POLITICAL SCIENCE 321
American Foreign Policy
- Winter Quarter 2000
- M,W,F 10:30-11:20
Mueller Hall (MUE) Rm 153
- Professor Stephen Majeski
Gowen Hall 39
543-2399
majeski@u.washington.edu
office hours: M 1-2 and F 1-2 or by appointment
Course Webpage - http://faculty.washington.edu/majeski/321.2000
- Teaching Assistants: Chung Ku Kim and Michael Strausz
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- About the course: The purpose of this course is to
familiarize the student with the process of American Foreign
Policymaking so that she/he can critically evaluate current and
future foreign policy decisions. I take this to be an essential
aspect of being a "good citizen." In any event there
is much to be critical of historical and current U.S. foreign
policy. We will not criticize policy based upon what are claimed
to be or believed to be "good" or "right"
objectives and goals. That is a political and moral decision
which each of us must make on our own. Rather, we will analyze
and evaluate, attempt to understand, and criticize foreign policy
on its own terms. That is, given that policymakers perceived
the world in a particular fashion and that they have a set of
elaborated objectives, how and why did (do) they construct
and implement foreign policy.
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- Foreign policy decisions are the product of an historical
context (both individual and cultural), a complex bureaucratic
process, and an intertwined domestic and international political
and economic environment. In order to criticize, evaluate, and
understand those decisions and processes, it is essential to
examine all these components. We will try to do so all in the
space of one academic quarter. This requires making ruthless
choices. My choices unfold below. I apologize at the start for
leaving out an awful lot of worthwhile material.
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- Course requirements: There will be one midterm and
one final exam. The first exam will account for 30% of the final
course grade and the final exam will account for 40% of the final
course grade. The remaining 30% of the final course grade will
be based upon individual student contributions to discussions
held during the Tuesday -Thursday quiz sections (10%) and assignments
organized by the Teaching Assistants (20%). Teaching assistants
will discuss their assignments with you early in the quarter.
The discussion sessions have two purposes. The first is to elaborate
and/or clarify materials in the reading and the lectures. The
second is to provide a structured forum for discussion of current
U.S. foreign policy issues. Valued contributions to discussion
require being informed. I strongly urge that you read the New
York Times or come "comparable: sources on a daily basis.
Discount order forms for the New York Times will be distributed
in class. You can also view some of the New York Times
for "free" on the web at http://www.nytimes.com/
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- Required reading materials:
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- The following books have been ordered and are available at
the University bookstore.
- Stephen Ambrose, Rise to Globalism
L. Chang and P. Kornbluh, The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
P. Kornbluh and M, Byrne, The Iran-Contra Scandal: The Declassified
History
Additional readings will be available toward the end of the course
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- Course Assignment and Outline
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- Course Introduction 1/3
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- I. The Historical Context of American Foreign Policy;
"A Fast Tour of the Cold War Era"
- A. (1945-1950)
Constructing America's World: The Blueprint of Post World War
II U.S. Foreign Policy is
- Produced -- 1/5, 1/7, 1/10, 1/12
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- S. Ambrose, Rise to Globalism, pp.52-113.
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- B. (1950-1960) The Korean War and The "Masters
of the Universe" 1/14, (1/17 - holiday)
- S. Ambrose, Rise to Globalism, pp.114-170.
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- C. (1960-1980) - The Hegemon Stumbles and Things Fall
Apart 1/19, 1/21, 1/24, 1/26, 1/28
- S. Ambrose, Rise to Globalism, pp. 171-253, 281-302.
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- D. (1981-1988) Return of the Hegemon? 1/31, 2/2
- S. Ambrose, Rise to Globalism, pp. 303-351
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- Mid-Term Exam 2/4 Study
Questions
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- II. Understanding How Foreign Policy Decisions are Made
- Case 1
- "Good" Policymaking - The Cuban Missile Crisis
2/7, 2/9, 2/11, 2/14
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- L. Chang, and P. Kornbluh The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962,
pp. 1-7, 77-154, 197-232.
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- III. Understanding How Foreign Policy Decisions are Made
- Case 2
- "Poor" Policymaking? The Iran Contra Affair 2/16,
2/18, (2/21 - holiday) 2/23, 2/25
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- P. Kornbluh and M, Byrne, The Iran-Contra Scandal: The
Declassified History, pp. xv-xxxiii, 1-10, 59-65, 122-134,
186-192, 213-219, 243-253, 304-311.
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- IV. The End of the Cold War, The Gulf War, and Post Cold
War Foreign Policy 2/28, 3/1, 3/3, 3/6, 3/8
- S. Ambrose, Rise to Globalism, pp. 352-428.
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- These four readings can be found on electronic
reserve
- M. Lindeman and W. Rose The Role of the United States
in a Changing World, pp. 35-61.
- M. Mandelbaum, "Foreign Policy as Social Work,"
Foreign Affairs, 1996, pp. 16-32.
- J. Ikenberry, "The Myth of Post-Cold War Chaos,"
Foreign Affairs, 1996, 79-91.
- M. Danner, "Marooned in the Cold War," World
Policy Journal, 1997, 1-23.
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- V. Conclusion 3/10
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- FINAL EXAM - Monday March 13, 8:30-10:20 P.M.
Final Study Questions