

• The reading examines the failure of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, highlighting corruption in the Afghan government, Pakistan’s influence, and the cultural significance of resistance to occupation that fueled the Taliban’s resurgence.

• Why does it matter?

• It underscores how mismanagement, strategic missteps, and cultural disconnects can undermine military interventions, prolong conflicts, and lead to high human and financial costs without achieving lasting peace.

• How does it fit?

• The war in Afghanistan demonstrates the challenges of nation-building and counterinsurgency in a deeply interconnected world, showing how local dynamics, regional rivalries, and global counterterrorism shape modern conflicts and their outcomes.

Reading 2: Lefler, 911 and the Roots of the Iraq War

• What is this about?

• How the 9/11 attacks influenced President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq, largely motivated by fears of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.

• Why does it matter?

• The invasion resulted in immense human and financial costs, destabilized the region, and revealed significant flaws in U.S. intelligence, planning, and leadership. The end of US-led order?

• How does it fit?

• It underscores the challenges of fear-driven decision-making in global governance and demonstrates the far-reaching consequences of U.S. military interventions on international stability and its own credibility.

Reading 3: Crashcourse, The Economist

• What is this about?

• The causes and impacts of the 2008 financial crisis, highlighting irresponsible lending, regulatory failures, and global economic imbalances as key factors.

• Why does it matter?

• The crisis caused a global economic downturn, massive financial instability, and long-lasting effects on economies worldwide, emphasizing the need for stricter oversight and better financial regulations.

• How does it fit?

• The crisis revealed vulnerabilities in interconnected global markets, reshaping economic policies, prompting international regulatory reforms, and intensifying debates about the role of government in managing financial systems.

Slides:

• Question:

• How did world politics go from unipolar moment to US retrenchment?

• Answer:

• Failures eroding credibility of US power

• Implication:

• Is this the end of the US-led world order?

Two decades from Hell

• 940,00 killed from direct violence

• Afghanistan 2001-2021:

• $2.313 trillion

• Iraq 2003-2023: $2.9 trillion

• $17 trillion in US bailouts

Is this global order worth the costs?

Polarity

• Distribution of power

• Who has power and who doesn't?

• Unipolarity: one great power example (1991, post cold war, Pax Americana)

• Bipolarity: two great powers

• (soviet union and US, cold war) Two international states

• Security competition 

• Tripolarity: three great powers 

• Multipolarity: More than three great power

• (1914-1917)

Hegemony

• Preponderance of power

• Regional hegemony (US in 1900s)

9//11

The Question

• How did the 9/11 attacks lead to two decades of war?

The Answer

• Path dependency; diminishing returns

The Implications

• US attempts to create order has resulted in disorder

Path Dependency & Diminishing Returns

• The further you go, the narrower your choices become; investments stop paying off after a while

US as leader & lender of last resort

• 2008-2010 the US was the only trustworthy lender in the global system

Different kinds of economic inequality

• Inequality and its cause are different depending on where you look

Two decades of hell:

1991:

• Unipolarity

2001:

• War in Iraq and Afghanistan 

2008:

• Global Financial Crisis & Inequality

2016:

• Backlash & the Rise of Trump

2020s:

• Pandemic & US dysfunction

Financial Crisis

The Question

• What happened in 2008?

The Answer

• Multiple shocks bring down the global economy

The Implications

• Cooperation preserves global economic order. But reinforces inequality; erodes trust in global order

Financial Crisis

• Finance goes global after Cold War

• Computer tech enables instant trading

• Global debt, credit, lending at light speed

• 2007-2008: things fall apart

• US banks bailed out, collapse of the stock market, housing crisis.

Received major criticism

• Is this the end of a US-led Order?

Week 4: Economic Inequality and Covid 19 Pandemic

Reading 1: De Zwart

• What is this about?

• The history of economic inequality worldwide, focusing on why inequality rises and falls over time. It compares two books: one by Branko Milanovic, who looks at inequality caused by economic growth and globalization, and another by Walter Scheidel, who argues that major reductions in inequality only happen through disasters like wars, revolutions, or pandemics.

• Why does it matter?

• Inequality affects how wealth and opportunities are shared, influencing social fairness, political stability, and economic growth. Understanding its causes helps create better policies to reduce inequality and its negative effects.

• How does it fit?

• Inequality shapes how countries interact in trade, development, and policy-making, and it plays a role in global tensions by affecting both rich and poor nations differently through globalization and economic systems.

Reading 2: Garret

• What is this about?

• This article discusses gender inequality in global health, where most workers are women, but men dominate leadership roles and earn higher pay. It shows how this imbalance affects decisions, funding, and health care quality.

• Why does it matter?

• Gender inequality in health limits progress on important issues like maternal health and access to care. Giving women more leadership opportunities can improve health care and benefit everyone.

• How does it fit?

• Fixing gender inequality in health supports global goals like better public health and equality. It helps countries create stronger health systems and reduce unfairness worldwide.

Reading 3: Brown and Rosier

• What is this about?

• This article explains how wealthy countries hoarded COVID-19 vaccines, blocked efforts to share patents, and let profit-driven pharmaceutical companies control access. This created a “vaccine apartheid,” leaving poorer nations without enough vaccines despite the global need to fight the pandemic together.

• Why does it matter?

• Unequal vaccine access weakened the fight against COVID-19, increased the risk of new virus variants, and exposed serious problems in global cooperation. Fixing these issues is important to handle future pandemics better and promote fairness in health care worldwide.

• How does it fit?

• The vaccine crisis shows how national interests often outweigh global needs and how powerful companies influence decisions. It highlights the need for stronger international systems to ensure fair responses to global challenges.

Slides:

• Question:

• Did economic inequality and the US pandemic interact?

• Answer:

• Yes, vulnerabilities in on area exacerbated elsewhere

• Implication:

• Outcomes reinforce unequal access to life chances

Collective Action Problem

• A situation where cooperation would make individuals better off Conflicting interests prevent it from happening

• Individual interests vs. group interests

How did 9/11 attacks lead to two decades of war?

• US attempts to place three faces of power (attempt to order leads to disorder) 

Types of Economic Inequality:

National Inequality

• Inequality within a country

Global Inequality

• Inequality between countries

Overall Inequality

• Inequality among global population

• Race and gender plays in inequality of income 

Economic trends exam question 

1. Increasing inequality within countries

2.Decreasing inequality between countries

3. Huge gains for middle class in middle income countries

4.Huge gains for global super rich

5. Minimal gains for the middle class in wealthy countries

Covid 19

• wealthy countries hoarded COVID-19 vaccines, blocked efforts to share patents, and let profit-driven pharmaceutical companies control access. 

• leaving poorer nations without enough vaccines despite the global need to fight the pandemic together.

Week 5: Ukraine, Gaza and Global Order

Reading 1: Flockhart and Korosteleva 

• What is this about?

• Russia's invasion of Ukraine shows a shift in global politics from one unified system of rules to a "multi-order" world, where different groups of countries, like Putin’s Eurasian order, have their own rules and compete for influence.

• Why does it matter?

• This change is important because it makes global cooperation harder and increases the risk of conflicts. Understanding this helps us see why solving big global problems, like security or climate change, is becoming more difficult.

• How does it fit?

• This shift changes how power works in the world, weakening the old global system led by Western democracies and creating competition between new groups, like Russia’s and China’s alliances. It highlights how regional ambitions disrupt global stability and cooperation.

Reading 2: Hathaway

• What is this about?

• This reading is about the heavy toll the Hamas-Israel conflict has taken on civilians, with both sides harming unarmed people and destroying essential places like hospitals and homes.

• Why does it matter?

• It shows how rules meant to protect innocent people during war are being ignored, causing immense suffering and raising concerns about how to hold those responsible accountable.

• How does it fit?

• This conflict highlights problems in modern wars, where civilian areas are often caught in the fighting, making it harder to follow international laws and keep peace globally.

Reading 3: Stent 

• What is this about?

• Russian invasion of Ukraine has split the world, with Western countries opposing Russia, while many non-Western countries, like China and India, stay neutral or support Russia due to shared interests and mistrust of the West.

• Why does it matter?

• It shows how the war has exposed global divisions, making it harder to isolate Russia and influencing how the world will be organized in the future.

• How does it fit?

• The war has strengthened NATO and Western unity, but it also highlights the growing role of non-Western countries like China and India in shaping global power dynamics.

Slides:

• Question:

• How have the Ukraine and Gaza wars affected global order?

• Answer:

• Erosion, reordering, obscuring.

• Implication:

• Thinning and Thickening of the LIO: challenges the US influence

1948+ unresolved co-existence and borders

Israel independence (considering israel as a state→ born out of collapse of previous empires) 

• 1967+ israeli occupation of disputed territories → second arab-israeli war (since 1967, unresolved conflict) 

• 1993+ failed peace process, low level armed conflict → series of peace talks hosted by US (low level conflicts until a year ago)

Israel - Gaza 

• 2000+ dominance of Likud party

• 2006+ Hamas dominance in gaza 

• 2023+ Hamas mass casualty attack IDF overwhelming response 

Russia-Ukraine Background

• 1945- end of WW2; soviet union successfully expels ukraine 

  • Semi privilege east slavic republic under USSR 

  • 1991- ukraine declare independence through referendum

  • 1990s- russia is weakened (relations with ukraine are quiet) 

  • US-Russia relations constructive (there were friends)

• On new years eve 2000s: putin becomes russia's president 

• 2004- series of colour revolutions (ukraine orange revolution- pro democracy and independence revolution) 

  • Like 2014, russian meddling -Point: russian revolution scares putin (people power can be very dangerous)

• Barack obama attempts to make peace with russia (failed) ; alters US russia-relations

2010s

• Free trade 

• Pro russia precedence withdraws (rejected agreements and turned attention to economic)

• Annexed crimea→ wages shadow/proxy war with south east of Ukraine 

russia-Ukraine near term

• 2022: Russia’s full-scale invasion war becomes internationalized 

  • NATO: US agenda was trying to keep the war from spilling out to other states (keep it region wide)

• 2024+: stalemate/attrition war - russia occupying territory in Ukraine 

Erosion

• International Humanitarian Law

• Major Institutions of the LIO

• Weak Adhering: Ignoring Laws to protect civilians

• Constraints on Military action loosened 

• States normalising evil tactics

• Attack on civilian location

• Genocide

Reordering 

• Affiring Russia, Ukraine, and Europe

• Changing: Russia and China, US and Europe

• Multi-order system?

• Global north and south drifting apart

Obscuring

• Attention is limited

• Policymakers have limited capacity to act

• Public attention is necessarily selective

Implications of LIO:

• Thick order:

Clear social purpose, cooperation,respect for rules

• Thin order:

Limited social purpose

Week 6: Climate Change

Reading 1: Mohamed Adow

• What is this about?

• Climate change disproportionately impacts poorer countries like Kenya, despite these nations contributing the least to global emissions, and highlights the failure of wealthy nations to provide adequate support or compensation.

• Why does it matter?

• It reveals a stark injustice in the global response to climate change, with those least responsible bearing the greatest burdens, and underscores the urgent need for fair financial and technological aid to address this crisis.

• How does it fit?

• The divide between wealthy and developing nations in addressing climate change underscores ongoing global inequality, raising questions about responsibility, accountability, and cooperation in the fight against a shared crisis.

Reading 2: Werrell and Famia 

• What is this about?

• The reading discusses how climate change threatens state sovereignty and global order by straining natural resources, destabilizing governments, and increasing the risk of conflict over critical areas like the Arctic and South China Sea.

• Why does it matter?

• Climate change not only disrupts resources like water and food but also weakens the ability of nations to govern effectively, leading to fragility, migration crises, and potential state collapse, which could destabilize entire regions.

• How does it fit?

• As climate-related pressures rise, they exacerbate existing tensions and create new geopolitical challenges, forcing international systems and institutions to adapt to a rapidly changing and more conflict-prone world.

Reading 3: Keohane

• What is this about?

• Political science can contribute to addressing climate change, emphasizing the need to create policies and frameworks that align with political incentives to encourage meaningful action on mitigation, adaptation, and infrastructure.

• Why does it matter?

• Climate change poses a critical global threat, and current political approaches often fall short due to misaligned incentives, lack of action, and international free-rider problems, underscoring the urgency of rethinking strategies to ensure effective responses.

• How does it fit?

• As a global issue requiring coordinated efforts, climate change challenges international governance, economic structures, and domestic politics, making it imperative to integrate innovative and equitable policies into global and national political systems.

Slides:

• Question:

• Why is political action so difficult?

• Answer:

• Collective action problem and political and economic interests 

• Implication:

• Can an effective climate regime be installed before it's too late? 

Common but differentiated responsibility:

• ​​Common responsibility to the collective effort

• Degree of responsibility is based on historical factors

• Rich countries expected to assume greater responsibility on climate change

Welcome to the anthropocene:

• Eutrophication (richness in nutrients which depletes oxygen)

• Rise in global temperature (Goal was to stay below 1.5 degrees but now is 2 degrees), if we pass this it may be too late to return. (spoiler alert, we will exceed 2 degrees)

• Desertification

• Global warming (due to CO2 emissions)

• Pollution (air, marine, etc.)

• 16 of the 17 warmest years have been recorded since 2001 (Busby article from essay)

Developing and island nations are suffering the greatest, however have historically contributed the least to global warming

Developed countries have contributed the most but refuse to pay the price of climate change. Kyoto protocol failed because the rules were too heavy, the paris agreement is not doing the best as its too lenient (US withdrawal in 2017 and probably again in 2025 due to trumps re-election)

Despite all of this we are making progress, the goal was to keep it below 3 degrees and now its 2 degrees (we probably won't reach it but at least it's a bit better)

Week 7: Democratic Backsliding

Reading 1:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 2:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 3:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Slides:

• Question:

• Wj

• Answer:

• Implication:

Week 8:

Reading 1:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 2:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Slides:

• Question:

• Answer:

• Implication:

Week 9:

Reading 1:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 2:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 3:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 4:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Slides:

• Question:

• Answer:

• Implication:

Week 10:

Reading 1:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 2:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 3:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Slides:

• Question:

• Answer:

• Implication:

Week 11:

Reading 1:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 2:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Slides:

• Question:

• Answer:

• Implication:

Week 12: Activism and Technology

Reading 1:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 2:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 3:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 4:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 5:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Reading 6:

• What is this about?

• Why does it matter?

• How does it fit?

Slides:

• Question:

• What is the role of technology in global order?

• Answer:

• Change, but to what purpose? Who benefits

• Implication:

• Acceleration effects on human activity can 20th century LIO withstand 21st century forces

Acceleration effect: 

• Everything is happening at a rate that is difficult to control

“Science and technology are the governing concepts of our age”- Henry Kissinger (330)

Where is technology?

• Depends on which tech has different types, different levels, sometimes all. Some technologies are reserved/monopolised such as nuclear weapons. 

• State level- nuclear weapons

Where is Cyberspace?

• A new level of analysis? Where is the metaverse? 

• Cyberspace as a non-euclidean space but grounded in the physical world 

What is the relationship between politics and tech?

• Teach is not external to politics, it is embedded in it.

• Co-construction (don't need to know)

State-level actors

• Control- nuclear technology

Non-state actors

• Big tech firms (amazon, google, microsoft)

• Anonymous

First face- Nuclear weapons, not a dual-used technology, state monopoly

Third face- Norms, consent (to cookies, user agreement), lots of government norms, few established norms in terms of cyber

2024: AI is neither as good as it has been advertised nor bad as it has been feared.

Implication for global order

1. Acceleration effect-

2. Responsive for events

3. Low barriers to use (arab spring)

4. Concentration of power

5. Reshaping human consciousness - epistemic change