Elizabeth Saunders

Research and presentation skills for our term paper, synthesizing separate arguments for the effects of domestic/international politics on conflicts.

Very helpful to gain a very rich understanding of main theories and debates in international relations; I learned a lot in a short period of time and really enjoyed it. One thing to keep in mind is that there are a LOT of readings that can be hard to get through for each week. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2023 Course: POLSGR6801_001_2023_3-THEORIESOFINT'LRELATIONS : POLSGR6801_001_2023_3 - THEORIES OF INT'L RELATIONS Instructor: Jack Lewis Snyder

Learnt about various conflicts, different actors, reasons for conflicts, etc.

I would recommend this course to anyone who have a great interest in IR theory and previously enrolled in similar course as this course is quite advanced. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2022 Course: POLSGR6801_001_2022_3-THEORIESOFINT'LRELATIONS : POLSGR6801_001_2022_3 - THEORIES OF INT'L RELATIONS Instructor: Jack Lewis Snyder

In this class we learned about many of the factors and theory that surrounds the decisions to prolong and deter war. We have focused on the theories in the first half of the semester and then case studies in the second half. There have been studies about war and the role of domestic politics in influencing foreign policy decisions.

If you are really interested in IR, I recommend taking this course, but this is probably the only reading-intensive course you should have for the semester. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2021 Course: POLSGR6801_001_2021_3-THEORIESOFINT'LRELATIONS : POLSGR6801_001_2021_3 - THEORIES OF INT'L RELATIONS Instructor: Jack Lewis Snyder

you learn how to dissect conflict from a variety of perspectives and how to have professional and mature conversations about them.

I learned all the many different facets of international crisis and war. The public opinion, elite decisions, etc that drive or prevent war.

Primarily I learned how to discuss difficult topics in an informed, open, and educational way. I learned a lot about the world and how to view through a variety of different frameworks. Genuinely, this was my favorite class this semester and it helped me feel a little less lost in today's polarizing political climate.

I’ve always been drawn to the role of domestic politics in shaping war, and this course provided the analytical frameworks necessary to engage with that interest in a more rigorous and structured way. The week on bureaucratic politics was particularly illuminating, as it gave conceptual clarity and terminology to dynamics I had previously observed but lacked the tools to articulate. Additionally, the process of developing the final paper was especially stimulating and intellectually rewarding—it pushed me to refine my ability to operationalize qualitative data and construct empirically grounded arguments with greater precision and coherence.