Essentials of International Relations, 7th ed

Texts used in class
Mingst, Karen. Essentials of International Relations, 7th ed. New York: WW Norton and
Company, 2011. (Either the 5th, 6th, or 7th editions of this text will suffice for this course. Please do not use the 8th edition as the contents have changed significantly.)
In addition to the exams, students are required to submit a research paper, worth the remaining 20% of the grade. The primary purpose of the paper is to EXPLAIN a given state of affairs in the contemporary international system using concepts from one of the main theories discussed in class. Thus the paper will be graded primarily in terms of a student’s ability to clearly discuss and apply major concepts from Realism, Liberalism or Marxism to a particular topic.
Students may choose from one of two possible research paper options. During the second week of class each student will randomly select a particular country. Students may write about the most significant foreign policy issue facing that country. Or students may write about that country's negotiating position on and the commitments it has made under the Paris Climate Accords.
At the outset, students should provide an introductory paragraph clearly stating the thesis of the paper. The thesis should consist of a brief statement of the position that the student is taking on the topic, clarifying the theoretical approach the student is using and the basic reason for adopting this position. (For example, if the student's country is "X," the issue the student chooses is the Paris Accords, and the theory they are using is liberalism, the thesis might state "As an underdeveloped country, X's participation in the Paris Climate Accords reflects a desire to gain economic development opportunities in an interdependent international system.")
Next, students should spend several pages describing, as concisely as possible, the main issue, the actors involved, their relative capacities, their negotiating strategies, and, in the case of the Paris Climate Accords, the commitments the nation has made under the treaty.
Then the student should fully discuss and clearly apply the main theoretical concepts she/he is using in the paper. As stated above this is the most important part of the paper. First give a general overview of the theory being used and then give a more detailed explanation of the particular concept from the theory that is being used. Then use the theory and particular concept to explain issues facing the main actors in question and the policy options they have? How does it clarify the interests of the nation and other key actors involved? How does the theory being employed explain the relative strength or weakness of the country or countries and institutions involved? Most importantly, how does the theory explain the particular policy options or other steps that the country has taken.
In the conclusion to the paper students should, in light of the theory being used, provide some insight into likely outcomes regarding the issue. The student should argue persuasively in the conclusion for the explanation that he/she is offering. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with the instructor regarding their thesis if they are having difficulty in formulating a thesis, developing the argument, engaging in research or writing the conclusion for the paper.
Secondary sources for research for the essays should include at least three academic journal articles as well as contemporary periodicals and newspaper accounts of the issues involved. Essays must be at least five (and no more than seven) pages in length, double-spaced and typed (with normal margins, fonts, etc.) Neither title, appendices, footnotes or endnotes, charts and graphs nor bibliography count toward the page length requirement for the paper. A brief writing guide is provided at the end of the syllabus. This is an upper division course. Students who clearly fail to follow the writing guide or have multiple common errors in their written work will automatically have at least a full letter grade deducted from their papers. Students should take advantage of the university writing center if they need help editing their papers. The essays are due THURSDAY, MAY 2ND. LATE PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Documentation for Research Papers
As stated above, students may use any widely accepted form of documentation for their papers (Turabian, MLA, etc.) Please abide by the following general guidelines for documentation of sources in your research papers:
FOOTNOTES AND END NOTES: Footnotes appear at the bottom of pages of text. End notes appear on a separate page at the end of the text just prior to the bibliography page. Parenthetical notes appear in parentheses at the end of the sentence or block quote where the quotation or reference appears in the paper. Students may use footnotes, end notes or parenthetical notes for their research papers. Notes are used to recognize the work of another author within a student's text. Failure to use notes appropriately results in plagiarism wherein the work of another person is presented in an author's text as if it were the author's own words. Therefore, notes obviously must be used when directly quoting another author or presenting data and statistics compiled by another author. Notes also must be used when paraphrasing, drawing heavily on the main themes from another work, citing ideas from an author or work that are not commonly known, and providing a perspective or point of view concerning an issue or event that is not the author's own. If you are unsure about whether or not to use a note, use it.
Do not use an excessive number of quotations. The assignment in this course is to conduct research and present a particular position on a particular theme, not to recite the words of others who have dealt with the theme. If a quotation is more than thirty words, use block quotes: indent ten spaces and use single-spaced text (quotation marks are unnecessary when using a block quote). These should be used sparingly.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: A bibliography is a listing of the works used in a text. The works are listed by author, last name first, in alphabetical order. Do not "pad" your bibliography. That is, do not list works unless you have used them, in some way, for your paper.
FOR THE COUNTRY I WAS ASSIGNED "THAILAND"