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PSC 303: International Relations TimeTable

By Prof. Jeremy Lewis, Revised 5 Jan. 2009 with new dates and reduced readings.
Audiovisual materials will only be used where time and equipment permit.
No classes, Spring 2009: M 19 Jan (MLK); F 30 Jan., F 13 Feb., F 27Feb., F 13 Mar., F 10 Apr. (Good Friday)
Week: [01] [02] [03] [04] [05] [06] [Test] [07] [08] [09] [10] [11] [12] [13] 14]  [Final]
Week Author Chapter: Topic Speakers
Part 1: US Foreign Policy.
Week 1
13, 15 Jan
McCormick		 Introduction to the course
Development of US Foreign Policy:
1: US tradition
2: US global involvement [4/e notes]
  • What are the US traditions and values in foreign policy?
  • How and when did the US rise to global leadership?
    		•
    Week 2
    20, 22 Jan    		 3: Cold War Consensus & Challenges.
  • What were the elements of the cold war consensus among US policymakers?
  • In what periods have US leaders contested US foreign policy?
  • What caused the end of the cold war consensus?
    		•

    McCormick    		 Presidential Doctrines:
    4: American Foreign Policy After Vietnam: From Realism to Idealism and back Again. [New 4/e]
  • PBS: Nixon's China Game; film.
  • Which presidents have been more realistic and which more idealistic in foreign policy?
    		•
    -
    Event/TV President's Inaugural Message, 20 Jan '09, TV
  • Does the US president have a coherent foreign policy doctrine?
  • What new foreign policy initiatives emerged from the speech?
    		•
    Week 3
    27, 29 Jan
    McCormick    		 Civilian institutions:
    5: Foreign Policy After the Cold War: Bush & Clinton. [New 4/e]
    Recommended: CNN: Cold War, TV series.
    6: Before and After Sep. 11: George W. Bush. [New 4/e]
    7: President & making of Foreign Policy; 
  • How has the US struggled to find a world role since the Vietnam war?
  • Have US presidents taken a stronger role in foreign policy leadership in the post cold war world?
  • Contrast the diplomatic successes of Bush (41) and Clinton with the unilateralism of Bush (43).
  • Was W. Bush (43) a different president before and after the 9/11/01 attacks?
  • Compare the enumerated & inherent presidential authority in foreign affairs.
    		•
    -
    - 
    Event/TV President's State of the Union Message, late Jan or early Feb., TV
  • Does the US president have a coherent foreign policy doctrine?
  • What new foreign policy initiatives emerged from the speech?
    		•
    Week 4
    3, 5 Feb    		 8: Congressional Prerogatives; 
    9: Diplomatic & Economic Bureaucracies: Duplication or Specialization?
    Article, Gingrich Criticizes State Dept, & Response. 
  • In what ways can the congress compete with the president in setting foreign policy?
  • Do the many rival diplomatic and economic bureaucracies make foreign policy more complex or more effective?
    		•  -
    -
    T 3 Feb 2009 Event
  • AL World Affairs Council speaker event, Brett Stephens on Israel.  www.AWAC.US
    		•  -
    Week 5
    10, 12 Feb
    McCormick    		 Military institutions:
    10: Military & Intelligence Bureaucracies: Pervasive or Accountable?
    Video "One Minute to Midnight" on Cuban missile crisis.
    Informal Institutions:
    11: Political Parties, Bipartisanship & Interest Groups
    12: Media, Public opinion & Process.
  • Do the military and intelligence bureaucracies dominate foreign policy?
  • Can the military and intelligence bureaucracies be consolidated under one command?
  • Can the intelligence community be held accountable without comppromising national security secrecy?
  • How close did the world come to nuclear war in the cuban missile crisis?
  • Do the media, parties and interest groups have much effect on foreign policy?
  • Is the public too ignorant to affect foreign policy?
    		•
    -
    -
    -
    -
    Week 6
    17, 19 Feb
    McCormick    		 Current US Policy:
    13: American Foreign Policy Values & Future.     		 -
    -
    HC Justice
    Reader
    (Reserve)    		 Issues of democracy, moderation and multilateralism:
    Thucydides, Pelopponesian Wars: [Maps] [Guide] [Local] www.Perseus.Tufts.edu:
  • "Pericles' Funeral Oration," (ca. 430 BC) [Text, Perseus Project] 
  • "Mytilene Debate" (ca. 428 BC) [Text] 
  • "Melian Dialogue" (c.416 BC). [Text] Speeches of Cleon & Diodotus
  • How will American values guide foreign policy over the next few decades?
  • Will the US remain a superpower for a further generation?
  • What can Thucydides tell us about the universal difficulties of relations among nations?
  • Do democracies initiate wars?  Does the current president have much in common with Pericles?
  • In foreign relations, does might make right -- or is there some room for morality?
  • What arguments can be advanced by war hawks and peace doves in a crisis?
  • Is realism or idealism exemplified by ancient greek diplomacy?
    		•  -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    HC Justice
    Reader
    (Reserve)
  • Clausewitz, "Limited Aims" from chapters 5 & 6 of On War. (1832). [+]
  • Guest Essay on Just War by Lt. Col. Wray Johnson, PhD. [+]

    • PBS video, Ambush in Mogadishu [1993]
  • Should wars be conducted only where tied to political ends?
  • How can wars, which cause destruction, be said to be rational?
  • Is there such a thing as a just war?
  • How can wars be conducted justly, if at all?
  • How has the theory of justice in war developed over the centuries?
  • When is it justified to use heavy firepower in a heavily populated area?
    		•  -
    -
    -
    Tu 24 Feb. '09 TEST Covers all the above.  May include multiple choice, identifications and essay questions + maps.
    Part 2: Theories of Global Politics.
    Week 7
    24, 26 Feb.    		 Rourke 

    web    		 I: Approaches to World Politics
    1: Thinking & Caring about world politics
    2: Evolution of world politics
  • How can one approach the study of world politics?
  • Why should one care about world politics?
  • How has global politics developed over the centuries?
    		•
    Week 8
    3, 5 Mar    		 Rourke 3: Levels of Analysis [New to 10/e]
  • Which of these approaches to studying the world is more effective?
  • What ways might be found to prevent war in the long run?
  • Do we usually place too much emphasis on the actions of states, and not enough on understanding the nature of the system or of mankind?
    		•  -
    -
    Week 9
    10, 12 Mar    		 Rourke II: Divergent Political Orientations
    4: Nationalism Tradition [Was Ch.6 -- now all Chap.#  are reduced by 2]
    5: Globalization & Transnationalism alternative
    III: Divergent Organizational Structures
    6: National States Traditional Structure
    7: International Organization alternative
  • Is the behavior of nation states the main cause of war and of peace?
  • Can a new world order be achieved via global and transnational organizations?
  • How do national and international organizations actually function -- and how do they contrast?
    		•  -
    -
    -
    -
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    T 10 Mar. Event Dr. Brian Latell, (CIA, retired) speaks on Cuba at AWAC.
    Week 10
    17, 19 Mar
    Curtis v.1
    Rourke    		 Might versus Right:
    Hugo Grotius, classic author on the just war.
    IV: Divergent Approaches to Conduct
    8: National Power and Diplomacy Tradition
    9: International Law & Morality alternative
  • What are, or should be, the rules of behavior among nation states?
  • Can treaties and common law bind nation states into civilized behavior?
  • How do power and diplomacy reinforce -- or contradict -- each other?
  • Can international law ever replace a balance of power in constraining nation states?
    		•  -
    -
    -
    -
    -
    23- 27  Mar Spring Break: 
    Week 11
    31 Mar, 2 Apr
    Rourke    		 Peace & Prosperity:
    V: Pursuing Peace
    10: National Security Tradition
    11: International Security Alternative
    VI: Pursuing Prosperity
    12: International Economy Global Road Map [New 10/e]
  • How can security be achieved by states pursuing defense and alliances?
  • Can cooperative action among states produce a world peace?
  • With the decline in the cost of transport and communications, can global trade transform relations among states?
    		•
    Week 12
    7, 9 Apr    		 Rourke 13: National Competition Tradition
    14: International Economic Cooperation Alternative
    Preservation:
    VII: Pursuing Preservation
    15: Preserving Human Rights
    16: Preserving the Global Commons
  • Is economic competition or cooperation the key to development?
  • Without a world government, how can human rights be upheld?
  • Can we create a global civil society in the absence of a world government?
    		•
    Part 3: Contemporary Issues and Theories.
    Research Paper with Bibliography Due 7pm, Sun 12 Apr.
    Week 13
    14, 16 Apr
    Web pages

     

    		 Jeremy Lewis, Montgomery Advertiser, 3 articles on war with Iraq, 2003-04:
  • "War on Iraq tests faith in leaders " 16 Apr '03 
  • "Blair takes a larger risk than Bush ..." 18 Apr '03 
  • "Bush thrives on war" 19 Apr '03 

    • JRT Lewis, For the Record, on War with Iraq, APTV, 29 Dec. '04.
  • Is there a justification for war with Iraq?
  • What are the domestic risks of war for Blair and W. Bush?
  • What is the strategy behind a war of transformation?
  • How well is the war with Iraq being implemented? 
  • How long should the US military garrison be maintained?
  • How can President Obama extricate the US from his predecessor's war?
    		•
    FPA, Great 
    Decisions
    selections    		 Great Decisions in Foreign Policy, 2009, topics for discussion: NEW
    1. 
    Week 14
    21, 23 Apr    		 FPA, Great 
    Decisions
    selections    		 Great Decisions in Foreign Policy, 2009, topics for discussion: NEW
    1. 
    FINAL Comprehensive Examination, 1430, M 27 Apr.
    T 5 May '09 Event Four senior Air War College instructors report on their regional tours, at AWAC