The topic must deal with one of the three thematic sections of the course (Realist and Structural or Neo-Realism; the Liberal Tradition; and Alternative Theories). The topic that you pick must be cleared with your instructor before you get started in earnest. The following is due: 1. A Research Paper Topic for your research (for instructor approval). o “What problem or issues are you going to investigate;” o “Why does it/do they merit being studied;” o “How do they relate to the main concerns of the course?” 2. A list of six sources. These should be quality academic sources — refereed articles and academic book length monographs — and at least half must come from the Norwich University online library. Example Research Questions: 1. “What is the underlying assumption of human nature that classical realist theory (specifically Morgenthau) and classical liberal theory (specifically Kant) share, and what implications might be derived from any overlap among the assumptions for contemporary understandings of world politics?” 2. “Waltz’s definition of system stability is pitched at a meta-macro level. Is it the case that his exceedingly broad and abstract analytical scope overlooks important ‘micro-level’ factors that, taken together, have system-changing implications that Waltz would want a theory of IR to consider?”;
