Homework: Research Paper International Relationships
Paper Basics
In the latter portion of the course we are going to consider a number of contemporary issues in international relations. Some of them are extremely broad (international political economics, war), others are just somewhat extremely broad (nuclear proliferation, terrorism). Either way, we are only going to scratch the surface of these issues. I would like to give you an opportunity to dig a little deeper into some issue in contemporary international relations. In this homework I ask you to pick a topic of interest - it could be something like a specific event (a war between two countries, a nonmilitary conflict like Iran's potential nuclear weapons, etc.) or something broader but thematic (global warming, the COVID pandemic). The key is going to be picking a topic that is narrow enough to deal with in an 2000-2500 word paper (that's roughly 8 to 10 pages). The topic mus be contemporary. That means it must involve events that have happened after 1989. Once you have your topic, you should use the paper to answer the following questions about it:
• Give a BRIEF summary of your topic. What are the major relevant details about the subject? This should be NO MORE THAN 750 WORDS. That's why you need to narrow your topic before you sit down to write your paper.
• Are there any relevant international agreements about your topic? Has the United Nations or other IGO's dealt with your topic? What NGO's are active in this area and what are their goals?
• Who are the (most) relevant countries? What are their interests or goals as regards your topic? Go beyond just restating what you said in Question 1.
• Analyze your topic from a realist and liberal perspective. How would each approach explain the way countries and individuals have behaved in your topic?
• What is the future of your topic?
Possible Topics
You can choose from the list below or choose your own. A list of possible topics might include: relations between South Korea and North Korea, relations between the US and Cuba, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Iran (or North Korea) and nuclear proliferation, Brexit, NAFTA/USMCA, Security Council reform, anything to do with the recent 2008 economic crisis (i.e. not domestic) such as the European debt crisis, the COVID pandemic, cybersecurity, global poverty, development in the global South, AIDS or any other epidemic (but focus on the international relations of it and not the science), the looming demographic crisis in economically developed countries, immigration INTERNATIONALLY (i.e. not specifically about the US), water access, etc. As a reminder, it must be a contemporary topic, meaning it involves things that have happened since 1989 or later.
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
• The answer must be using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, typed, with one-inch margins on all sides.
• The response also includes a cover page containing the student's name, the title of the homework, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
• Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.