PSC 245: Foreign Policies of Western Europe

Winter Quarter 2007

Dr. Katy Crossley-Frolick
Office: 990 W. Fullerton, Room 2107 ; E-mail: kcrossle@depaul.edu ; Phone: 773.325.4711
Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays noon-2pm and by appointment

Course Description

This course aims to study/compare key post Cold War foreign policy behaviors during crisis (mainly involving military interventions) of the three "big" states in Western Europe: France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (also referred to as the EU3, as they all are members of the European Union (EU). Although other states in Western Europe also conduct foreign policies, they tend to do so more as part of the EU and/or have a more regional foreign policy. The "three big" can be put in a special category because of their history (two of them were big colonial Empires), size, and military capabilities (at least for France and the UK). First we will define a conceptual framework for the general study of foreign policy. This framework will guide our analysis of the empirical cases studied during the quarter. Then we will analyze several case-studies in terms of decision-making processes, domestic and international environment, as well as outputs. We will end the class by analyzing two contemporary case-studies in which the EU3 are acting in a unified way and a third case in which Poland appears as a new emerging power in Europe. Each class will be a balance of lectures and informal discussions based on your questions. Why is it that we know so little about the foreign policies of three countries which have been the most important allies for the US in the past fifty years? Are these countries "middle powers" or "big powers"? What role do they play in the international hierarchy?

Required Reading

There are no books for this class. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE ARE NO READINGS TO DO IN THIS CLASS. A reader is available for purchase in the Political Science Department. In addition, there are various reading assignments on reserve (either electronic or regular reserve at the LPC library-pay close attention to the description in the reading schedule), or posted on Blackboard under the External Links tab. The syllabus will note the location of each reading. E-Reserves password: psc245

Students are also URGED to regularly consult the following websites:

FRANCE
http://www.france.diplomatie.fr/index.gb.html: the French foreign affairs ministry website (Ministère des Affaires Etrangéres, also referred to as Le Quai d'Orsay, the building where the Ministry is housed.)

www.emulateme.com/France: Government of France

GERMANY
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/www/enlindex html: the German foreign affairs ministry website (Das Auswartige Amt, The Federal Foreign Office).

www.bundesregierung.de : Government of Germany

UNITED KINGDOM
http://www.fco.gov.uk: the UK foreign affairs ministry website (The Foreign and Commonwealth Office — referred to as the FCO). Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs www.number-10.gov.uk.

Finally, students are REQUIRED to subscribe to either the Financial Times (electronic version, 15 weeks for $21.95) ) or The Economist (12 weeks, once weekly for $19.95) at special discounted student rates.

Additional recommended websites are: BBC world news news.bbc.co.uk/ Also, http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/ (German weekly in English); http://www.lefigaro.fr/english/ (le Figaro, French daily newspaper in English).

Attendance and Class Etiquette: Attendance is mandatory. Absences will negatively affect your participation and final grades. You will be asked to sign in during every class. If you fail to sign in, you will be counted as absent. If you must miss class, (serious illness, traffic court, religious holiday) let me know as soon as possible. Be prepared to present documentation if I request it (e.g. doctor's note, court summons). Traffic jams, other work, are not valid excuses. After 2 absences (in other words, "freebies") your final grade will drop a full letter grade (e.g. B- to C-) for each unexcused absence thereafter. You are responsible for material covered and checking Blackboard for assignments and other materials that might be handed out in your absence.

Be on time. I am very unforgiving when it comes to students arriving late.

The use of electronic devices during class is not allowed. Please turn off all cellphones, pagers, iPODs, MP3 players, or any other electronic gadgetry used for communication and/or entertainment before class begins and keep them off for the entire duration of class. Please refrain from taking phone calls during class and stepping out of class to tend to personal business or text messaging.

Participation Expectations: Students should do the assigned readings and prepare for every class. If I get the sense that you are not reading, I reserve the right to institute pop quizzes. Let's try to avoid such measures. Much of our time will be spent discussing and debating the readings as a group. A good rule of thumb is spending two hours out of class preparing for every hour in class. This means that for this class you can expect to spend at least 6 hours a week preparing. This is doable, provided you are realistic about how long it takes to read and you budget your time wisely. Readings for the week should be completed by the start of each class. Hence, you should come to class prepared to talk about the readings, not simply occupy a seat. Sufficient preparation entails coming to class having read the assignment carefully (perhaps taking notes as you read); being able to identify the important themes in the readings; and being able to discuss the readings in a reasoned, analytical manner. Additional readings will be assigned as the course progresses, either in paper form or via Blackboard.

Written Work: All written assignments should be prepared with attention not only to substance, but to detail. I am a stickler for polished, coherent written work. Check spelling and grammar more than once before you turn in your work. Do not rely on your PC to catch spelling errors and/or the misuse of words. Students are strongly advised to turn in all work on time. There will be no extensions granted. Late work will be docked one full grade for each day past due. After 3 days, including weekends, I will not accept it. Students must turn in one paper copy in person and one electronic copy via Blackboard. Do not submit papers to my e-mail account. All papers will be run through a plagiarism detection program.

Finally, it is your responsibility to ensure that a) you know how to use Blackboard; b) you maintain a valid e-mail address for me to communicate course material. Blackboard has this option, but if your e-mail address is not up to date or invalid you will not receive messages. It is not the instructor's problem if you do not receive course communications.

Final grades will be calculated based on the following components:

***Three 5-6 page policy papers (one from a French perspective, one from a German perspective, and one from a British perspective) based on crisis scenarios that I will distribute in class a week before the paper is due. I'll give detailed instructions on how to write a policy paper before the first one is due. 20% each, total 60%

***Class Participation and Attendance: 10%

***Take home final exam: open book based on the readings and the class lectures (3 essay questions, max. 750 words each): 30%

Academic Integrity: If you cheat — in any way — you will fail this course. Copying materials from another source without proper citation e.g. online reports, journal articles, books, purchasing a paper online and passing it off as your own or having someone else write your paper, among other nefarious methods, constitutes cheating. If you are uncertain about how to cite sources ask before you turn in your work.

Plagiarism is clearly defined in the Student Handbook. It reads as follows: "Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a major form of academic dishonesty involving the presentation of the work of another as one's own. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following:

1. The direct copying of any source, such as written and verbal material, computer files, audio disks, video programs or musical scores, whether published or unpublished, in whole or part, without proper acknowledgement that it is someone else's.
2. Copying of any source in whole or part with only minor changes in wording or syntax, even with acknowledgement.
3. Submitting as one's own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab report or other assignment that has been prepared by someone else. This includes research papers purchased from any other person or agency.
4. The paraphrasing of another's work or ideas without proper acknowledgement. Plagiarism, like other forms of academic dishonesty, is always a serious matter. If an instructor finds that a student has plagiarized, the appropriate penalty is at the instructor's discretion. Actions taken by the instructor do not preclude the college or the university from taking further punitive action including dismissal from the university."

GRADING GUIDELINES:

An "A" is earned for extraordinary performance. It is reserved for work that is well beyond the undergraduate level and offers new insight. Written work will display a comprehensive understanding of the issues, analytical sophistication, and arguments are cogent with supporting ideas and evidence. Participation indicates that the student is prepared all the time if called on and contributes ideas and/or questions that go beyond the readings.

A "B" is earned for better than average performance, but no new insight is added. Written work is organized and provides arguments that are well supported. The student attends all class periods and demonstrates that he/she has read the material and can effectively summarize it.

A "C" is earned for solid, college level performance. In such instances, the minimum requirements are met. Written work displays adequate organization and understanding of ideas, but arguments are generally oversimplified and/or superficial. The student does not volunteer, but only speaks when called on, remains silent during group discussions, and often cannot demonstrate that he/she has read all the assignments.

A "D" is earned for less than satisfactory performance. Written work is poorly organized and ideas are expressed in an incoherent and/or simplistic manner. Sloppy grammatical and spelling errors render the writing difficult to understand. The student does not volunteer, cannot answer questions when asked, keeps silent during class discussions and merely occupies a seat.

An "F" is earned for work that does not address the assignment or in instances when the student chooses to not turn in work. The student is frequently absent and does not contribute to class discussion.

COURSE OUTLINE (Subject to change!)

Final Exam due Monday, March 19th promptly at 2:45 pm — Exam must be submitted via the Digital Dropbox on Blackboard. Technical glitches are no excuse for turning in late exams. If the exam is late I will not read it. Do not e-mail the exam to me, I will not read it.