Summer Session 1 (May 18-June 15)
Why did the United States invade Iraq in 2003? Was it driven by concerns about oil, a desire to democratize Iraq, or by the ideals of senior Bush administration officials? In this course, we will explore the theories that underpin these alternative explanations for the Iraq war and relate them to other important international events, both historical and current. We will cover a diverse set of topics, including international conflict, terrorism, transnational challenges (such as climate change, human trafficking, and the global drug trade), non-state actors in the international system, international institutions, and the role and influence of the United States in international affairs. We will pay particular attention to current international events and crises and discuss how scholars of international relations might seek to explain them.