U.S. Foreign Policy

Spring 2011 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 case studies, mostly in Latin America, Asia and Africa in different administrations since World War II. 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. 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.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

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

      1) On January 25 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 comparing U.S. policy toward two countries. 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. 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 10. This paper will constitute thirty percent of your grade.

      3) 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 and the decision studied should not involve either of the countries compared in the first paper. 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 April 21 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 13 (Seniors: the final paper is due May 5).

      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

The following required books have been ordered for sale at the Huntley Book Store:

Allison, G., Essence of Decision 2nd edition.
Stephen Kinzer, Overthrow.
LaFeber, W., The American Age vol. 2.
Wittkopf, E.R. and Christopher M. Jones, with C.W. Kegley, American Foreign Policy: Pattern and Process, 7th ed.
Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA.

Useful Internet Links

You may also find my personal bibliography useful. It is very much a work in progress but you will find a number or references for specific countries useful in researching your papers.

Readings

Jan 18: Orientation

Jan 20: LaFeber, W., "Turning Point: The Years of McKinley (1896-1900)," in

The American Age, pp. 193-227.

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

Stephen Kinzer, "Introduction," Overthrow, pp. 1-6.

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

Jan 25: 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.

Jan 27: LaFeber, W., "The Rise and Fall of the American Structure for World Order

(1920-1933)," in The American Age, pp. 334-363.

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

Feb  1: LaFeber, W., "World War II: The Rise and Fall of the Grand Alliance (1941-1945)," in

The American Age, pp. 413-451.

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

Feb  3: Wittkopf, E.R., C.M. Jones, and C.W. Kegley, American Foreign Policy, pp. 3-15, 17-25,

29-72.

Feb 8: LaFeber, W., "The Cold War, or the Renewal of U.S.-Russian Rivalry (1945-1949)," in

The American Age, pp. 457-494.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.M. Jones, and C.W. Kegley, American Foreign Policy, pp. 75-104.

Feb 10: LaFeber, W., "The Big Turn: The Era of the Korean War (1949-1952)," in

The American Age, pp. 502-531.

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

Feb 15: Stephen Kinzer, "Get Rid of This Stinker," Overthrow, pp. 129-147.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.M. Jones, and C.W. Kegley, American Foreign Policy, pp. 107-139.

Morley, M.H., Imperial State and Revolutions: The United States and Cuba, 1952-1986, pp. 1-39. (on reserve)

Feb 17: LaFeber, W., "The Era of Eisenhower: The Good Old Days (1953-1960), in

The American Age, pp. 536-573.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.M. Jones, and C.W. Kegley, American Foreign Policy,, pp. 327-363.

Feb 22: LaFeber, W., "JFK and LBJ: From the New Frontier through the Great

Society to Vietnam (1961-1969)," The American Age, pp. 580-625.

Wittkopf, E.R., C.M. Jones, and C.W. Kegley, American Foreign Policy, pp. 367-409.

Feb 24: Wittkopf, E.R., C.M. Jones, and C.W. Kegley, American Foreign Policy,

413-449, 455-486.

Mar  1: Allison, G., The Essence of Decision, pp. 1-11, 13-54, 77-129.

Mar  3 Allison, G., The Essence of Decision, pp. 143-185, 197-242.

Mar  8 Allison, G., The Essence of Decision, pp. 255-313, 325-366, 379-405.

Mar 10: Janis, I., "The Cuban Missile Crisis," in Groupthink, pp. 132-158.

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

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

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

Mar 22: Stephen Kinzer, "Not the Preferred Way to Commit Suicide," Overthrow, pp. 148-169.

LaFeber, W., "Coming to Terms with History: The Nixon-Kissinger Years (1969-1976)," The American Age, pp. 633-674.

Mar 24: Stephen Kinzer, "We're Going to Smash Him," Overthrow, pp. 170-194.

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

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

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

Wittkopf, E.R., C.M. Jones, and C.W. Kegley, American Foreign Policy, pp. 145-174.

Mar 31: LaFebre, W., "New World Order to World Disorder: Bush and Clinton (1989-1993),"

The American Age, pp. 745-779.

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

Wittkopf, E.R., C.M. Jones, and C.W. Kegley, American Foreign Policy, pp. 175-194

Apr  5: Stephen Kinzer, "They Will Have Flies Walking Across Their Eyeballs,"

Overthrow, pp. 260-280.

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.

Rory Stewart, "Afghanistan: What Could Work," New York Review of Books, January 14, 2010, pp. 60-63.

Apr  7: Stephen Kinzer, "Thunder Run," Overthrow, pp. 281-299.

pp. 300-322.

Apr 12: Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, pp. 3-79.

Apr 14: Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, pp. 83-156.

Apr 19: Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, pp. 157-217.

Apr 21: Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, pp. 218-304.

Apr 26: Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, pp. 305-375.

Apr 28: Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, pp. 376-448.

May  3: Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, pp. 449-601