module specification

The broad aim of this module is to develop a grounding in the fundamentals of US foreign policy making in the context of contemporary international relations. In particular, to:

• Analyse policy making institutions and historical precedents underlying US foreign policy, and to grasp the way those precedents affect America’s approach to global events since the end of the Cold War and the attacks of 9/11.
• Assess the processes and limitations of US foreign policy making, the contemporary challenges facing the world and the American role in dealing with them, and the expectations of US influence in the world in coming years.
• Place American foreign policy within the larger theoretical frameworks and approaches to international relations.

The syllabus is divided into two parts:
• PART I: Origins, Institutions and Actors. This includes: Themes in American Foreign Policy; The Cold War and its Aftermath; The Institutions of US Foreign Policy: the Constitution and the three branches of the US national government; The Policy Process I: Executive Branch Agencies; The Policy Process II: Interest Groups, the Media and Public Opinion. LO1,LO2,LO4,LO5,LO6,LO7

• PART II: New and Recurring Global Challenges for US Foreign Policy. This includes: US Security and Power in the Post-Cold War World and post 9/11 era: The Nature of Power and Threat Perceptions; Unilateralism and Multilateralism in US National Security Policy; Trade, Investment and Globalisation; Ethics and Human Rights; American Foreign Policy in the 21st Century. LO1,LO3,LO4,LO5,LO6,LO7

Teaching consists of a weekly two hour lecture followed by a one hour tutorial. Lectures will involve a combination of taught lectures, videos and the use of first hand documents and websites. During the module seminars will combine a variety of methods including discussion based on pre-set questions and role plays. Blended Learning will be a key component of the module. Lecture notes and first-hand documents for use in class will be posted on line, as will web links for academic and governmental websites, as well as video links. Lecture recordings will also be made available on line.

Materials for use in class will be posted at least one week in advance on line to allow students to prepare and reflect on the subject. Questions for seminar discussion will be available from the beginning of the module via the Module Booklet available on the VLE, which will include a list of resources students can use to answer the questions and study the subject in greater depth.

A formative piece of work in the form of a group role play on a contemporary issue facing American foreign policy makers will take place mid-module to enable students to reflect on their understanding of the subject matter to date in order to put in place learning strategies for the remainder of the module. The role play will be peer-reviewed in class. The role play will enable students to think and act as practitioners.

There will be two summative components.

The first will be a short briefing paper dealing with a specific issue facing US foreign policy makers. Students will be expected to consider solutions to the issue they choose, presenting the arguments for and against, and recommending a course of action. This will enhance employability by encouraging students to use theory and empirical evidence to offer solutions to specific problems.

The second component is a summative essay which will provide students with the opportunity to submit a major piece of work of their choosing on a key element of the module. This will enable students to develop writing and research skills whilst reflecting on what they have learnt.

An activity week will also be included in the syllabus to expand on subject-specific knowledge and skills.

Upon completion of this module students will be better equipped to:
1. Understand the aims and processes of American foreign policy making.
2. Understand the nature and limitations of US international influence.
3. Understand the relationship between US foreign policy and international relations more generally.
4. Evaluate news reports about US foreign policy and official US government statements related to foreign policy and international relations (including both primary and secondary sources).
5. Communicate effectively in speech and writing (for example, writing an essay using commonly accepted standards of definition, analysis, grammatical prose, and documentation).
6. Use research skills, including the ability to synthesise and analyse arguments and exercise critical judgement.
7. Work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and time-management, as well as co-operating with other students to achieve common goals.

A formative piece of work in the form of a group role play on a contemporary issue facing American foreign policy makers, which will be peer reviewed in class, will take place mid-module to enable students to reflect on their understanding of the subject matter to date in order to put in place learning strategies for the remainder of the module. This will encourage the development of a variety of employability skills including: research involving information retrieval from a variety of resources; analysing and advocating solutions to problems; developing a reasoned argument; exercising critical judgement; and collaborating with others towards a common goal. In addition, the group role play will invite students to think and act as a practitioner.

The first summative piece is a short briefing paper dealing with a specific issue facing US foreign policy makers. Students will be expected to consider solutions to the issue they choose, presenting the arguments for and against, and recommending a course of action. This will enhance employability by encouraging students to use theory and empirical evidence to offer solutions to specific problems.

The second summative component is an essay which will provide students with the opportunity to submit a major piece of work of their choosing on a key element of the module. This will enable students to develop further many of the employability skills introduced during the formative assessment, in addition to writing, reflecting on what they have learnt and making use of constructive feedback.

Core Reading:

Cox, M., and Stokes, D., eds., (2018) US Foreign Policy, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Jentleson, B. (2014), American Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Choice in the 21st Century, 5th ed., New York: Norton.

Additional Reading:

Cha, T. (2017), ‘The Return of Jacksonianism: the Implications of the Trump Phenomenon’, The Washington Quarterly, Vol 39: 4, Winter, pp. 83-97.
Dombrowski, P. and Reich, S. (2017) ‘Does Donald Trump have a grand strategy?’, International Affairs, 93: 5 (2017) pp. 1013-1057.
Dueck, C. (2015), The Obama Doctrine: American Grand Strategy Today, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Haass, R. (2017) A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order, New York: Penguin Press.
Mazarr, M. (2017) ‘The Once and Future Order: What Comes After Hegemony?’, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 96: 1, pp. 25-32.
Moran, A. (2015), ‘The United States: Finding a Role in the Post- Cold War and Post-9/11 World’, in Malik, S. et al, International Security Studies, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Moran, A. (2017) ‘Barack Obama and the Return of “Declinism”: Rebalancing American Foreign Policy in an Era of Multipolarity,’ in Ashbee, E. and Dumbrell, J., The Obama Presidency and the Politics of Change, London: Palgrave.
National Intelligence Council, (2017) Global Trends: Paradox of Progress, at www.dni.gov/files/images/globalTrends/documents/GT-Full-Report.pdf
Nye, Joseph, (2015), Is the American Century Over?, Cambridge: Polity.
Posen, Barry, (2018) ‘The Rise of Illiberal Hegemony: Trump’s Surprising Grand Strategy’, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 97: 2, pp. 20-28.
The USA’s National Security Strategy 2017 available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NSS-Final-12-18-2017-0905.pdf.

On-line resources include key American foreign policy journals such as: Foreign Policy at www. foreignpolicy.com; Foreign Affairs at www.foreignaffairs.org; and The Washington Quarterly at www. twq.elliott.gwu.edu. There are also media sites such as The Washington Post at www.washingtonpost.com and The New York Times at www.nytimes.com.

Other indicative websites include:

The White House at www.whitehouse.gov.
The National Security Council at www.whitehouse.gov/nsc.
The U.S. Department of Defense at www.defense.gov.
The US Department of State at www.state.gov .
The Central Intelligence Agency at www.cia.gov.
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations at www.foreign.senate.gov.
The United States House of Representatives Committee on International Relations at www.house.gov/international_relations.

Students will also be encouraged to follow key individuals and organisations on social media platforms, such as Twitter.

Where possible, the most current version of reading materials will be used during the delivery of this module. Comprehensive reading lists will be provided to students in their handbooks. Reading Lists will be updated annually. Weblinks will also be updated regularly.