World Politics: The Asia-Pacific in World Affairs

Spring 2005 Prof. Sheldon Simon

Office Hours: 8-9am; 10-Noon,

T, Th

And by Appointment

REQUIRED BOOK: Ashley Tellis and Michael Wills, eds., Strategic Asia—2004-2005: Confronting Terrorism in the Pursuit of Power (The National Bureau of Asian Research, 2004).

This course will follow a lecture-discussion format on the international politics of one of the world’s most important regions—the Asia-Pacific. We shall examine the political characteristics of this region in the early 21^st century and project its possible future directions. The U.S. role in the Asia-Pacific will be particularly emphasized.

There will be two midterms and a final exam. The midterms will be on pp.3-195 of Strategic Asia plus the lectures up to that point. The final exam will cover pp.199-455 of the book and the post-midterm lectures. Class grades will be based on an absolute scale. That scale is 90%+ =A; 80-89%=B; 70-79%=C; 60-69%=D. The exams will weight the lectures and the readings equally, which means that you should study the book carefully. The book and the lectures are independent of each other, though many of the same issues are covered in both.

TOPIC OUTLINE

I. General Considerations About the Nature of World Politics in the early 21^st Century and Asia’s position.

II. The U.S. Position in World Politics with special reference to the Asia-Pacific.

--Terrorism as a new security issue and Asian responses

III. China’s Role in the Asia-Pacific

--a defensive yet unsatisfied regional power

--economic strengths and growing international stature

--relations with neighbors

IV. Japan’s Role in the Asia-Pacific

--the U.S. Alliance

--economic difficulties; rising political voice

--quest for a more independent voice in world affairs

V. Korea and the ASEAN states

--the Korean peninsula as a flashpoint

--ASEAN and the rise of Asian regionalism

VI. Russia and the Asia-Pacific: Can Russia Revive as a Pacific Power?