In 2013 this subject replaced by 101973 - Australian Politics. This subject provides an introduction to Australian Politics. It outlines the central features of the federal political system with attention to both historical background and current debates. In addition to study of the institutional frameworks (the Constitution, parliament, political parties and so on), the subject examines the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion that have shaped Australian politics. It explores what it has meant in the past, what it means in the future, for Australians to live together as members of a political community.

In 2022, this subject is replaced by POLI 1007 World Politics and International Relations. This is a foundation subject for the major in International Relations and Asian Studies. As such, this subject will introduce students to key topics and debates in the field of International Relations (IR). The subject will familiarise students with leading IR theories and their explanation of political events, phenomena, and processes which cross the territorial boundaries of the state. Students will be exposed to the interplay between power, interest, ideas, identity, and resistance, in explaining continuity and change in international relations. The subject is designed to provide students with the analytical tools and intellectual frameworks needed to understand the behaviour of different international actors in contemporary global affairs.

In Term 3, 2022 this subject replaced by POLI 1008 - World Politics and International Relations (WSTC). This subject will introduce students to key topics and debates in the field of International Relations (IR). The subject will familiarise students with leading IR theories and their explanation of political events, phenomena, and processes which cross the territorial boundaries of the state. Students will be exposed to the interplay between power, interest, ideas, identity, and resistance, in explaining continuity and change in international relations. The unit is designed to provide students with the analytical tools and intellectual frameworks needed to understand the behaviour of different international actors in contemporary global affairs.

This subject is an introduction to the key topics and debates that make up contemporary world politics and international relations. The subject will address the major historical developments, key issues and the various actors and institutions that make up world politics. Students will be introduced to some of the principal international relations theories that will provide them with the tools to investigate specific challenges confronting states, citizens, and non-state actors in our increasingly interconnected world. Issues of war and peace, state sovereignty, globalisation, global inequality, humanitarian intervention and human security will be addressed.

This subject is an introduction to the key topics and debates that make up contemporary world politics and international relations. The subject will address the major historical developments, key issues and the various actors and institutions that make up world politics. Students will be introduced to some of the principal international relations theories that will provide them with the tools to investigate specific challenges confronting states, citizens, and non-state actors in our increasingly interconnected world. Issues of war and peace, state sovereignty, globalisation, global inequality, humanitarian intervention and human security will be addressed.

In 2024, this subject is replaced by POLI 2008 - Transnational Diplomacy. In this subject students will become familiar with Australian diplomacy and appreciate the range of pressing historical, political and cultural issues that affect Australia's place in the Asia Pacific region. It explores the factors that have shaped Australia's relationships with key countries in the region and considers the vital impact of political actors and their ideological stances. In developing a depth of knowledge on the importance of Australia's regional policies, this subject provides students with the opportunity to be involved in a simulation task dealing with a 'hot topic' for Australia's relations within the Asia Pacific region.

In an interconnected, globalised and complex world, diplomatic dialogue on multiple levels has become increasingly important for peaceful relations. This subject provides an introduction to the important and prestigious arena of diplomatic practice for students interested in an international career. Transnational diplomacy takes into consideration the perspective of multiple international actors in dealing with contemporary challenges including states, international organisations, and non-state actors. In considering multi-track diplomacy in the context of contemporary bilateral, regional, and multilateral relations, you will have the opportunity to engage with senior diplomats from Australia and elsewhere. Students will participate in a simulated soft power diplomacy campaign built upon the rich cultural diversity and international connections unique to Western Sydney, equipping you with real-world skills to effectively represent your country or organisation at an international level.

This subject is designed for students interested in the politics, processes and ethics of social change. It covers the topics of Internet activism, NGO politics and ethics, identity politics, legal lobbying, revolutions and regime changes, and the role of art in consciousness raising. We will explore the efficacy of different social change strategies, the ethics of various modes of activism, the role that national and transnational politics plays in campaigning, the importance of identity for engagement with social change processes, and the ideologies informing theories of change.

This subject will analyse both the major international issues and crises which America confronted after 1945 and how successive American presidents and their policy makers responded to these problems

This subject is concerned with the theory and practice of democracy in modern and contemporary history of Asia. It explores a range of issues relating to liberalism, human rights, political reform and democratization. It seeks to explain the differences in the ways in which democracy has been conceived, understood and practiced in different cultures and societies. It also examines the East-West debate on "Asian values" and the suitability of Western-style democracy to Asia. Finally, it discusses the prospects for democracy in Asia.

This subject addresses the competing concepts inherent in global governance through an examination of the existing international society of states whose principle is based on respect for state sovereignty. It also addresses the complex process of global governance in which states, non-governmental organisations, multinational corporations, and intergovernmental organisations participate and pursue their goals. It will specifically look at the complex role of the United Nations, the United Nations Security Council, and the role of international organisations aimed at addressing issues, such as security, human rights, humanitarian intervention, trade, the environment, health, migration, and labour rights.

This subject focuses on the key international relations issues and challenges facing the Southeast Asian region in the 21st century. Commencing with the historical issues that have shaped the nations of Southeast Asia it will then consider the issues, such as the war on terrorism; the economic demands of globalism; maritime security; and social and political demands centred around issues such as democracy, human rights, the environment, and transnational crime. Finally, it will consider the shifting power structure within the Asian region and whether this will result in Southeast Asia gaining genuine autonomy and the impact this has on regionalism.

This subject provides students with opportunities outside the usual classroom experience. It is designed particularly for students who (1) enrol in short-course study tours, and/or (2) who take a placement within an international workplace. Several Western Sydney University partner institutions (e.g., the University of Seoul) run annual short-course study programs. With regard to placements (internships), students must seek a placement that connects directly with their areas of study.

Popular representations of world politics shape our collective understanding of political history and international relations. This subject examines the ways in which film can communicate political messages to its audience, as well as the far more difficult issue of the effects that those messages might have on viewers. Although the discipline of International Relations (IR) has overwhelmingly ignored popular culture, it is the argument of this subject that popular culture actually provides us with a wealth of significant representations of world politics.

The subject studies the post-war Japanese political experience: a vanquished country transformed into an economic super power with a 'peace' constitution and now in relative decline. In particular the subject will examine the impact of the dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party on domestic politics and the intersection between domestic political developments and security and foreign policy matters.

What is civilisation? What are civilisations? What does it mean to be civilised? What does it mean to be uncivilised, barbaric or savage? These are some of the key questions explored in this unit. We will investigate the normative demands of civilisation, from 16th Century European colonial 'civilising missions' to the 21st Century global war on terror. We will explore the history of relations between civilisations in light of the 'clash of civilisations' thesis, including relations between the Western and Islamic worlds. We will discover the power of ideas and the influence they can have on real world policy-making.

This subject examines problems and issues in international politics. In particular the subject critically assesses the major theoretical paradigms associated with attempts to explain international behaviour of key individuals, nations and the international system. Major issues and key problems in world affairs since the end of World War Two (such as justice and equality, human rights and terrorism) are examined.

Successful development requires the provision of security. As a corollary, lack of development can breed insecurity and violence. The overall nexus between development and security is not only about a country's domestic affairs; it concerns the global community. Amid the increasing pace of globalisation, global inequalities both within and between countries have increased, which have been complicated by competitions between groups, actors and countries. These may pose development and security challenges at national and global scales. This subject will concentrate on three key aspects. First, it will interrogate the complex relationship between development and security from interdisciplinary perspectives. Second, this subject will examine the development roots of insecurity focusing on social and economic structures and key issues in development and security from local and global perspectives as well as from micro and macro outlooks. Third, relevant case studies will be embedded throughout the subject contents to enhance students' analytical skills and practical orientation on the field of development and security.

The focus of study in this subject is on policy-making and implementation and the place of theory and research in policy formation. In the first part of the subject students explore the nature of public policy - addressing constructs of policy and policy-making and approaches to analysing public policy. The political and social practices of policy-making and implementation in Australia are contextualised and examined at the local, national and global levels. The second part of the subject takes examples of policy-making in the field of social sciences and examines the role of theory and research in the problematisation of issues and identification of solutions. The identification of competing interests, relations of power and key players in understanding, analysing and responding to policy and its outcomes will be undertaken.