Undergraduate Course: US Foreign Policy (PLIT10084)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Politics |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course will allow students (especially those who have taken the popular US Government course) to do advanced and more specialised work on some of the most contentious and debated questions in the contemporary study of international relations: what are the guiding principles, objectives and effects of American foreign policy? This course will build upon and advance student knowledge of both the nature of US government and modern international relations, by allowing students to become informed participants in lively debates about (inter alia) the Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam Wars, continuity or change between US administrations (such as Bush and Obama), and the extent to which US foreign policy is driven by altruism or self-interest. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Politics/International Relations courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2012/13 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
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WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: 60 |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Lecture | | 1-11 | | | | 10:00 - 10:50 | |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
&· understanding of the disputed origins of US foreign policy and how competing schools of foreign policy thought (Hamiltonian, Jeffersonian, Jacksonian Wilsonian) inform policy choices throughout American history;
&· critical appraisal of competing theoretical perspectives and empirical analyses on the historical evolution of US foreign policy;
&· examination of foreign policy doctrine, choices, and outcomes in specific regions, (Europe, Middle East, Latin America) and US relations with other powers (China, Russia, India);
&· Effective application of the comparative method, both throughout time and between different regions/powers;
&· development of research, analytical and presentation skills, through guided research in preparation for assessment and tutorial presentations
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Assessment Information
| 10% class research project presentation; 40% written research project; 50% take home exam. wWord length for both 'written research project' & 'take home exam' will be 2000 words max. Research project presentation will be assessed by convenor/tutor with peer review guidance by other seminar participants. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Leffler, M.P. and Legro, J.W. (eds) (2008) To Lead the World: American Strategy After the Bush Doctrine (Oxford University Press).
Ikenberry, G.J., Knock, T.J., Slaughter, A-M., Smith, T. (2009) The Crisis of American Foreign Policy: Wilsonianism in the 21st Century (Princeton University Press)
Viotti, P.R. (2010) American Foreign Policy (Polity Press)
Students will receive a course guide with extensive readings under each lecture theme. Electronic resources will be used where available.
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof John Peterson
Tel: (0131 6)51 3023
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Susan Orr
Tel: (0131 6)50 4253
Email: |
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