International Political Systems: Within the Confines of an IO

International Organizations (IO's) are the manifest institutions within the international political system (IPS).  To think of IO's though as the end-all and be-all of of IPS study is a fatal mistake not just for research but also for the practical applications of political science and international relations.  The phenomenon of a political system be it internal/national or external/international is both composed of matter and form.  This way of viewing the political world can be attributed to Aristotle cf. Cohen (2002) and Miller (2011) who applied his medical metaphysics to politics.

These  matter and form of the international political system are 1) international principles, customs, and protocol, and 2) international institutions respectively.  As social power allows a persons to exert his or her will in any given environment even in the presence of an opposed will, then both matter and form help shape how this power is exercised.  Let's say for example a particular international actor wants higher income from their foreign trade by lessening the economic barriers such tariffs and quotas on their goods.  Such actor will have to resort to two possible institutions: one will be an IO with an economic mandate (whether it be global or regional), another institution can be an international legal instrument such a bilateral or multilateral treaty regulating trade.

To view the system only through this lens incapacitates international actors.  The second aspect must be considered to provide a holistic view if one means to come up with a truly practical foreign policy.  There exists possible international principles, customs and protocol that will have an impact on any international actor's agenda.  If institutions constitute the "form" (since they are structured), then principles, customs, and protocol compose the "matter" of the system.  "Formal" international laws, the codified treaties and charters are actual "forms", principles, customs, and protocol are non-codified, hence they are material rather than formal.  Unwritten and unpublished they may be, these matters of the international system can confine political action, sometimes manifesting a force even stronger than law.

The Principle of Par in parem non habet imperium (trans "an equal has no power over an equal) elucidates the idea of non-intervention and external sovereignty of states.  Human Rights, on the other hand, are values that IO's incorporate into practice by codifying them in order to promote a new set of principles in the relations among states.

For your class output, each student of IPS must post a comment providing 2-4 "matters" in the international political system, and provide a short application for each (e.g. how does such matter shape the exercise of power in the international political system?). Some of these can be found from your readings.  Incorporate research to supplement this task and enrich your post.  Do not forget to use appropriate source citations.

 
Sources:

Cohen, M. (2002). Aristotle on Substance, Matter and Form. Retrieved 2012, from Washington University: http://faculty.washington.edu/smcohen/320/zeta17.htm#text1

Miller, F. (2011). Aristotle's Political Theory. Retrieved 2012, from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-politics/

Photo Credit:

Rlineurope. (2012). Flying Buttress Ceiling in Mont. St. Michel. Retrieved 2012, from Travelpod: http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?start=281&num=10&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=4Ur&tbo=d&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1600&bih=742&tbm=isch&tbnid=S1P1xFpnj7NqQM:&imgrefurl=http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/slideshow-photo/flying-buttress-celing-in-mont-st-

    

International Political Systems Grading System

Our class will be using the same syllabus as provided in the previous IPS class.

Pls note the following grading criteria and course output standards in preparing your course outputs.

Pts. Metric for all Graded Activities and Student Outputs

1-2 = Very unprepared, very flawed output

3-4 = Unprepared, flawed output

5-6 = Average output with minor flaws/errors

7-8 = Good output

9-10 = Exceptional output

Grading Criteria for the Prelim and Final Presentation

10 pts total  = Attire and room setting (appropriate costume, arrangement of room and tables to simulate the chosen international organization).

10 pts total  = Oral presentation of policies during simulated forum (less to no reading or glancing at position paper).

10 pts total  = Observation of protocol (proper simulated behavior as diplomats).

20 pts total  = Exhibited recall of technical jargon and application of lessons learned.

There will be written Prelim and Final Exams…

Both exams will be in objective essay format, which will measure recall of my power point lecture content along with the country profile presentations of your classmates.

Country Profile Presentations on December 1…

Will be graded based on

10 pts = Oral Discussion

10 pts = Powerpoint style

20 pts = Content (country data must be chosen based on your individual Position Paper and Role in the Simulation)

Grading Criteria for Position Papers

10 pts = Research skill

10 pts = Analysis

10 pts = Documentation

10 pts = Discussion of Data

10 pts = Organization of Thoughts and Paper Format

POL201 Final Exam Supplement 2012

GENERAL INSTRUCTION

Give a sensible short essay on the following questions/situations.  Research the actual situation if needed, then  discuss in your own analysis using your own words.  Use 1 paragraph for each, with 5-6 direct sentences.  Minimize using compound-complex sentences.

QUESTION ASSIGNMENT

Students with surname initial belonging to the letter range will answer the corresponding question/situation number:

1Pol1

Surname Initial Letter Range = Question/Situation Number
A-B = 1 and 2
C-D = 3 and 4
E-G = 5 and 6
H-O = 1 and 4
P-S = 3 and 6
T-Z = 2 and 5

1Pol2

Surname Initial Letter Range = Question/Situation Number
A-B = 3 and 4
C-D = 1 and 4
E-L = 3 and 6
M-O 5 and 6
P-S = 4 and 5
U-Y = 2 and 3

1Pol3

Surname Initial Letter Range = Question/Situation Number
A-C = 5 and 6
D-G = 3 and 4
H-L = 3 and 6
M = 2 and 5
O-P = 1 and 4
Q-R = 1 and 2
S = 1 and 6
T-V = 4 and 5


POINTS SYSTEM AND EVALUATION

Each answer will be graded as follows:

5 pts total for logical explanation (student's claims have factual support, and the main idea is easily comprehensible).

5 pts total for comprehension of political concept (student's answer show his/her comprehension of the subject matter and able to apply it expertly to the question/task).

5 pts total for grammar and composition (student uses appropriate university level language).

Grand Total of 15 pts per question.

Pts. Metric

To get the following pts: 

5 - impressive work (rigorously done = accurate and insightful)
4 - properly done (no errors)
3 - acceptable (with errors but good enough work)
2 - poorly made (full of errors) 
1 - failed to do the required task (simply writing a paragraph with political science words is not fulfilling the task)

* Copy pasted and read>typed materials will merit a failure for POL 201.
* I need an essay not, a report.

QUESTIONS/SITUATIONS

1. Provide a realist analysis of current Philippines-China Relationship.

2. If the Philippines is characterized with a subject political culture, is a Parliamentary system possible for implementation? Why?

3. Is the church an agent of political socialization? Does it have any claims for political interest articulation?

4. What type of political party is the Philippine Liberal Party (Mass, Personalistic, etc...).  Explain your answer.

5. Which among the various political ideologies support the Anti-cybercrime law in the Philippines? Give a reasonable argument in support of this law.

6. Among the elements of national power, which does the Philippines have as its best resource, and which is one is most lacking? Explain your answer.

Pol 201 Powerpoints

Here are power point presentations to help guide you in the readings.

Political Behavior

Comparative Politics

International Relations

Political Theory

Public Policy and Administration

Political Economy

Final Exam All of 1POL 2012

State Science:

Innovations and Current Practices in Politics

Objective

To create practical awareness about the study of political science both within the student as individual, the students as a scholarly body, and their university community through a symposium on the following areas: international politics (handled by 1pol1), political science research (1pol2), political economy (1pol3).

Role

In this activity you are tasked to become expert organizers of a political science symposium the aim of which is help disseminate current practical knowledge of the discipline.

Audience

Members of the UST community both taking political science and other disciplines as far as other colleges such as CFAD, ENG, CTHM, etc.

Hence, the talk as per topic must be able to demystify political jargon while discussing practical use of political science's knowledge.

Situation

The challenge involves social, organization, and public speaking skills in bringing about a successful political science symposium.  You will have committees in charge of

DOCUMENTATION,

COMMUNICATION,
FINANCE,

SECURING THE GUEST SPEAKERS,

LOGISTICS, USHERS AND RUNNERS

AND HOSTING THE PROGRAM

Product, Performance, Purpose

The symposium that you will organize must be able to help disseminate political science knowledge for use both by members and non-members of the political science community.

The event will be approximately 4 hrs.  30 minutes for opening, 1 subsequent hr each per topic, 30 min for closing.  Each speaker will have 45 minutes for the talk, and 15 minutes allotted for Q&A.

Student reactors will come primarily from sections as follows:

Reactors for International politics = 1pol2

Reactors for Political science research = 1pol3

Reactors for Political economy = 1pol1

Hence you will not be reacting to your own hosted area.

Deadline

October 2 or 4, 2012

8:00-12:00

Evaluation

• 1 page, 2-3 short paragraph content / student (rigorous and insightful paper on the theme while incorporating the section’s topic):  1-5 
• Activity Communications / Documents (letters, invitations, certificates meticulously prepared and distributed on-time): 1-5
• Logistics (venue, date, schedule properly secured): 1-5
• Quality of Guest speaker based on credentials (internationally recognized): 1-5
• Community Impact (overwhelming attendance of interested attendees): 1-5 
• Overall Class Product (inspiring program, hosting, inter-student and section cooperation can be observed): 1-5

Total : 30 credits

Grade Matrix

1 - simply able to create output.

2 - very flawed output, riddled with glitches.

3 - met requirements, preseence of minor flaws.

4 - met requirements, lacks impressive impact.

5 - met all required objectives with high quality impact.

P.S.

All letters for securing venues, and permits must have the message that the activity is "part of the course academic requirement and will constitute a significant part of the student's Final Grades".  This will help facilitate processing.                 

Tour Synthesis Guidelines

Your paper's goal is the incorporation of the "real" into the abstract concepts. The tour provided a glimpse of three major institutions. However, in order to create a holistic experience, students will write a synthesis of the field trip along with a chosen political event that recently happened involving one of the three institutions visited.

This event must have a tie-up with one of the chosen institutions that was visited. And sources of information must be primarily from RESPECTABLE PERIODICALS.

The tour synthesis will be a description, exposition and commentary about the studen's chosen political event and institution. It can be likened to a news report/editorial, the student is the journalist. Note that this is not a Journalism/Mass Communications paper. Rather, it is a Political Science document whose goal is to 1) describe a recent political phenomenon in the real world, and 2) point out rationally the political implications of this phenomenon.

The synthesis must have one 2x3 picture of the student in a location within the chosen institution. And the document will be limited to a single page. Reference list should be at the very bottom. 2 citations (1 for picture, 1 for news info source). The picture must be captioned (very briefly describing the background) along with a credit on who took the picture, and when.

Evaluation is same as all think pieces.