POL 240: Introduction to International Politics

Section F02

Class Participation Memo Assignments

Students will have the opportunity participate in the class both during and outside of classroom hours. Each student will be assigned to three days during the semester in which they will do two things: first, they will co-author a short memo (300-400 words) comparing and contrasting that day’s readings and posing questions for discussion; second, they will post a short newspaper article on a current or historical international event that they feel is relevant to the day’s readings. Both should be posted in the forums on the course website by 8 PM the day before the readings are to be discussed. ALL students are required to read the memos and be prepared to answer the questions the next day in class; they are also encouraged to respond to the memos in the forum as part of their participation.

The memos should touch on the following points: What are the theoretical assumptions (explicit or implicit) contained in each theoretical piece, such as who the relevant actors are and what their aims are? What are the theoretical concepts, such as balance of power, bureaucratic politics, or gender differences, that each theoretical piece introduces? If evidence is presented in the readings or elsewhere for the theories, how well does the evidence support these theories? Questions for discussion could focus on comparison across authors in a given day or with previous weeks.


Email	Name	Memo 1	Memo 2	Memo 3

ackemanj@reed.edu	Jesse Ackemann	3.1	6.1	11.1
arinofea@reed.edu	Aida Arino-Fernandez	3.1	6.2	11.2
ballents@reed.edu	Stephen Ballentine	3.1	6.2	11.2
bergenhl@reed.edu	Lauren Bergenholtz	3.2	6.2	11.3
bialerj@reed.edu	Jake Bialer	3.2	6.3	11.3
caughiet@reed.edu	Tyler Caughie	3.2	6.3	12.1
chapmanc@reed.edu	Chris Chapman	4.2	6.3	12.1
clarkm@reed.edu	Michael Clark	4.2	7.2	12.2
cranem@reed.edu	Michael Crane	4.2	7.2	12.2
edwardbr@reed.edu	Brienz Edwards	4.3	7.2	12.3
guerrerk@reed.edu	Kevin Guerrero	4.3	7.1	12.3
harrisog@reed.edu	Glenn Harrison	4.3	7.1	13.1
hendricm@reed.edu	Margaret Hendrick	5.1	7.3	13.1
hofkoshe@reed.edu	Eliza Hofkosh-Hulbert	5.1	7.3	13.2
lariview@reed.edu	Wells LaRiviere	5.1	9.1	13.2
macdonas@reed.edu	Skye Macdonald	5.2	9.1	14.1
matsudar@reed.edu	Reiko Matsuda-Dunn	5.2	9.2	14.1
nobleh@reed.edu	Hallie Noble	5.2	9.2	14.2
overholn@reed.edu	Nate Overholser	5.3	10.2	14.2
ruizc@reed.edu	Chelsea Ruiz	5.3	10.2	14.3
russellk@reed.edu	Kris Russell	5.3	10.3	14.3
schreibb@reed.edu	Bailey Schreiber	6.1	10.3	15.1
schultke@reed.edu	Kent Schultz	6.1	11.1	15.1