Troy University Pacific Region

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1 Troy University Pacific Region Syllabus of the course IR 5524 (IR-5524-JKKA) on Contemporary US-American Foreign Policy - Power and Purpose - in Term 4, 2015/6 at Kadena Air Base. Instructor Matthias MAASS Tel.: (02) mm@mmaass.net Office hours: By appointment and before/after classes. Time and Place This is a web-enhanced course. It meets on 2 and 3 April, and on 23 and 24 April 2016 at Kadena Air Base, 9:00 18:00 hrs. for a total of 36 in-classroom hours. Web-based component According to Troy U requirements, an additional 9 hours of instruction will be given via Blackboard, CD/DVD, memory stick, reading/study/writing, and other methods, or a combination thereof. Course Description Troy University Course cataloge: An examination of the foreign policies processes of the United States including historical traditions, political institutions, economic and military capabilities, the Congress, the Presidency, interest groups, the media, and public opinion. Course Objective This course will explore key aspects of modern US foreign policy. Particular attention will be given to the US traditions in foreign policy and their historical dimensions, to the constitutional and 1

2 domestic contexts through which US foreign policy is shaped, to the diplomatic styles that have characterizing US foreign policy eras, and to the economic and military capabilities that have been giving US foreign policy at times overpowering instruments for coercion. The course has three major objectives. First and foremost, the course aims at providing the student with factually informed perspective on US foreign policy as a comprehensive area of analysis. Second, the study encourages the student to engage with the subject independently (e.g. through primary source analysis) and explore selected areas in depth through guided research (e.g. a short assignments). Third, the course emphasizes the development of the student as a scholar and analyst by the integration of an major independent research project into the course. Methods of Instruction The classes will be held in the forms of lectures and seminars. Class participation (not just attendance) is important. It is assumed that the required readings will be completed before class. The syllabus lists various assignments. These have to be completed and submitted according to the instructions listed. Each student is required to work on a research project and paper. The project must fall within the thematic framework of the course and be approved by the instructor. The assignments, the presentation, and the research paper should all be focused on one research project. Toward the end of the class students will give an oral presentation of their project and submit a final paper shortly after the end of the course. A multiple-choice final exam will verify key factual knowledge. Summary of Course Requirements and Weighting Requirement % of Course Grade Class participation (active) 20% Minor assignments 10% Web-enhanced assignments (essays on movies) 20% In-class student presentation 15% Research Paper 25% Final Exam 10% Attendance 100% class attendance is the norm. Attendance will be recorded and excessive absences will be reported to administration and may result in downgrading, the need to drop the course, or a failing grade. In exceptional cases, such as major family emergencies, catastrophic medical emergencies, official duties, absences can be permitted. However, all such cases have to be documented and coordinated with the instructor at the earliest point-in-time. An excused absence does not 2

3 waive the assignments; all assignments must be completed in advance (if possible) or ASAP and by a deadline agreed to by the instructor. Unauthorized absences will result in downgrading of the course grade and may also require the completion of additional requirements. Submissions The final paper must be submitted online but requires a formal acknowledgment by the instructor that it has been successfully submitted. Research paper Students are required to work towards a research paper (of the same topic as the research proposal). It should be about 5,000 words in length, +/- 20%. Citations and the bibliography should not be included in the word count. This paper must be of graduate-level quality and demonstrate the student s ability to conduct rigorous research and present it in a scholarly format. The paper is due on May 9, 2016 via to the instructor. Submissions are not considered complete until the student has a confirmation by the instructor. Oral Presentation At the end of the course, each student will present on his/her research topic orally and in class. The standard for the presentation is proper scientific knowledge distribution, i.e. the task is to communicate the projects hypothesis, methodological challenges, its findings and answers effectively a convincingly. Each presentation should be timed for 15 minutes and will be followed by a Q&A session. The questions and comments will come mostly from fellow students and are thus a peer review. The comments may be used to further upgrade the project before it is submitted in the form of a research paper a week later. Grading Scale A B C D F

4 Required Texts Hastedt, Glenn P. American Foreign Policy. Past, Present, Future. 10 th ed. Lanham/MD: Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN: pardon the Putin on the cover. Highly Recommended Texts Joyce Kaufman. A Concise History of U.S. Foreign Policy. 3 rd ed. Lanham/MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014 A compact text, truly concise, with a slight emphasis on the 20 th & 21 st long century. ISBN: Sharon L. Spray and Laura Roselle. Research and Writing in International Relations. 2nd ed. Boston: Pearson Longman, ISBN: There are used copies of an older edition available; these are good, too. A good guide to producing a research paper; with an extra chapter on US foreign policy resources. 4

5 Library Resources Students can access online information resources through the Troy Library Services home page at These resources include a variety of full text databases that provide complete article texts from thousands of journals, magazines and newspapers. Troy s or any other research library students may have access to will be the key resource for students to investigate their research project. Internet sources (i.e. sources that are not filtered through a university library s online system must be used sparingly and with utmost caution. The instructor may provide additional readings where needed and appropriate. These may be distributed via or as hard-copy. Such readings will become part of the required readings for the course (and as such fair game for the final exam). Students should familiarize themselves with the ways and means of getting access to the library resources. It is assumed that by the time classes commence, each students has access and a reliable account. Students are strongly encouraged to stay current with respect to international affairs and develop a personal routine for staying informed about international relations and politics. This will also help with identifying a research project. Americans With Disabilities Act Troy University, under the guidelines of ADA and the Rehabilitation Act, makes reasonable accommodations for documented physical and mental limitations of otherwise-qualified individuals with disabilities. To provide the best possible services to students, employees, and visitors, Troy University has designated Disability Services Coordinators and Human Resources representatives on each campus as responsible parties for coordinating accommodations for persons with disabilities. For more information about physical access to building or grounds, academic or workplace accommodations, or other ADA related services, individuals should contact a Disability Services Coordinator or Human Resources representative on their campus of attendance. Specific information regarding the ADA, including contact information for responsible parties, can be found at the following link: Academic Ethics Details of Ethical Standards of Reporting Information can be found in the PUBLICATION MANUAL of the AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. Troy University s Standards of Conduct, published in the TROY UNIVERSITY GRADUATE CATALOG, should also be consulted. Academic Honesty By their enrollment, students are responsible for following the Standards of Conduct as they apply in the Troy University Pacific Region. It is the student s responsibility to be familiar with these guidelines and to comply therewith. In this course, plagiarism or other forms of cheating, will result in an F for the course, will be reported to appropriate officials, and may subject the 5

6 student to further discipline from the University. Please note that no assignment prepared for or submitted in a different course may be used in this course without prior approval of the instructor. Cell phone and other electronic device statement: Troy University policcy Use of any electronic devise (cell phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) by students in the instructional environment is prohibited unless explicitly approved on a case-by-case basis by the instructor of record or by the Office of Disability Services in collaboration with the instructor. Cell phones and other communication devices may be used for emergencies, however, but sending or receiving non-emergency messages during a class meeting is forbidden by the University. Use of a communication device to violate the Troy University Standards of Conduct will result in appropriate disciplinary action (See pp of the Oracle.) In order to receive emergency messages from the University or family members, devices must be in a vibration, or other unobtrusive mode. Students receiving calls that they believe to be emergency calls must answer quietly without disturbing the teaching environment. If the call is an emergency, they must move unobtrusively and quietly from the instructional area and notify the instructor as soon as reasonably possible. Students who are expecting an emergency call should inform the instructor before the start of the instructional period. Additional rules Computer, mobile devices, cell phones, if you want pagers, are allowed in class. However, cell phones must be turned off unless students have a valid reason and get prior permission by the instructor. If a telephone rings, the students must sing a song. Moreover, recording of the class sessions is not allowed except with the explicit permission from the instructor. Miscellaneous For things not brought up in the syllabus, common sense rules and standard academic standards and procedures apply. 6

7 Prior to the first day of class meetings Online Module Assignment: Watch the movie Thirteen Days and write an essay (between 800 and 1,000 words long) on The Cuban Missile Crisis: Heroism or Dilettantism? The movie is available in libraries and at Please submit your essay via to the instructor by April 3, 2015 Assignment: Watch the movie Good night and good luck and write an essay (between 800 and 1,000 words long) on Murrow vs. McCarthy: The role of US media in American foreign policy. The movie is available in libraries and at Please submit your essay via to the instructor by April 24, 2015 web-enhanced parts Suggested combined total time: 8 hrs. April 2, 2016, am Module 1: Welcome Agenda 1. Welcome 2. Administrative Matters 3. Course Outline 4. The research paper requirement We will introduce ourselves to the class and then talk about the course, what to expect, how to go about it, etc. Before going to lunch, we will talk about the key written assignment of the course, the research paper. 2 hrs. 7

8 April 2, 2016, am (cont d) Module 2: The Discipline of International Relations Analytical Tools Agenda Buyers beware! Before analyzing US 1. Levels-of-analysis foreign policy, we need to think about 2. Theories the constructs, tools, and approaches of 3. Methodologies foreign policy studies out there. This will shield us from accepting or making inappropriate assumptions. Assignments Have an idea or two for possible research topics. Hastedt, pp. 1 12, ch. 2. Please read before the class. Think what you find most interesting and what generally gets your attention when you scan the front page of a newspaper or the homepage of a website. Think about the broader contexts in which US foreign policy takes place and in which we look at US foreign policies. 2 hrs. April 2, 2016, pm Module 3a: The Historical Context I: From the Puritans to the Second World War 1. Exceptionalism and cities on hills 2. Isolationism, myth and reality 3. Manifest Destiny 4. Teddy s Imperialism 5. Woodrow s Idealism 1. The Monroe Doctrine 2. Wilson s 14 Points speech 3. Hastedt, pp , and ch. 3 Assignments: 1. Read the texts before the class and make meaningful notes; have comments and questions for discussion ready for the first 2 documents. The first text is available online, e.g. at Enjoy the whole piece or start at A strong hope has been long entertained... The second speech is available online, too. Please search for it online. 5 hrs. What are the primary sources (texts numbers 1 and 2) key points? Have they stood the test of time? Are they still active in US foreign policy? 8

9 April 3, 2016, all day Module 3b: The Historical Context II: The Cold War 1. From world war to Cold War 2. Bipolarity, Ideology, Nuclear weapons 3. Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Afghanistan 4. From Cold War to post- Cold War The Cold War is recent history and continues to influence and predispose US foreign policy makers and thinkers. Most critically, it was the launchpad for US ascendency to America s unipolar moment. 1. Kennan, George F. "The Sources of Soviet Conduct." Foreign Affairs 25, no. 1 (July) (1947): This text is available online. Please read before class. We will discuss the Kennan article and with it jump right into the course s subject with one of the most famous pieces in modern US foreign policy. For those interested, there is a book review by Henry Kissinger, the Realist scholar-diplomat, about the recent biography of George Kennan, the Realist diplomat-scholar, by John Lewis Gaddis, the dean of US Cold War history: Assignment due 11 April, Submit via and keep the instructor s confirmation 1. Submit a topic for a research project. 2. Submit your project s research question and, if appropriate, hypothesis. + online component Tip: The more time you spend here, at the early stages of your research question, the easier the later stages of your project will go. Spend quality time on getting the question just right and precise. The you will know exactly where to look for sources and build up your project. A precise research question is the best road map for data gathering hrs. Research projects (in-class) We will close the first weekend with a group discussion about further streamlining the research projects, methodologies, and available sources..5 hrs. 9

10 April 23, 2016, am Module 4: The Constitutional Context 1. Hastedt, chs. 6 & 7 Assignments 1. Follow the domestic political debates about ratification of the Obama administration s nuclear treaty with Iran. Congress and President US foreign policy making is forced by the constitution into a web of split responsibilities, shared obligations, and interdependent authorities. In order to understand US foreign policy, this needs to be disentangled. In this case, is US foreign policy made properly? Be ready to discuss in class. 2 hrs. Module 5: The National Context 1. Public opinion 2. Media 3. A national style In any democracy, dynamics beyond the government apparatus narrowly defined come into play in politics. That includes the US and foreign policy. The point is to understand where and how, beyond the White House and the Department of State, US foreign policy is made. 1. Hastedt, chs. 3 (re-read), 4, 5, Assignments: 1. Think about domestic dynamics beyond those raised in the textbook that shape US foreign policy. How about, for example, universities? Be ready to present, defend, and discuss your ideas in class. 1.5 hrs. Research projects: From promise to progress We will close the morning session with a short and friendly review of each individual s research project..5 hrs. 10

11 April 23, 2016, pm Module 6: The Decision-making Context 1. Bureaucracies in foreign policy 2. Rational choice 3. Foreign policy decisionmaking Are bureaucracies implementing policies of the executive only? Are alternative policies evaluated rationally? How can that be done? What dynamics are at play in foreign policy decision-making? 1. Allison, Graham T. "Conceptual Models of the Cuban Missile Crisis." American Political Science Review 63, no. 3 (1969): Hastedt, chs. 8, 9 Assignments See immediately above and also remind yourself of the movie Thirteen Days. 1.5 hrs. The text is available through JStor. Please demonstrate your mechanical research skills by locating, printing, and reading the article. Module 7: Diplomacy and Economic Instruments 1. Diplomacy and summitry 2. Economic instruments of statecraft Much of US foreign policy is conducted through the diplomatic method. Much of today s peaceful dispute settlement relies on sanctions. How effective have these tools of statecraft been for the US? 1. Hastedt, chs. 10, 11 Assignment Does the recent US Iran deal about the latter s nuclear program constitute a win for Washington or Teheran? List 3 bullet points that support your answer and have them ready for discussion in class. 1.5 hrs. Module 8: The Military Context 1. War and warfare 2. Military coercion 3. Major war 4. War to end war 5. Cold war and proxy war 6. War against terrorism 7. Military-industrial complexes What has been the place of war in US foreign policy? What has been the role of the US military in US foreign policy? 1. Hastedt, chs. 12, 13 Assignment 1. Read Eisenhower s 1961 speech before class and consider it in contemporary and current contexts. 2 hrs. The speech is available online at ments/indust.html. 11

12 April 24, 2016, am 1. Final Exam The final exam will be a multiple-choice exam, consisting of 20 questions. I will pick exam questions from the reading and from our class discussions. An example question (taken from a different course): The evolution of International Law as a distinct discipline and legal system dates back to (roughly): a. The Roman Empire b. The Peace of Westphalia c. The League of Nations d. none of the above 2 hrs. 2. Student Presentations Student Presentations in class session Each student presents his research project in class. Each presenter will have about 15 minutes. Each presentation will present the project s idea and research question, lay out approach and methods, the status quo of the research as of today, and the planned next steps. All students take notes about the strengths and weaknesses of each students presentations. 2 + x hrs. (depending on class size); each presentation will be about 15 minutes and be followed by a 15 minutes-long Q&A session April 24, 2016, pm Peer review and problem-solving workshop Fixing problems and learning lessons: reviewing the research projects. We will go through each presentation and discuss its strengths and weaknesses with the help of the notes we made in the morning. We will distill general rules about public presentations and about research design. Most importantly, we will discuss constructively where to take and how to push the individual research projects forward. 5 x hrs. May 9, 2016 Submit your research paper online. Insist on a confirmation of receipt from the instructor! 12