POLSCI 220 - International Relations, Spring 2007, UMass Boston OpenCourseWare

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University of Massachusetts,
Boston, MA 02125,

Course Description,
This course is designed to acquaint beginning students with some of the fundamental principles of international relations such as realism and idealism. Realism, for example is based on the assumption that the state constitutes the most important actor in the international system. The course will also explore the nature of idealism, which emphasizes the role of international norms and ethics, such as the preservation of human rights, as a means of realizing international justice. The course will also analyze international political economy and various theories ranging from mercantilism to dependency theory.