The comprehensive exams will be scheduled for a single day each semester. You will have four-and-a-half hours to complete the exam. GPIS will arrange for a place for you to take the exam, usually in a computer lab. The exam is closed book and no notes or other aids of any kind are allowed.

The exam will be graded by a committee of GPIS faculty. The committee will usually, but not always, include the directors of the relevant tracks and the director and associate director of GPIS. It may take up to two weeks to get the exams graded.

Different examiners may read the exams in different ways, and it is the student's responsibility to write answers that are generally accessible and appealing across the variety of GPIS faculty. Most readers will be looking for a clear and direct answer to the question, evidence of reasonable familiarity with the important literature, and an ability to integrate theory and empirical cases.

To pass the comprehensive exam, students must receive passing evaluations from a simple majority of the committee members.

Our goal and expectation is that every student will pass the comprehensive examination. The exam is not designed to be a barrier to graduation. It is meant to be a straightforward assessment of the student's ability to handle the basic concepts they will have been exposed to in their graduate education. Nonetheless, and precisely because the exam is conceptualized as an assessment of basic abilities, it plays an important role in our willingness to certify a student as having achieved the necessary level of ability to be recognized as an MA graduate.

Students who do not pass the exam on the first attempt will have to retake the exam in a subsequent semester. Failure on the second attempt will prevent the student from receiving the MA degree. A student who fails twice on the exam will still have a transcript attesting to their performance in their GPIS graduate seminars, but they will not be able to receive the MA degree.

The best preparation for the MA comprehensive examination is the GPIS coursework you have completed. Reviewing the notes and materials from your seminars and trying to organize it around some integrative themes is essential preparation. The following pages offer some suggestions for effective preparation and for the effective writing of a comprehensive examination.

1. Describe and discuss the evolution of U.S. policies toward any country (with the exception of the Soviet Union) or region of your choice during a 6-year period of your choice, extended from January 1961 to January 1991. To introduce your answer, explain your choice of the period you chose to discuss. To conclude, describe the legacies of the Cold War on that region or country ever since.

2. Describe and discuss the policies of any U.S. President and/or National Security Advisor, OR Secretary of State and/or Secretary of Defense during the period 1989-2008. To introduce your response, please explain your choice in terms of his/her/their role and the time when she/he/they assumed that role. To conclude, assess their/his/her legacy relative to current U.S. interests and global conditions.

3. "The Cold War was remarkably stable and predictable."Explain and discuss this statement with a general assessment of the conditions that framed (or denied) such stability and predictability in superpower and alliance relations during the Cold War. As you proceed with your analysis, make sure that explicit references are made to specific events. To conclude, introduce briefly your views on the conditions of post-Cold War stability.

4. "I am probably the first president who is young enough that the Vietnam War was not at the core of my development," reportedly said Barack Obama when reviewing his decisions concerning the war in Afghanistan. "I grew up with none of the baggage that arose out of the dispute over Vietnam.... So a lot of the policy frames through which these debates are being viewed don't really concern me." Explain and discuss the nature of the "Vietnam baggage" and explain the "policy frame" such baggage imposed on policymakers for the balance of the Cold War. Did those have an impact at all, and if so how do you assess that impact. Conclude with a brief discussion of President Obama's disclaimer about his own sensitivity to Vietnam and its legacies on specific issues he now faces.

1. To what extent does world politics resemble a prisoner's dilemma game?

2. Of the three primary schools of IR theory--realism/neorealism; liberalism/neoliberalism; and constructivism--which one offers the best guide to understanding world politics? Why so?

Question1:
China maintains a fixed exchange rate of 6.5 Chinese yuan per U.S. dollar. A number of OECD nations claim the yuan is currently undervalued by 50% and this artificially low price of yuan has had adverse effects on the international economy. As a result, China has been under increasing pressure to abandon their fixed rate and allow the yuan to appreciate on the world market.

(a) Explain the potential benefits to China of maintaining a fixed exchange rate. What does this mean for other countries?

(b) How can the Chinese central bank hold the yuan/dollar exchange rate fixed? What does the central bank have to do in order to hold the exchange rate fixed?

(c) If China maintains a fixed exchange rate, what does this mean for fiscal and monetary policy?

(d) Using two separate IS/LM/FE graphs, show the effect of fiscal and monetary policy upon GDP, exchange rates, and the balance of trade.

Question 2:
Relative to the world market, the United States is a producer and importer of sugar.

(a) Using a demand-supply graph of the U.S. market for sugar, illustrate and explain the effects of an import tariff on U.S. sugar prices, levels of production and consumption, and domestic welfare.

(b) Some senators argue that free trade is harmful to the United States and the use of protectionist trade policies (such as sugar tariffs) is the best way to protect domestic sugar producers from foreign competition. Is this argument economically valid?

(c) Would the use of protectionist trade policies be justified if they were implemented to reduce the level of unemployment? Explain.

1. Modernization theorists and dependency theorists offer vastly different explanations for conditions in developing countries. Discuss (a) the points of agreement and divergence between dependency and modernization theories; and (b) what role each theory attributes to international organizations. Support your response by drawing upon the experience of a country or region that you know well.
2. Hegemonic Stability theorists argue that only a hegemon can provide the various public goods that are the foundation of an open international economic order-a convertible currency, enforceable tariff limits, and liquidity during global financial crises. Is hegemony necessary for global free trade? Would declining hegemony likely result in greater protectionism?
3. During the recent past, most countries in the developing world have adopted neo-liberal, market-oriented economic reforms. Describe these reforms in detail. What explains this convergence in policy reform? What are the differential impacts of such reforms on domestic groups?
4. Although Realism is a theoretical approach more typically applied to security affairs, its proponents claim that it is equally useful in explaining global political economy. Evaluate the extent to which Realism represents an effective theoretical construct for understanding the contemporary global political economy.
5. International economic institutions are continually gaining power and authority at the expense of national and local governments. Describe how the increased power and authority of international economic institutions both enhances and impedes the prospects for genuine democracy in the world. Be sure to provide evidence to support your position.
6. When first introduced, Dependency Theory challenged traditional approaches to the study of development and developing countries. Today, however, many critics charge that Dependency Theory is out of date and fails to effectively explain contemporary economic and social conditions in the developing world. Do you agree or disagree with this critique? Explain. Be sure to support your position by drawing upon the experience of a country or region in the developing world which you know well.
7. The expansion of free trade and the movement of people and ideas around the globe has been a hallmark of the liberal agenda for international relations. yet, globalization has generated significant and vocal opposition. Please assess the liberal and anti-globalization positions with regard to one of the following issues:

1. Does economic integration make the state stronger or weaker?
2. Define globalization. What are the most significant indicators or measures of globalization? In what ways does globalization impact the sovereignty of nation states?
3. Modernization and dependency theories have long been the major paradigms for explaining conditions in the developing world. Describe and critique these theories. Be sure to outline the major strengths and weaknesses of each perspective.
4. It is frequently argued that we are living in an era of globalization. Define globalization. Is the contemporary era fundamentally distinct or unique from previous periods? Explain. Do you feel the process of globalization contributes to the intensification or amelioration of inequalities between and within countries? Explain.
5. Prepare an essay describing the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement. "Grand theoretical approaches to the study of development (e.g. Modernization and Dependency theories) are of little use for understanding contemporary socio-economic conditions in the developing world. Scholars should proceed with more historically-specific and context-specific studies."
6. Prepare an essay describing the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement. "The contemporary era of globalization calls into question the dominant theoretical approach (e.g., realism) to the study of international relations."
7. Prepare an essay describing the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement. "Grand theoretical approaches to the study of development (e.g., modernization and dependency) are of little use for understanding contemporary socio-economic conditions in the Global South. Scholars should proceed with more historically-specific and context-specific studies."
8. There is little consensus regarding the relationship between globalization and democracy. Some scholars contend globalization increases the prospects for extending and strengthening democracy in the world while others suggest globalization undermines democracy. Describe and evaluate the arguments presented on both sides of this debate. Which argument is stronger?
9. Prepare an essay describing the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement. "Past theories of development have been far too narrow. To fully understand and appreciate the complexities of the development process we should adopt an eclectic approach which incorporates elements from various theoretical perspectives."
10. The appropriate mix between the roles of the state and the market is one critical area of controversy surrounding democracy. Some argue that democracy requires a free market economic system with minimal state intervention in economic activity. Others argue that democracy requires at least a mixed economy. Given this controversy, write an essay explaining how economic liberalization that has unfolded since the early 1980s has impacted the scope of democracy.
11. There are claims that globalization has significantly altered development theory. Supporting your arguments with evidence from a country or a region of your choice, explain why you agree or disagree with this contention.
12. It is frequently argued that we are living in an era of globalization. Define globalization. Is the contemporary era fundamentally distinct or unique from previous periods? Explain. Do you feel the process of globalization contributes to the intensification or amelioration of inequalities between and within countries? Explain.
13. How has the idea or definition of "development" evolved over time? Drawing upon the experience of a region in the developing world which you know best, outline the role which the state (government) and civil society (non-governmental organizations) have played in either promoting or impeding "development".

1. Based on your research and writing over the course of your program, how has scholarship in Security Studies evolved? Specifically, what are scholars trying to explain? Are new schools of thought gaining ground? Choose scholarly works/arguments you have studied to illustrate your own argument.

2. How do nuclear weapons 'fit' into the 20th century security environment? What are the implications of this 'fit' for the future of deterrence and non-proliferation? And, how should policy-makers take account of these implications when dealing with state and non-state actors?

1. Both Rational-Choice and Political Culture theories are considered prominent approaches in comparative sociopolitical studies. What are the major differences between these two approaches in terms of their intellectual geneses, theoretical assumptions, and major arguments (or hypotheses)? What criticism has each of these approaches drawn? What comments do you have on the criticism?
2. Both the former USSR (now Russia) and China introduced socioeconomic reforms during the 1980s. Describe major differences between the two countries in their reform strategies and results. Then, explain sociopolitical factors causing such differences.
3. Both Rational-Choice and Political-Culture theories are considered prominent approaches in comparative sociopolitical studies. Which of these approaches is more likely to be useful for policy makers thinking about democracy and democratization?
4. The following three analytical themes have been frequently tackled in comparative sociopolitical studies. Select one of them and explain and comment on what you see as the most effective theoretical approach to it.

1. Explain the social construction of culture(s) and its significance to current political economic realities.
2. Cite a case study of a post-colonial critique of nationalism. Explain the role of the imperial power and how that is legitimized or not.
3. How is the concept of "nation" constructed in Modernity? How is this construction relevant to issues in international studies? Cite case studies where appropriate.
4. Explain how cultural studies theories are important to the study and practice of international relations.
5. Explain the importance of the media in the construction or reflection of the identity of immigrant, multicultural or diaspora communities.

1. To what extent have the sources of power changed in world politics over time?
2. The director of the US National Security Council recently said that America has never faced a greater array of threats than it faces today. Do you agree?
3. Debate exists on the extent to which interdependence, globalization and transnationalism have transformed international relations. What is your view?
4. To what extent have the sources and nature of power changed in world politics over time?
5. Based on your studies in the TIP track, what are the global forces that threaten global security and what are the global forces that enhance security? Which forces are now stronger?