Master’s in International Security - University of Arizona

Paul Birdwell - Course of Study

2017 Summer I

POL 528A - Democracy and Peace - Professor Megan Hauser

The purpose of this course is to critically examine the desirability of spreading democracy as a means for promoting peace, a major foreign policy objective of the United States. For although there is a lot of agreement about the desirability of democracy, specifically within the empirical literature on democracy and peace, there is no agreement about the meaning of democracy and peace.

International Efforts To Promote Democracy in Iran - Paul Birdwell - July 2, 2017

2017 Summer II

PA 579 - Intelligence and US National Security - Professor John Tidd

Overview of the role of intelligence in the formulation and execution of US national security policy. Will include a detailed look at challenges facing both the analysis of intelligence information and the introduction of that analysis into the national security policy process. Will also entail close reading and discussion of selected declassified intelligence documents. Graduate-level requirements include Huerer, Richards J. 1999. Psychology of Intelligence Analysis, CSI.

Intelligence Cycle - Analysis - Paul Birdwell - July 14, 2017

2017 Fall I

POL 555 - American Foreign Policy - Professor Gary L. Guertner

Analysis of the Cold War; Congressional-Executive clashes over foreign policy control; approaches to policy analysis

American Foreign Policy – 2017 Forward - Paul Birdwell - October 18, 2017

2017 Fall II

POL 551 - Russian Foreign Policy - Professor John P. Willerton

Surveys Russian power capabilities, foreign policy, and engagement of the world system. Attention to the Soviet period, but focus on the post-1991 era. Relations with the U.S., Germany, and China are highlighted, as are relations with former Soviet Union countries.

US Foreign Policy In Response to Putin’s “Assertive Pragmatism” - Paul Birdwell - December 17, 2017

2018 Spring I

POL 581A - Domestic Politics and U.S. Foreign Policy - Professor Barbara Norrander

Domestic politics and foreign policy were once considered to be separate entities, such as in the old fashioned statement that governments could afford either “guns or butter.” A more contemporary account notes the various ways that domestic politics and foreign policy are intertwined. Domestic politics shapes the foreign policy decisions of a country, and foreign policy often impinges on domestic politics. Topics covered in this class will include the role of the president, Congress, the bureaucracy and the courts in determining foreign policy. Conflicts and cooperation between these government entities will be highlighted. How public opinion and interest groups influence foreign policy also will be covered. Finally, the effects of foreign policy decisions on domestic politics will be considered. Upon completion of this course, students will have a fuller understanding of how domestic politics and foreign policy are intertwined

Effects of U.S. Domestic Politics on U.S. Foreign Policy - Paul Birdwell - March 2, 2018

2018 Spring II

POL 567A - Emerging Powers in the Global System - Professor Mikhail Beznosov

The purpose of this course is to analyze critically the emergence of China and India as state powers in the global system and the implications of this evolution for the United States and Europe, including countries in and neighboring the European Union (EU).

China:  A Regional Power On The Way To World Superpower - Paul Birdwell - April 28, 2018

2018 Summer I

POL 561A - Security - Evolution of a Concept - Professor Judith McDaniel

Traditionally, security has meant freedom from military attack and has been synonymous with national security. More recently, the concept has expanded to include relationships among nation states that affect international security. Environmental and economic concerns have also become part of the fabric of international security as a global village begins to recognize that no crisis affects only one state or one region.

What Causes Terrorism and How Can Security Be Guaranteed in This Age of Terrorism? - Paul Birdwell - June 25, 2018

2018 Summer II

POL 562A - Natural Resources and International Security in Latin America - Professor Matías F. Bianchi

This course will discuss how the management of other natural resources in Latin America affect or are likely to affect international security in the forthcoming decades. Latin America is a large geographical area well-endowed with natural resources that are usually poorly regulated, which results in high levels of domestic and international conflict among myriad actors, both governmental and non-governmental.

Colombian Conflicts:  The Control of Land and Its Resources - Paul Birdwell - August 26, 2018

2018 Fall I

POL 542A – European Politics & Society - Professor Paulette Kurzer

This course offers an introduction to the political systems of post-World War II Europe. Using a country-by-country approach, the course focuses specifically on Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and East-Central Europe. It also contains a unit on the institutions and policies of European Union. We will take a closer look at the impact of immigration on European society, the interaction between domestic and European institutions, the debates on economic reforms and market liberalization in different countries, and the relationship between the EU and the US.

European Defense and Security - Current Affairs and Main Challenges - Paul Birdwell - October 20, 2018

2018 Fall II

POL 559A – US & EU Democracy Promotion in the MENA - Professor Eva-Maria Maggi

This course provides an introduction to the democracy promotion policy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as developed by the US and European Union (EU). The course starts with discussing the key concepts of democracy promotion and continues by analyzing how these influenced democracy promotion efforts from the US as well as the EU. Both global powers have been engaged in promoting democracy throughout the MENA region with various degrees of success and often in contradicting terms.

The Challenge, the Future, and How to Promote Democracy in Lebanon - Paul Birdwell - December 12, 2018

2019 Spring I

POL 520A – How Terrorism Ends - Professor Alex Braithwaite

This course is intended to be a survey of the political science literature’s understandings about how terrorist campaigns come to a close. Prior to tackling questions of the end of terrorism head-on, we will first survey the literatures on definitions and theories of terrorism. Our survey of the various fates of terrorist groups and campaigns will explore; how governments use force to try to end terrorism, occasions when governments and terrorist participate in negotiations to find a solution to their incompatibility, outcomes in which groups achieve victory or are defeated, and scenarios in which groups opt to reorient away from violence into other legal and illegal activities.

Israel’s Counterterrorism Against Hamas, It’s Implications for Israel and the World, and the Future of Hamas - Paul Birdwell - March 1, 2019

2019 Spring II

POL 695A – Professional Colloquium - Professor Kirssa Cline Ryckman

Final paper project for ISS Masters with presentation and discussion. Capstone project, in which students develop a portfolio that overviews their academic work in the context of their professional goals. This should be taken as the final course of the M.A. degree.

Professional Reflection - The Importance of Continuous Lifelong Learning - Paul Birdwell - March 24, 2019

Personal Reflections on the MA International Security Studies Program at Arizona:

 Security Precedes and Makes Prosperity Possible - Paul Birdwell - April 7, 2019