International Organizations

Catalog description

This course focuses on a key mechanism facilitating international cooperation - international institutions. The course examines institutions ranging from informal institutions, or regimes, to formal, intergovernmental organizations. We ask the following questions: how are institutions established? What makes them change over time? What impact (if any) do they have? How do they operate and structure decision making? How do international institutions affect domestic politics? What challenges are international institutions facing? The course will begin by focusing on different theoretical perspectives on these questions, and continue by examining international institutions in specific issue areas.