Pols 179
American Foreign Policy
Fall, 2003
Professor David Skidmore
Office: Meredith 213; Phone: 271-3843
e-mail: david.skidmore@drake.edu
Office hours by prior appointment
between the hours of:
MW 12:30pm-1:30pm; T 11am-2pm
Class meeting times: MW 11-12:15
Overview of Course:
This course will examine the current debate over Americaís proper role in the
world during a time of turmoil and change. In other words, we will explore why and
how various observers disagree over the proper definition of Americaís national interest
and what sort of grand strategy should guide Americaís pursuit of these interests.
These questions have become especially acute during the past two years following
the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. This period has witnessed
U.S. involvement in two wars (Afghanistan and Iraq) and a generalized campaign against
terrorism. U.S. responses have generated controversy at home and abroad. Debate has
focused on the nature of U.S. power (How great? How lasting? How will other states
respond?), assessments of the international environment (How threatening? How malleable?),
American purposes (What are U.S. aims? Are U.S. interests compatible with those of
other states?) and the terms of U.S. international engagement (Unilateralist or multilateralist?
What is the role of military force versus other instruments of influence?). The readings
we will examine reflect a variety of different points of view on these questions.
Some of the readings are academic in nature while others represent various forms
of policy advocacy. Hopefully, all will serve to stimulate thoughtful discussion
and debate among members of the class.
In-Class Discussion Groups:
We will, on occasion, break into small groups for discussion during class. Each
student will be assigned to a discussion group for this purpose. The discussion groups
will also serve as a forum for presenting and critiquing the policy briefs that each
student will prepare (see below).
Blackboard
We will use a blackboard site in conjunction with this course. To access the course
blackboard site, go to: bb2.drake.edu. Click the "Log In" button. Enter
your username (DUSIS ID #) and password (birthdate, e.g., mm/dd/yy). Click on "American
Foreign Policy" link. Try each of the links (or "buttons") along the
left side of the page. There is important information included under each.
Discussion Forums:
Students are expected to participate in discussion forums via the course blackboard
web site. The purposes of the discussion forums are: 1. to encourage deeper thought
about the readings, 2. to broaden the opportunities for participation, 3. to provide
an additional means for students to hone their writing skills, and 4. to enhance
the quality of in-class discussion.
For each group of assigned readings, there is a separate forum. For each discussion
forum, select a passage from one of the listed readings, copy the passage into your
post and comment on the passage in some way. For instance, you might express agreement
or disagreement, offer an example, compare with another reading, raise a question
for discussion or interpretation, probe underlying assumptions, examine policy implications,
etc. Alternately, you may respond to a comment previously posted by another student.
Posts need not be lengthy - one or two concise paragraphs are sufficient. Students
are expected to read all comments posted by their classmates.
Students who post at least 15 times during the term will be guaranteed a B on this
portion of their overall grade. Posts must be distributed across the term (i.e.,
not all bunched up at the end) and must be substantive (e.g., posts limited to "I
agree with so-and-so" or " This reading was interesting" with little
or no elaboration will not be counted). Valid posts must also appear at least 2 hours
prior to the class meeting at which the reading will be discussed. Students who post
between 10 and 14 times during the term will receive a C on this portion of their
overall course grade. Students who post fewer than 10 times will receive a D and
those who do not post at all will receive an F. Students who post 15 times or more
may be considered for an A on the discussion forum portion of their overall course
grade if the instructor judges their comments over the term to be of exceptional
quality.
Policy Briefs:
Each student will prepare a policy brief to be due in the latter part of the
term. For this project, students will examine a current foreign policy issue or problem
confronting U.S. policy-makers. The policy brief will included background on the
issue, a discussion of alternative policy options, including pros and cons, and a
final policy recommendation. The purposes of this project are: 1. to give students
an opportunity to learn about at least one foreign policy issue in some depth, 2.
to gain a better appreciation of the varied factors that must be considered in evaluating
policy options, and 3. to hone writing and analytic skills. Detailed guidelines for
the policy briefs will be distributed in class.
Although policy briefs will be prepared individually, each student will present their
policy brief to other members of their discussion group for comment. Students will
read the briefs prepared by members of their group and each brief will be discussed
within the group during class. After authors have obtained feedback and critique
from members of their group, they will have an opportunity to revise their briefs
prior to submitting them for a grade. Grades will based upon the quality of writing,
research and analysis.
Grading:
Course grades will be determined according to the following weighting system.
Note that in cases where the overall grade falls near the borderline between two
grades, class participation may be considered in determining whether the higher or
lower grade is assigned.
Mid-Term Exam 20%
Final Exam 20%
Pop Quizzes 10%
Discussion Forums 25%
Policy Briefs 25%
The Mid-Term and Final Exams will consist of in-class essays. There will be somewhere
between 3 and 5 pop quizzes given on days of the instructorís choosing. These will
be short 15 minute quizzes consisting of multiple choice, short answer questions,
fill-in-the-blank or identifications. The quizzes will focus on the readings assigned
for the class meeting in which they are given. The averaged grade for all quizzes
will account for 10% of the overall course grade. There will be no make-ups for the
quizzes. Excused absences will be granted only for the following: illness with note
from doctor, death in the immediate family, a required school-sponsored event or
a religious holiday. In cases where a student misses a quiz due to an excused absence,
his or her quiz average will be based upon the remaining quizzes. In cases where
a student misses the mid-term or final exams due to an excused absence, a make-up
exam will be arranged. Students should, whenever possible, inform the instructor
beforehand about excused absences. Note that early travel plans during finals week
will not be considered an excused absence.
Required Books:
Joseph Nye, The Paradox of American Power, 2002
G. John Ikenberry (ed.), American Unrivaled: The Future of the Balance of Power,
2002
E-Reserves:
Many of the assigned readings for this course will be accessible through Cowles
Libraryís e-reserve system. Instructions for accessing e-reserve materials are given
below. Note that one printed copy of each reading assignment not included in the
required books is also available under the traditional reserve system at the library
circulation desk.
To access the e-reserves for the course:
1. Click on the "Libraries" link from the Drake home page (http://www.drake.edu).
2. Click on "E-Reserves" link at bottom of Cowles library home page (http://www.lib.drake.edu/).
Or go directly to: http://ereserves.lib.drake.edu/
3. Click on link titled "Electronic Reserves and Course Materials."
4. Pull down the "Select an Instructor" menu and select "David Skidmore."
Click on "Go" button.
5. Click on course number: "POLS179"
6. Enter password in box: pols179
7. Press "Accept" button.
8. Click on the link corresponding to the last name of the author of the article
you want to download. The article will download. In most cases, the file will open
automatically. Otherwise, you may open it in the appropriate program (note from e-reserve
page whether file is in Word, html or pdf formats). Warning: Downloads via off campus
computers with 56k dial up modems will be very slow.
Reading Schedule:
Introduction to Course
8/25: Overview
8/27: U.S. Foreign Policy in Changing Times
Nye, preface, ix-xvi
Clyde Prestowitz, "The Unacknowledged Empire," in Rogue Nation, pp. 19-49 (e-reserves)
9/1: American Exceptionalism?
Minxin Pei, "The Paradoxes of American Nationalism"
U.S. Dominance: How Great? How Lasting?
9/3: Measuring U.S. Power
Nye, chapter 1, "The American Colossus," pp. 1-40
9/8: Historical Patterns
Joseph Joffe, "Defying History and Theory: The United States as the ëLast Remaining Superpowerí" (Ikenberry)
G. John Ikenberry, "American Unipolarity: The Sources of Persistence and Decline" (Ikenberry)
9/10: Unipolarity and Great Power Balancing
G. John Ikenberry, "Introduction" (Ikenberry)
William Wohlworth, "U.S. Strategy in a Unipolar World" (Ikenberry)
John Mearsheimer, "The Future of the American Pacifier," Foreign Affairs, 80.5, September/October, 2001, 46-61 (e-reserves)
9/15 and 9/17: The Limits of U.S. Power
Samuel Huntington, "The Lonely Superpower," Foreign Affairs, 78.2, March/April, 1999, 35-49. (e-reserves)
Charles Kupchan, "Life After Pax Americana," World Policy Journal, Fall, 1999 (e-reserves)
"The Acceptability of U.S. Power" The Economist (e-reserves)
Michael Mandelbaum, , "The Inadequacy of American Power," Foreign Affairs, 81.5, September/October, 2002. (e-reserves)
9/22 and 9/24: Self Restraint, International Institutions and U.S. Power
Stephen Walt, "Keeping the World ëOff Balanceí: Self Restraint and U.S. Foreign Policy" (Ikenberry)
G. John Ikenberry, "Democracy, Institutions and American Restraint" (Ikenberry)
Thomas Risse, "U.S. Power in a Liberal Security Community" (Ikenberry)
9/29: The Domestic Sources of Persistence or Decline
Nye, chapter 4, "The Home Front," pp. 111-136
"Imperial Overstretch?" The Economist (e-reserves)
10/1: Mid-Term Exam
Unilateralism or Multilateralism?
10/6 and 10/8: The Debate
Barry Posen, and Andrew L. Ross, "Competing Visions for U.S. Grand Strategy," International Security, 21.3, Winter, 1996, 5-53. (e-reserves)
Nye, chapter 5, "Redefining the National Interest," 137-172
10/13: The Case for Unilateralism
Charles Krauthammer, , "The Unipolar Moment Revisited," The National Interest, number 70, Winter, 2002/2003. (e-reserves)
10/15: Defending Multilateralism
P. Spiro, "The New Sovereigntists: American Exceptionalism and Its False Prophets," Foreign Affairs, 79.6, 2000. (e-reserves)
Steven Miller, "The End of Unilateralism or Unilateralism Redux?" Washington Quarterly, 25, no. 1, Winter, 2001-2002. (e-reserves)
"Our Law, Your Law" The Economist (e-reserves)
10/20: Fall Break
The New Rome: Is America an Imperial Power?
10/22: Two Cheers for Imperialism
Max Boot, "The Case for American Empire," The Weekly Standard 7 (October 15, 2001) (e-reserves)
Robert Cooper, , "Why We Still Need Empires," The Observer, April 7, 2002 (e-reserves)
Sebastian Mallaby, "The Reluctant Imperialist," Foreign Affairs (Mar/April 2002): 2-7 (e-reserves)
Martin Wolf, "The Need for a New Imperialism," Financial Times (Oct. 9, 2001) (e-reserves)
10/27: The Lessons of History
John Judis, "History Lesson: What Woodrow Wilson Can Teach Todayís Imperialists, " The New Republic, June 9, 2003 (e-reserves)
G. John Ikenberry, , "Americaís Imperial Ambition," Foreign Affairs, 81.5, September/October, 2002. (e-reserves)
Niall Ferguson, "The Empire Slinks Back," New York Times Magazine, April 27, 2003 (e-reserves)
10/29: The Wisdom of Empire
Joseph Nye, "Lessons in Imperialism," Financial Times (June 16, 2002) (e-reserves)
Michael Ignatieff, "The American Empire; The Burden," New York Times (Jan. 5, 2003) (e-reserves)
George Monbiot, "The Logic of Empire," The Guardian (August 6, 2002) (e-reserves)
U.S. Grand Strategy under the Bush Administration
11/3 and 11/5: Bush National Security Strategy
"National Security Strategy, 2002" (e-reserves)
Stanley Hoffman, "The High and the Mighty: Bushís National Security Strategy and the New American Hubris," The American Prospect, 13.24, 2003 (e-reserves)
11/10: The US and Europe
Robert Kagan, "Power and Weakness," Policy Review, 113, June/July, 2002. (e-reserves)
Walter Russell Mead, "The Case Against Europe," The Atlantic, April, 2002
11/12: America On Stage: The View from Home
PIPA/Knowledge Network Media Release, "While Strongly Endorsing the Iraq War Public Rejects a New US Role Marked by Unilateral and Military Approaches," April 29, 2003 (e-reserves)
PEW, "Americaís New Internationalist Point of View," October 24, 2001 (e-reserves)
11/17: America on Stage: The View from Abroad
PEW Research Center for the People and the Press, "Views of a Changing World" (e-reserves)
PEW, "Americans and Europeans Differ Widely on Foreign Policy Issues," April 29, 2002 (e-reserves)
Martin Walker, "What Europeans Think of America," World Policy Journal, Summer, 2000, 26-38. (e-reserves)
11/19 and 11/24: The Iraq War
Jeffrey Record, "The Bush Doctrine and War with Iraq," Parameters, Spring, 2003, 5-21. (e-reserves)
John Judis and Spencer Ackerman, "The First Casualty: The Selling of the Iraq War," The New Republic, July 30, 2003 (e-reserves)
Max Rodenbeck, "The Occupation," The New York Review of Books, August 14, 2003 (e-reserves)
11/26: Thanksgiving Break
12/1, 12/3, 12/8: Policy Brief Presentations
12/10: Conclusions
Final Exam: Monday, December 15, 2-3:50pm