Overview
Alright, one week to go! Our final exam is due by July 30th and consist of an essay question applying Realism and Liberalism to explaining the outbreak of the Russian-Ukraine War.
The Module on The Russian-Ukraine War, Alliances, and International Relations will be very important for your exam. I have added several videos to provide further background and information for you to use in your exam.
The essay consist of 2,000 words (please see the final exam here):
POSC 130 International Relations Final Exam Summer 2026 Version 3.0.pdfDownload POSC 130 International Relations Final Exam Summer 2026 Version 3.0.pdf
Week Four (C): The Ukraine War, Allianes, and Internatoinal Relatoins (July 27-30th)On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. The war which many predicted would be a short
war is now in its third year with no end in sight. Against this background of the Russian-UkraineWar I want you to apply the three schools of international relations—realism, liberalism, and
constructivism and explore how these three different schools (or theoretical approaches) and
answer the following question: How does realism and liberalism explain the outbreak (or origins)
of the Russian Ukraine War? In other words, how would these two approaches explain the cause(s)
of this war? Remember that the underlying assumptions of each theory is very important for this
question.
To successfully answer this question, students must do the following:
1. Essay length: 2,000 words.
2. Identify the underlying assumptions/principles/ and ideas of each of the three
theoretical approaches.
3. Use direct quotes from the readings and lecture slides to answer your question.
Specifically, you must use a minimum of two quotes supporting each of the three
theoretical approaches (realism, liberalism, constructivism) for a total of six quotes
from the readings/lecture slides.
4. What matters here is that you support your interpretation of how you think these
approaches explain the causes of war by using the authors and materials from class.
The Formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact | History - YouTube
Putin and the Presidents (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
Biden & Putin’s Years-in-the-Making Faceoff Over Ukraine | Putin and the Presidents | FRONTLINE