The journal PS recently issued a call for a special issue on…

The journal PS recently issued a call for a special issue on American Trade Policy. The calloutlines the main facts motivating the special issue: “American trade policy is rapidly changing. It is being crafted in novel ways and with rationalesthat diverge from the post-World War II Washington consensus. The US now has higher tariffsthan it has in a century. A resurgence in protectionism may be part of an even larger change inAmerica’s overall role in global politics going forward in the 21st century. While these changesare a particular focus of Donald Trump’s presidency, they reflect long-simmering trends insociety and among policymakers that predate his political ascendance.” Craft an essay helping explain this shift in US trade policy. First, is this unique to the U.S. or arethere similar patterns across other countries? Second, what do you see at the most plausibletheoretical explanations for this shift? Finally, outline an empirical research design that couldhelp test one of these theoretical explanations.

One view of modern international organizations (IOs) is that…

One view of modern international organizations (IOs) is that they are “agents” of state“principals,” and that the most powerful principals often shape IO rules and exertdisproportionate influence during extraordinary events. Although this view leaves some room forindependent agency among IOs, it views state members as vital actors that shape the scope ofmany IOs’ activities. An alternative view sees IOs as capable of developing considerableautonomy from states and argues that IO bureaucrats play an under-recognized role in the designand functioning of these organizations. According to this view, the background of keybureaucrats along with the development of organizational culture explains considerable variationin IO activity. Which of these perspectives do you think is more accurate? Can they bereconciled? Draw on literature and examples to support your answer.

Consider the following statement critically and take a posit…

Consider the following statement critically and take a position either supporting or opposing it.You will want to develop your argument logically, ground it in relevant literature, and alsosummarize and discuss the relevant evidence. Statement: “After the paradigmatic debates of the1980s and 1990s pitting neorealism vs. neoliberalism and then later constructivism, thedevelopment of international relations theory has stalled. The problem stems from the failure ofmore recent scholarship to address the ‘big’ questions in the field and instead to fixate on midrangetheories and narrow empirical questions driven by new methodologies and an obsessionwith causal identification.”