Blog

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 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.”

In the winter of 1776–1777, Washington won important victories that improved American morale. These battles were at

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1832 Worcester v. Georgia decision

When must CBAM certificates begin being purchased?

Imagine that rock became denser, rather than less dense, when heated.  Would convection still be the most efficient means of getting heat out of Earth’ hot interior?

The fact that Eli Whitney was a Yale graduate working in Georgia demonstrates that

The underlying tension that escalated into the Boston Massacre was between

The sun at the center of our solar system is a main sequence star that formed from the remnants of a supernova explosion.

Before the American Revolution, democracy was seen as