This course introduces the field of international relations in a way that blends issues of theory and practice. It is designed to give students an understanding of those questions of international relations theory that have a direct bearing on the ability of policy practitioners to accomplish their mission. The issues of war and peace will be examined in relation to the international system, the problem of sovereignty, and alternative concepts of world order, including the balance of power and the need to create new political forms. The course will then introduce the various methods of statecraft that are available to policymakers and examine how they have been used successfully in the pursuit of national interests and purposes. These include the instruments of power, such as: military power; economic strategy; intelligence; the use of information, disinformation, and propaganda; various types of diplomacy, political, moral, and psychological influence; and other instruments of “soft power.”