U.S. Foreign Policy

Spring 2007 Requirements and Readings

Course Description

      This course is designed to examine U.S. foreign policy using a number of analytic models and theories of decision making including the rational actor approach, bureaucratic politics approach, autonomous state theories, domestic politics theories, imperialist state models, cognitive modeling, social-psychological models, and group and individual dynamic models. These approaches are applied to a series of Third World case studies in different administrations, different regions of the world, and in different historical eras, although the overwhelming emphasis is on post-World War II cases. The cases are drawn from crisis situations as well as routine decision making. Through these case studies the student not only will become familiar with the critical events in U.S. foreign policy that have influenced the way in which decision making has developed in the U.S. foreign policy establishment, but also the student will develop analytic frameworks that can be applied to other nations' foreign policy making. Towards the end of the semester we will also pay attention to the aftermath of U.S. policy decisions in the target countries. The course begins with an overview of the history of U.S. foreign policy focusing on the various doctrines which have defined U.S. policy. We then explore the various formal models of decision making, followed by a focus on particular case studies and issues such as terrorism.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

      Grades will be assigned on the basis of the following criteria:

      1) On January 23 you will each submit a statement of your goals for the course. This statement should be as specific and detailed as possible. Plan your method for meeting the responsibilities of this course, set weekly goals and time schedules, or whatever will help you to think about why you are taking this particular course and how it fits your over-all learning goals. Then, on the last day of class you will turn in a self-evaluation in which you will analyze how well you met your goals, how your goals changed, and what unforeseen goals emerged. You will then assign yourself an over-all grade based on your performance in this course. Your self-evaluation will constitute ten percent of the final grade.

      2) A twelve page (maximum) research paper dealing with any U.S. foreign policy decision since World War II other than a decision directly involving Western Euopean nations. In the paper you must apply at least two different analytic models to the problem you discuss. You must consult with me early and often on your choice of topics for the research paper and keep me up to date on your progress. You should be working on the paper from now until it is due on March 8. This paper will constitute thirty percent of your grade.

      3) A twelve page (maximum) research paper comparing U.S. policy toward two countries, neither of which can be the same as the country discussed in the first paper. The focus of the paper should be a particular aspect of U.S. policy such as trade policy, military intervention, economic sanctions, development aid, and so forth. The paper is due April 19 and will constitute thirty percent of your final grade.

      4) In lieu of a final exam, you will each write a critical review integrating the material from assigned readings into an overall assessment of of U.S. foreign policy. The critical review will constitute twenty percent of your final grade and is due during the scheduled final exam on May 8.

      6) Each week at the start of the Thursday class there will be a brief five question quiz covering reading for the week. All the quizzes will be averaged and will constitute 10 percent of your final grade.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Allison, G., Essence of Decision 2nd edition
Stephen Kinzer, Overthrow
LaFeber, W., The American Age 2nd edition
Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy, 6th ed.

      All the above are also available in the library if you want to avoid the cost of purchasing personal copies.

Useful Internet Links

Readings

Jan 16: Orientation

Jan 18: Stephen Kinzer, "Introduction," Overthrow, pp. 1-6.

LaFeber, W., "The Roots of American Foreign Policy (1492-1789)" in The American Age, pp. 5-35.

LaFeber, W., "A Second Struggle for Independence and Union (1789-1815)," in The American Age, pp. 40-67.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy, pp. 3-12.

Jan 23: LaFeber, W., "The First, the Last: John Quincy Adams and the Monroe Doctrine

(1815-1828)," in The American Age, pp. 71-91.

LaFeber, W., "The Amphibious Expansion of a Sixty-Five-Hundred-Thousand-Horsepower Steam Engine (1828-1850)," in The American Age, pp. 94-126.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy, pp. 14-21, 25-34.

Jan 25: LaFeber, W., "The Climax of Early U.S. Foreign Policy: The Civil War

(1850-1865)," in The American Age, pp. 130-153.

LaFeber, W., "Laying the Foundations for 'Superpowerdom' (1865-1896)," in The American Age, pp. 157-187.

Stephen Kinzer, "A Hell of a Time Up at the Palace," Overthrow, pp. 9-30.

Jan 30: LaFeber, W., "Turning Point: The Years of McKinley (1896-1900),"

in The American Age, pp. 193-227.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy, pp. 34-69.

Feb  1: Stephen Kinzer, "Bound for Goo-Goo Land," Overthrow, pp. 31-55.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy, pp. 73-106.

LaFeber, W., "The Search for Opportunity: Rough Riders and Dollar Diplomats (1901-1913)," in The American Age, pp. 232-265.

Feb  6: LaFeber, W., "Wilsonians, Revolutions, and War (1913-1917)," in

The American Age, pp. 269-297.

LaFeber, W., "Victors Without Peace (1917-1920), in The American Age, pp. 302-330.

Feb  8: Stephen Kinzer, "From a Whorehouse to a White House, Overthrow, pp. 56-77.

LaFeber, W., "The Rise and Fall of the American Structure for World Order (1920-1933)," in The American Age, pp. 335-363.

LaFeber, W., "FDR and the Entry into World War II (1933-1941)," in The American Age, pp. 369-406.

Feb 13: LaFeber, W., "World War II: The Rise and Fall of the Grand Alliance (1941-1945),"

in The American Age, pp. 413-451.

LaFeber, W., "The Cold War, or the Renewal of U.S.-Russian Rivalry (1945-1949)," in The American Age, pp. 457-494.

Feb 15: Stephen Kinzer, "A Break in the History of the World," Overthrow, pp. 78-108.

Allison, G., The Essence of Decision, pp. 1-11, 13-54.

Feb 20: Morley, M.H., Imperial State and Revolutions: The United States and Cuba, 1952-1986,

pp. 1-39. (on reserve)

Allison, G., The Essence of Decision, pp. 77-109, 109-129.

Feb 22: Stephen Kinzer, "Despotism and Godless Terrorism,"Overthrow, pp. 111-128.

LaFeber, W., "The Big Turn: The Era of the Korean War (1949-1952)," in The American Age, pp. 502-531.

LaFeber, W., "The Era of Eisenhower: The Good Old Days (1953-1960), in The American Age, pp. 536-573.

Feb 27: Allison, G., The Essence of Decision, pp. 143-185, 197-242.

Mar  1: Stephen Kinzer, "Get Rid of This Stinker," Overthrow, pp. 129-147.

Allison, G., The Essence of Decision, pp. 255-313.

Mar  6: Allison, G., The Essence of Decision, pp. 325-366, 379-405.

Mar  8: Stephen Kinzer, "Not the Preferred Way to Commit Suicide," Overthrow, pp.148-169.

Janis, I., "The Cuban Missile Crisis," in Groupthink, pp. 132-158.

Janis, I., "The Groupthink Syndrome," in Groupthink, pp. 174-197.

Mar 20: Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy,

pp. 359-400.

Janis, I., "Generalizations," in Groupthink, pp. 242-259.

Janis, I., "Preventing Groupthink," in Groupthink, pp. 260-276.

Mar 22: Stephen Kinzer, "We're Going to Smash Him," Overthrow, pp. 170-194.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy,, 447-481, 321-356.

Mar 27: Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy,, pp. 403-441.

LaFeber, W., "JFK and LBJ: From the New Frontier through the Great Society to Vietnam (1961-1969)," pp. 580-625.

Mar 29: Stephen Kinzer, "A Grave Yard Smell," Overthrow, pp. 195-216.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy, pp. 149-196.

Apr  3: LaFeber, W., "Coming to Terms with History: The Nixon-Kissinger Years

(1969-1976)," pp. 633-674.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy, pp. 241-275.

Apr  5: Stephen Kinzer, "Our Days of Weakness Are Over," Overthrow, pp. 219-238.

LaFebre, W., "Back to the Future: The Carter-Reagan Years (1977-1988)," pp. 680-737.

Apr 10: Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy, pp. 199-236,

278-316.

Apr 12: Stephen Kinzer, "You're No Good", Overthrow, pp. 239-259.

LaFebre, W., "New World Order to World Disorder: Bush and Clinton (1989-1993)," The American Age, pp. 745-779.

Apr 17: Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy,

pp. 485-512.

Apr 19: Stephen Kinzer, "They Will Have Flies Walking Across Their

Eyeballs, Overthrow, pp. 260-280."

Apr 24: Seymour Hersh, "The Other War: Why Bush's Afghanistan

problem won't go away," New Yorker, April 12, 2004.

Ahmed Rashid, "Afghanistan: On the Brink," New York Review of Books, June 22, 2006.

Apr 26: Stephen Kinzer, "Thunder Run," Overthrow, pp. 281-299.

May  1: Stephen Kinzer, "Catastrophic Success", Overthrow, pp. 300-322.

May  3: Wittkopf, E.R., C.W. Kegley, and J.M. Scott, American Foreign Policy,

pp. 517-545.