Loyola University Chicago

Department of Political Science

international politics

PLSC 300: Poland and the European Union
Mr. Piotr Paradowski
MWF 9:20am / LSC

The European Union is the world’s most advanced institution of governance beyond the level of the traditional nation-state.  As Poland and other member states have pooled their sovereignty, they have created new ways of organizing the realities of economic competition, political authority, social cohesion, and cultural identity.  This course looks at how the European Union and Poland have affected each other as well as how Poland has accommodated to the EU structures. Through this course, students will be able to evaluate the role of Poland in the European Union and challenges and opportunities that both Poland and EU have been facing.

PLSC 353: International Law
Professor Vincent Samar
W 7:00pm / LSC

This course examines the norms and principles of of International Law that help define and regulate relations among nation states, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations (or NGOs).  The course considers what constitutes international law, how it is applied, what are its primary concerns, and what role there is for international criminal law.  Since the international legal system is less hierarchical than domestic legal systems, one important question will be how norms in the international system arise and then get applied.  This is a most fascinating area as the looseness of the international legal system is at once open ended while at the same time governed by conventions and internationally recognized norms.

PLSC 356: Intervention
Professor Peter Schraeder
Th 4:15pm / LSC

This course focuses on the hotly debated topic of "intervention" in world politics: the purposeful and calculated use of political, economic, and military instruments by one country to influence the domestic or foreign policies of another country.  Among the tools of intervention to be examined include economic and military aid, economic sanctions, covert intervention, paramilitary intervention, and direct military intervention.  During the course of the semester, we will explore the evolution of United States interventionist practices in all regions of the world.  Our time-frame of analysis will be the post-World War II era, with a special focus on understanding trends during the post-cold war era (1989-present).  As a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and their aftermath, this course particularly focuses on contemporary U.S. interventionist practices in South Asia (especially Afghanistan) and the larger Middle East region (most notably Iraq). 

PLSC 364: The U.N. and International Organizations
Professor Alexandru Grigorescu
MWF 10:25am / LSC

This course focuses on the major concepts and theories in the study of international organizations (IOs). In order to illustrate various theoretical approaches, we will discuss more than a dozen organizations (such as the U.N., the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the World Health Organization).  Although the course does not involve large-scale simulations (as PLSC 367: Model United Nations) it offers a small scale interactive activity that is intended to illustrate bargaining and negotiations among states in various IOs.

PLSC 367: Model United Nations
Professor Alexandru Grigorescu
MWF 11:30am / LSC

This course offers an in-depth analysis of the workings of the United Nations.  It is designed to introduce students to activities within the global organization and to provide an understanding of international negotiations that unfold in the U.N. setting.  It also includes an overview of current international issues and events that are discussed in the U.N. framework.  All of this will assist students in preparing for their roles as diplomats at the National Model United Nations conference in New York. Instructor permission is required.