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One of them, Nau, author of Perspectives on International Relations: Power, Institutions, and Ideas, is professor of political science and international affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and a former staffer in the National Security Council under Ronald Reagan. He's generally known to be conservative, and that's a good thing, he suggests, in an academic world that's reckoned to be extremely liberal. "I think it's terribly important for us to have a balance in our debate across America as well as in academia," he says. "We should be very wary of situations where we have a predominant majority...It's important to celebrate factions and parties, because if you have competing parties then you can be sure that you're always going to be seeing problems from different points of view—and maybe you won't miss anything." Before the sixth and latest edition of his CQ Press book went to press, Nau managed to cover the fi rst few months of the Trump administration in his text. He noted the generally poor reception Trump received in mainstream news outlets. "He's had a really hard course so far," Nau said at the time. "A lot Henry R. Nau has succinct advice for those who like novels: "You've got to study international relations. It's the most interesting novel you can think of. It has every element of what we like in novels—romance, tragedy, death, inspiration, success, failure." Since the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president, much of the world has been glued to hourly updates on his administration's actions, much of the time centered on his, and his team's, interactions with the rest of the world. Almost daily it's described as surpassing any fi ctional presidency in drama and plot twists. So how do you teach something that defi es past expectations? And which polarizes many people? We looked at the authors of two trusted CQ Press texts on international relations to get a handle on that. of immediate opposition and no real honeymoon." Despite that, the author placed Trump—and his "America fi rst" rhetoric—not in some extreme corner but squarely within the minimalist realist camp of international relations theorists. And while he says you can't persuade other powers solely with your arguments (which might describe Barack Obama's approach), you still "have to bring people, and the world with you" (which might not describe Trump's approach). I think it's terribly important for us to have a balance in our debate across America as well as in academia. Teaching International Relations in the Trump Era Best-Selling Authors James M. Scott and Henry R. Nau Talk about the Opportunities and Challenges of Teaching IR in Today's Political Landscape International Relations 4

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