POL 201 International Relations

An examination of current international affairs based on the concepts, theories and methods used by scholars in the field. International events and behaviors will be explained in terms of the three major levels of analysis: the "state-system," the "nation-systems" and the "decision-making" levels. However, since the "human essence" of politics is frequently overlooked, emphasis will be placed on the third level--the "human" level-- by examining the effects of a decision-maker's beliefs, personality, perceptions, misperceptions and ability to communicate in the making of decisions that guide and determine the relations among nations.