You must write a paper explaining a historical or current event in
world politics using one of the IR theories we have covered in the course. You must
choose an event you wish to explain and make a theoretically informed argument that
must answer either or both of these questions: Why did this event come about? Why did
it unfold as it did? The theory you choose will explain the causes of the event and/or how
the event developed over time once it began. Examples of events include but are not
limited to the outbreak of a major war, responses to ethnic conflict, the creation and/or
demise of major international institutions or treaties. You must provide evidence to
support your argument, and discuss the most prominent contending explanations and
explain why yours is the most persuasive. Your paper should adhere to standard
formatting guidelines (title page, double-spaced; Times New Roman 12-point font; 1 inch
margins, list of works cited) and be 4-5 double spaced pages in length (not including title
page, and list of works cited).