Understanding and Applying Theoretical Lenses—Rubric

A well-written essay will:

 Briefly describe the example from historical or contemporary international politics.

 Accurately describe the main contentions and assumptions of the four theories of
international relations that were addressed in class: realism, liberalism,
constructivism, and Marxism.
 Describe key concepts associated with each theory (e.g., realism and the
security dilemma, liberalism and collective security, etc.) and how they apply to
the example.
 Specifically address the assumptions of the theory and what elements it
highlights about the example, as well as what it might exclude.
 Assess how well each theory explains the example, and how each theory’s
explanation resembles or differs from the others.
 Conclude by generally assessing how these theories complement each other, as
well as differ from one another.

Saylor URL: www.saylor.org/polsc211 Unit 2 Assessment Rubric

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