Caveat Academy course · Grades 9 to 12

International Relations

How countries deal with each other in a world with no government above them: sovereignty and power, realism, liberalism and constructivism, why wars start and how deterrence works, the United Nations, international law and alliances, trade, finance and sanctions, human rights, climate and the craft of negotiation. You test each theory on real cases, at your own pace, with a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: The international system

    Explain sovereignty, anarchy and the actors of the international system, and analyze events at the individual, state and system levels.

    • Sovereign states and anarchy
    • Levels of analysis
    • Power and how it is measured
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Theories of international relations

    Compare realism, liberalism and constructivism and apply each to explain a historical event, including through simple game models.

    • Realism
    • Liberalism
    • Constructivism and other perspectives
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: War, deterrence and security

    Analyze the causes of war with bargaining theory and evaluate deterrence, arms control and humanitarian intervention.

    • Why wars happen
    • Deterrence and nuclear weapons
    • Civil wars, terrorism and intervention
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Institutions, law and alliances

    Explain how the United Nations, international law, courts and alliances work, and predict Security Council outcomes from vote counts.

    • The United Nations
    • International law and courts
    • Alliances and regional organizations
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: The global economy and politics

    Compute comparative advantage and exchange-rate effects and evaluate trade policy, international finance and sanctions.

    • Trade and comparative advantage
    • Money, finance and development
    • Sanctions and economic statecraft
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Global issues and diplomacy

    Evaluate cooperation on human rights, climate and health, and design a negotiation strategy using interests and alternatives.

    • Human rights
    • Climate, health and the global commons
    • Diplomacy and negotiation
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 2 · Realism

Worked example: an arms race as a prisoner's dilemma

  1. Two states choose to arm or not. Scores out of 4, higher is better for that state.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in international relations: you can explain sovereignty, anarchy and the actors in world politics, analyze an event at the individual, state and system levels, compare realism, liberalism and constructivism and model an arms race as a prisoner's dilemma, find the bargaining range that should prevent a war and the obstacles that block it, judge whether a deterrent threat is credible, predict a Security Council vote, tell the International Court of Justice from the International Criminal Court, compute comparative advantage and exchange-rate effects, weigh when sanctions work and plan a negotiation from interests and alternatives. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 9 to 12 taking or preparing for world history, government, global studies or an international relations elective, Model United Nations and debate students, and homeschool families who want a complete course on world politics. It explains theories and cases and presents debates about current issues without endorsing any government or policy.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. United Nations, the UN Charter and how the Security Council and General Assembly work: un.org
  2. International Court of Justice: icj-cij.org; International Criminal Court: icc-cpi.int
  3. Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State, documents and essays on the Cuban Missile Crisis, Camp David and arms control: history.state.gov
  4. World Trade Organization, understanding the WTO: wto.org; International Monetary Fund: imf.org
  5. UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement: unfccc.int
  6. Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Universal Declaration and core treaties: ohchr.org

International Relations is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. Memberships and agreements change; the lessons give the year for facts that may shift, and game scores and other numbers marked as examples are for practice only. Quotations are paraphrased unless marked. It does not replace a school course and awards no credit. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.