The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the concepts and theories that scholars use to study international relations. We will examine the various actors that play a role in international politics (e.g. states, leaders, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, norms), by analyzing how they are defined, their interests, and actions. We will study their interactions with each other in conflict, economic relations, and in building institutions for cooperation. We will also critically examine international relations, evaluating how perspectives deriving from diverse racial, gendered, and indigenous experiences may complicate our understandings of the international system