Political
Science 363/International Studies 363
Fall
2009
Bill
Newmann, L. Douglas Wilder
Office
Hours: 218 Scherer Hall: Tuesday
Phone:
Office: 828-8038
e-mail:
wnewmann@vcu.edu
Newmann's
home page: www.people.vcu.edu/~wnewmann
with links to other Newmann syllabi and other fun stuff.
Introduction:
As an introduction to
National
Security Decision Making Process: We will examine the wild and wacky world of
foreign policy decision making. Generally, people think that issues as serious
as foreign relations, nuclear weapons policy, and armed intervention are
decided upon in the most solemn, rational, and analytical manner. WRONG!
Foreign policy decision making often resembles a bunch of three-year-olds in a
sandbox fighting over the only pail and shovel. Understanding the way decisions
are made is the single most important aspect of analyzing foreign policy. Many
people think that there really is no
The
Cold War Years: In examining the period of intense competition with the USSR,
we will focus on the emergence of the two antagonists in the late 1940s and
1950s; US involvement in Vietnam; detente and arms control during the Nixon
years; the fall of detente and the collapse of arms control during the Carter
years; and the renewed Cold War of the early Reagan years. The focus is
two-fold: the ways in which the
US
Foreign Policy after the Cold War: Finally, we will explore the range of
possibilities for the future in terms of a number of issues: the rise of
economic priorities; the issue of intervention and peace operations; human
rights and democracy; great power rivals to the
Post-9/11
Within each of these
categories we will address these key issues:
- way in which decision makers and the public have
defined the national interest
- the decisions the US has made concerning the use
of force
- the economic foundations of US policy and the
current threats
- the struggle for control of US foreign policy
between the executive and legislative branches
- the limitations and impact of US influence in the
world.
A
Note on the Topics for Class:
There’s so much to talk about! Where do you
start? Events around the world may also
jump up and force us to shift gears: Iran is in turmoil; US forces have left
Iraqi cities, while US troops move deeper into the battle in Afghanistan; North
Korea is threatening the US with capabilities it probably doesn’t have; the
world economy has hit bottom; a new President has taken office in the US;
elections in Japan, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, the EU, the UK in 2009, to name
a few, may shape and reshape the foreign policies of our allies. We will try to stay on top of things as they
develop. US foreign policy is never
boring. Enjoy the ride! In the class readings we will pay special
attention to US policy in the Middle East, the Iraq War, and US relations with
China.
For an extensive list of governmental and
non-governmental sources of information on foreign affairs click here: Links to Websites on
foreign policy and national security. Some of these links may be
in a state of flux because of the transition to a new administration. I will
try to keep them updated, but if anything changes or disappears, let me know.
Texts:
You
need to read them. The books are available at the Virginia Book Company on
Shafer St. or the VCU Bookstore. They
may also be available on reserve at the Cabell Library room 301. If anyone has
problems getting access to the texts, for any reason, let me know as soon as
possible so you don't get too far behind in the reading.
- Stephen Ambrose and Douglas Brinkley. Rise to
Globalism, 8th Edition (New York: Penguin Books, 1997) (This edition is
not available in VCU library).
- James Mann. About
Face (New York: Vintage Books, 2000) (On reserve at Cabell Library)
- Patrick Tyler. A World of Trouble (New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2009) (Not
available on reserve)
- David Phillips. Losing Iraq (New York: Basic Books, 2005) (On reserve at Cabell Library)
- Fareed Zakaria. The Post-American World (New York: W. W. Norton) (On reserve at Cabell Library)
A
guideline for the readings: There are aspects of US foreign policy that you
should give special attention as you do your readings. They affect every debate
over US foreign policy and it is probably a good idea to understand how they
relate to major issues and events when it comes to the final exam: (1) Decision
Making: US foreign policy does not just happen. Men and women make those
decisions and that process is important in shaping the actual substance of US
foreign policy; (2) Intervention Policy: The US picks and chooses what type of
world events have bearing on US national interests and in which events it will
take an active role. On what basis does the US make those decisions? How has
the US definition of national interest changed over the years and have the
criteria for involvement in international events changed? (3) Cold War vs.
Post-Cold War vs. War on Terrorism: How have the definitions of US national
interests evolved? (4) Domestic Politics: Are the definitions of national
interest and the content of US foreign policy based upon the threats the US
faces or on domestic political contests and trends that influence the
perceptions of those threats?
Grading
System: Grades will be determined
through the following:
|
September
3 |
5%
of the grade |
|
|
Exam
1 |
October
6 |
30%
of the grade |
|
November
24 |
35%
of the grade |
|
|
Exam
2 |
December
10: 8:00 AM |
30%
of the grade |
How do
you calculate your grade? Use the percentages from the above table. So, if you
received the following grades, you would calculate your grades in the following
manner:
- Map quiz: 100, at 5% of the grade; that’s 100
multiplied by .05 = 5.0
- Exam 1: 90, at 30% of the grade; that’s 90
multiplied by .30 = 27.0
- Research Paper: 92, at 35% of the grade; that’s
92 multiplies by .35 = 32.2
- Exam 2: 90, at 30% of the grade; that’s 90
multiplied by .30 = 27.0
- To get the final grade, add up all the scores: 5
+ 27 + 32.2 + 27 = 91.2 Congratulations you got an A! Note how important
the map quiz was for this student.
If he/she had done poorly on it, he/she would have blown the
A.
I
give you this very detailed formula for a number of reasons. You should never
be unaware of what your class average is. You can calculate it at any point in
the semester. If your grade is not what you'd like it to be, you should know,
and you should come see me about it. Do not come to me after Exam 2 and say
that you're having trouble in the class. It's too late at that point. But any
time in the semester that you feel you are having trouble, or not doing as well
as you feel you should, come talk to me. During my office hours and by
appointment I am happy to talk to you about the class
Grading scale: I use a typical scale: A = 90-100; B =
80-89; C = 70-79; D = 55-69. Borderline grades are considered in the following
manner. If your grade is 69.5, 79.5, or 89.5, then you are a candidate for a
round up to the higher grade IF your grades have been going up during the
semester. That means that if you are borderline, but your second exam is lower
than the previous exam (you are between a B and C, but your second exam is a C,
you will probably get the lower grade. If you are between a B and C, but your
second exam is a B, you will probably get the B).
Speaking
of grades: The withdrawal day for the fall semester is October 30.
·
Research Paper: The paper is due November
24. I will review rough drafts,
outlines, and even completed papers, if handed in by November 17. This is not required, but an opportunity for
you let me review your paper and get it back to you so you can use my comments
to rewrite your paper. The details of
the paper are linked here. A one paragraph paper topic is due on
September 24. The following is
important: The paper can be turned in as
a hard copy, but it must be turned in electronically. Please email the paper to
me. Do not use the Blackboard digital dropbox. You can attach the paper as a
file, but you also must cut and paste
the paper into the body of the email as well.
You can give me a hard copy version also if you like.
EXAMS: The exams will be short answer and essay. One week
before the exam I will place a review sheet on line, linked to this
syllabus, below this paragraph. This review sheet should be used as your study
guide for the exam. The review sheet will include some terms that are from the
readings only, so that you can go back and review those items from the
readings. Once you have the review sheet, feel free to ask me questions about
the terms. This is the best way to study for the exam. If you understand the
terms on the review sheet, you can define each one and see how each one relates
to the larger concepts and issues we've discussed in class, you should do just
fine on the exam. The exams will consist of short answer/identifications and
one essay. I will give more details on the exams in class as we approach the
first exam.
COURSE AND READING SCHEDULE
Note:
For the first few weeks the readings will be ahead of the class lectures. Make
sure you keep up, though. If you do not do the readings you will quickly be
lost and you'll be in serious trouble on the first exam. The dates below are
the dates when you should have finished the readings. So for Day Two, for example, you should have
read Ambrose 4-8 when you show up in class that day.
Week 1: August 20-21
Introduction to the Class
No
readings
Week
2: August 24-28 Introduction to
National Security Decision Making
Ambrose, Chapters 4-8
US Foreign
Policy 1789-1945 PPT
Week
3: August 31-September 4 Rules of
the Game: Origins of the Cold War
Ambrose,
Chapters 9-12
Week
4: Sept. 7-11 The Strategic and
Domestic Political Context of the Cold War: The Logic of
Mann,
Chapters 1-3
Tyler,
Chapter 3 (Note: Tyler does not always reintroduce the key diplomatic officials
and world leaders at the beginning of each chapter; check the index if you see
a name and you’re not sure who it is)
Week
5: September 14-18 A New
Strategy: Detente
Tyler,
Chapters 4, 5 and 6
Week
6: September 21-25 Détente’s Collapse and the Post-Viet Nam,
Post-Détente Environment
Paper Topic Due: September 24
Ambrose,
Chapter 13 and 14
Mann,
Chapter 4 and 5
Week
7: September 28-October 2 Reagan and The New Cold War
Ambrose,
Chapter 15
Tyler,
Chapter 7
Week
8: October 5-9 The End of the
Cold War
October 6: Exam 1
Mann,
Chapters 9-10
(Both
of these readings are for the second exam.
They are on Bush 41 so we’re a bit ahead of schedule.)
Week
9: October 12-16 Bush 41 and the
Search for a New Foreign Policy?
Reading Days: No Class: October 15
Tyler,
Chapter 9
Mann, Chapters 11-14
Week
10: October 19-23 A Post-Cold War
Foreign Policy:
Mann,
Chapters 15-17
Ambrose,
Chapter 18
Week
11: October 26-30 China and the
Tyler,
Chapter 12
Phillips,
Chapters Introduction and Chapters 1-6
(These
readings are not on China, but fit into the lectures coming up)
Week
12: November 2-6 Bush 43 and Post-9/11 World
Phillips, Chapters 7, 10, 12-18
Week
13: November 9-13 Iraq and Beyond
Phillips,
Chapter 19 and Epilogue
Zakaria,
Chapters 1-3
Week 14: November 16-20 Obama Foreign Policy
Zakaria, Chapters 4-6
The Future of US Foreign Policy
Week
15: November 23-27 The 21st Century
November 24: Paper Due
No
readings
November
26: Thanksgiving: No Class; Watch Football
Week 16: November 30-December 4 Conventional and Unconventional Threats
Zakaria,
Chapter 7
December
10: Exam 2
Where can you
find information on international affairs?
This is the
questions students always ask me: “Where do I find good information on
international affairs. I’m looking for something unbiased and something that
doesn’t always look at the world through American eyes (as in how do these
developments affect the
Here’s the short answer:
For day by day
coverage of events in the world:
BBC
News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/. On a day-by-day basis, no other news
organization covers the world as well.
It has separate pages for most regions, links to past stories, links to
data bases, all kinds of information that will get you up to speed on anything.
World News
Network: http://www.wnn.com/. This is a site which covers day-by-day events
by creating links to major news papers around the world. So if something is happening in
On a weekly
basis:
The Economist: www.economist.com.
This is a Britain-based weekly which covers world politics and world
business. There really is nothing else
like it in the comprehensive nature of its coverage. You can also buy it on the newsstand, but the
web is free. It covers world politics
very well.
Long Term Views
of Crisis and Conflict:
International
Crisis Group: www.crisisweb.org. This is the International Crisis Group, a
non-profit organization that studies, analyzes, and makes recommendations about
how to resolve various crises in the world.
There is nothing better for the in-depth examination of current world
events and the dilemmas of problem solving and peace making. It has reports (30-50 pages), briefings
(10-30), and a weekly briefing (Crisis Watch), which you can get on the web
site or sign up for e-mail delivery.
What to Know and Do To Be
Prepared for Emergencies at VCU
1. Sign up to receive VCU text messaging alerts
(http://www.vcu.edu/alert/notify).
Keep your information
up-to-date.
2. Know the safe evacuation route from each of your
classrooms.
Emergency evacuation routes are posted in
on-campus
classrooms.
3. Listen for and follow instructions from VCU or
other
designated authorities.
4. Know where to go for additional emergency
information
(http://www.vcu.edu/alert).
5. Know the emergency phone number for the VCU Police
(828-1234).
Report suspicious activities and objects.