Course Description:
This course examines how U.S. foreign policy is made, bridging political science theory with the analysis of historic and contemporary challenges. The course is divided into three segments. The first provides an overview of which factors determine the nature of foreign policy and its prospects for success or failure. The second will sample of some of the largest foreign policy issues facing the United States in the Cold War era. This will not be a comprehensive historic account, but instead a selection on some of the major issues and conflicts during this time with an emphasis on how political decision-making processes contributed to success and failure. The final segment will focus on contemporary issues including the promotion of democracy, terrorism, alliance politics, and border security.