POLI
340: Conduct of US Foreign Policy -- Syllabus
Professor Betty Glad
Office: 301 Gambrell Hall
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays
10:50-11:30, 1:50-3:00
And by appointment
Tel: 7-4544; E-mail: glad@gwm.sc.edu
Purpose of Course: How is US
foreign policy made? This semester we will
look at the institutions and processes characteristic of the US during
the Cold War epoch and note the major changes made during the present
anti-terrorist period. Ordinarily each week will begin with a video
from CNN, PBS or the History Channel on the topic to be discussed that
week. Focusing on the preeminent role of the presidency in the
definition of US foreign policy responses, we will also touch upon the
attempts of Congress to play a role in the decision making process, as
well as the relevance of the press, political parties, interest groups
and the public in that process. The problems of defining “war” in this
anti-terrorist period, the relevance of preventative war doctrines for
US influence, the related intelligence, and the problems for civil
liberties that US policies may introduce will also be explored. Topics
dealt with in the 9/11 Commission Report will be used to illuminate
these issues.
Requirements: Because you are
given a limited number of required
materials to read, you are expected to read those required materials
before they are discussed in class. You will be held responsible for
all course materials, including the videos, two midterm exams and a
final exam. Students, in addition, will do a book report-essay on some
aspect of the present US anti-terrorist campaign. A list of possible
readings will be handed out early in the semester. You may choose
another reading, should you so desire, after a consultation with the
professor. Your review should consist of a critical essay approximately
6 pages. Some reviews may be presented to the class, at the
instructor's invitation. See reviews in the New York Review of Books
for a model of the kind of essay to which you should aspire. You are
expected to attend class regularly, read the assignments for the day
prior to the class period and participate in the discussions.
Grading:
Papers/Book Review: 20 points
An automatic grade point penalty of 5 percent per day will be applied
to papers turned in after the date indicated.
Exams: 20 points possible for
each midterm and final examination. 60
points total. No make-ups for any examinations will be given to a
student without a written physician’s report stating that she/he is
unable to take the examination due to illness.
Participation: 20 points
possible. Grade will be based on classroom
attendance and participation in discussions.
Academic Dishonesty: Copying
material from another source (book,
journal, another student, etc.) without proper acknowledgment is
cheating! So is the use of crib sheets during an examination. These and
other forms of cheating will result in an automatic grade of an "F" for
the course no matter what the quality of other class work. If you have
any questions about proper documentation, please see me.
Required Materials:
1. Betty Glad and Chris Dolan, eds., Striking First: The Preventive War
Doctrine and the Reshaping of US Foreign Policy,
Palgrave/Macmillan, December 2004.
(ISBN 1-4039-6548-X).
2. The 9/11 Commission Report,
Authorized Edition (W.W. Norton) Paperback (ISBN 0-393-32671-3).
3. Also, a packet will be put together and made available at
CopyPickUp, located at 1830 Rosewood Drive at the corner of South Gregg
Street. The phone number is 799-2679. I will post an announcement on
blackboard when those packets are ready to be picked up.
4. Plus required viewing of at least five of the videos shown in class.
If you miss seeing videos in class, you should view them on your
own, via rental or borrowing from USC library.
Schedule—ASSIGNMENTS AND TOPICAL
OUTLINE
Discussion dates are approximate, and may be changed as necessity of
coverage dictates!
Part One: Two Epochs- Two Different
Challenges
I. Soviet Imperialism and the First U.S. Response. The Truman
Administration
• Video: “Iron Curtain, Berlin”
(from CNN)
• Readings: Rosati, chapters 4 & 5
(Presidential Management, The NSC).
• Focus: The president, the national
security establishment
II. Terrorism: The Hidden Enemy and the Immediate US Responses Today.
• Readings: 9-11 Commission Report:
chapters 1-3 and pages 334-38
• Focus: Nature of attacks, first
responders, crisis decision making, intelligence
problems
Part Two: The Cold War: Evolution of
Doctrine, Institutionalized Responses
III. Evolution of US Military doctrine: Deterrence, “More Bang for the
Buck,” the Truman
and Eisenhower Administrations.
• Video: “The Korean War and Mc
Arthur
• Readings: Rosati, chapters 7
& 10 (Military Establishment, Decision Making).
Xerox packet: Glad, “When
Governments are Good,” in Kennedy et al, The
Moral Authority of
Government
• Focus: Decision making theory;
managing the military, diplomacy
IV. Covert Operations: E. Europe, Iran, Guatemala, Cuba. And
Intelligence Collection, Analysis and Routing to Relevant Actors.
Eisenhower
Administration
• Videos: Cold War Series:
Selections from Backyard l954-l990, Spies (from CNN)
• Readings: Rosati, chapter 8
(Intelligence)
9/11 Commission Report,
chapters 4, 7, 8
• Focus: Covert operations,
intelligence. Cf to 911 .
1st Exam
V. MAD under Kennedy and LBJ
• Videos: “MAD l960-72” (from CNN
Cold War Series)
Selections from
“Dr. Strangelove,”
• Readings: Rosati, chapter 7
(Military Establishment, review)
• Focus: Nuclear deterrence
dilemmas; counter-insurgency doctrines and their
problems for US.
Graduated deterrence and LBJ
VI. Graduated Deterrence: The Vietnam War: The Domino Theory; CI
Operations:
(Kennedy, LBJ, Nixon: 2 weeks) :
• Videos: “Vietnam l954-l968”
(from CNN)
“L.B. Johnson
and the Vietnam War.” (from PBS)
• Readings: Rosati, chapters 11,
13, 15 (Legislative-Executive Relations, the
Public, and
Elections)
• Focus: Ideology; problems with
counter-Insurgency operations in Vietnam.
Congress and foreign
policy process; Vietnam JFK and LBJ
VII. Détente: the Nixon and Ford Administrations. One session.
VIII. Renewal of the Cold War: Diplomacy in the Middle East; Response
to Afghanistan War: Carter Administration (1 week)
• Videos: “The American
Experience: Jimmy Carter.” (Selections on Camp David
talks from PBS)
• Readings: Rosati, chapter 6, (
State Department; diplomacy)
• Focus: rescue operations;
diplomacy; intelligence and military build-up; strategic
actors in inter
circle.
IX. Confrontation, Diplomacy and the End of the Cold War. Reagan and
Gorbachev’s New Thinking, GRIT Policies (1 week)
• Videos: Selections from “Freeze
l966-l981” and “Star Wars 1981-1988” (from CNN
Cold War
Series)
• Readings: Rosati, chapters 16,
17 (Group Politics, The Media).
• Focus: Public opinion, group
politics and changes in foreign policies
2nd Exam
Part Three: Terrorism: The Hidden
Enemy and US Institutionalized Response
X. Striking First: The Bush Presidency and Inner Circle Rivalries
• Readings: “The Explicit
Doctrine of Striking First,” by Chris J. Dolan, plus
misc. items (Xerox
packet)
The 9/11 Commission Report
-- chapters 7, 8
• Focus: The nature of the
terrorist threat: inner circle conflicts over the policy
response. Evaluation of
governmental responses plus recommendations
for changes.
XI. Responses of Congress, the Bureaucracy, the Supreme Court
• Readings: “The Political and
Legal Status of Persons in the War on Terrorism,” by
Drew Noble Lanier,
Xerox packet
The 9/11 Commission Report
-- chapters 10-13,
• Focus: Changes in Domestic
Institutions, Politics
XII. Imperial Claims: evaluations
• Readings: “The Prospects for
American Hegemony,” by Robert Jervis; “The Limits
of Empire,” by Betty
Glad (Xerox packet),
• Focus: The Advantages and
Disadvantages of Imperial Power and How it is
Exercised
Conclusion and Summary of Course.
Final Exam
POLI463:
The Chief Executive -- Syllabus
Professor Betty Glad
Office: 301 Gambrell Hall
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays
10:50-11:30, 1:50-3:00
And by appointment
Tel: 7-4544; E-mail: glad@gwm.sc.edu
Purpose of Course: The purpose
of this course is to 1) provide you with
a general knowledge of the structure and processes related to the
American Presidency; 2) to develop your ability to think and write
critically about American presidents; and 3) to address a contemporary
issue regarding the presidency. This semester we will deal with some of
the issues related to the US first strike foreign policies. The text,
required readings, contemporary materials (in zerox packet) and videos
are related to all three of these purposes. A research paper on a
president of your choice (see next section, below) is required to
promote the second goal – the development of your skills in evaluating
political leaders.
Requirements: You are expected
to master the required reading materials
and be ready to discuss them on the dates assigned. In addition, you
should select one presidential biography and become an expert on that
president. Your objective is to take one concept from the texts and or
classroom discussions, and apply it to the president you are studying.
For example, you might look at his managerial style (hierarchical,
collegial, or competitive) and show how this impacted some important
policy. Your report should be approximately 6-8 pages long. You are to
double-space and use font size 12. Some papers may be presented to the
class, at the instructor's invitation.
You are expected to attend class regularly, read the assignments for
the day prior to the class period and participate in the discussions.
Students are also expected to subscribe to one major periodical (the
New York Times, Washington Post, Time or Newsweek) so that they may see
the relevance of classroom discussions to contemporary political
developments. It should help to make the course more enjoyable.
Grading: There will be two
midterms, a final, and your research paper.
In addition you will receive a discussion grade based on classroom
attendance and contribution to discussions. Each of the five items will
count towards a possible 20 points. An automatic penalty of 5 points
per day will be applied to papers turned in after the date indicated.
No make-ups for any examinations will be given to a student without a
written physician’s report stating that she/he is unable to take the
examination due to illness.
Academic Dishonesty: Copying
material from another source (book,
journal, another student, etc.) without proper acknowledgment is
cheating! So is the use of crib sheets during an examination. These and
other forms of cheating will result in an automatic grade of an "F" for
the course no matter what the quality of other class work. If you have
any questions about proper documentation, please see me.
Required Readings:
1.) Fred I. Greenstein, The
Presidential Difference: Leadership Style from FDR to Clinton,
(Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2000). (ISBN
0-691-09083-1)
2.) George C. Edwards III and Stephen J. Wayne, Presidential Leadership: Politics
and Policy Making, Sixth Edition. (ISBN 0-534-60237-1)
3.) The 9/11 Commission
Report, Authorized Edition (ISBN 0-393-32671-3).
4.) Also, a packet will be put together and made available at
CopyPickUp, located at 1830 Rosewood Drive at the corner of South Gregg
Street. The phone number is 799-2679. I will post an announcement on
blackboard when those packets are ready to be picked up.
Schedule -- ASSIGNMENTS AND TOPICAL
OUTLINE
Note that these discussion dates are approximate, and may be changed!
If necessary to provide proper coverage. Exam and due dates are fixed.
Part One: The Man and the Decision
Making Processes
Weeks 1 and 2: Leadership: General Considerations.
• Video: “The President’s
Analyst.” (excerpts from Comedy Central)
• Readings: Edwards and Wayne ---
Chapter 6 “The President’s Office,” Chapter 7
“Presidential
Decision Making,” and Chapter 8 “The Psychological
Presidency.”;
Greenstein --- Chapter 1, “The Presidential Difference.”; and
excerpts from the
9-11 Commission Report. See earlier assignment.
Week 3: Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower
• Video: “Korea: Macarthur’s War”
• Readings: Greenstein ---
Chapter 2 “The Virtuosic Leadership of Franklin D.
Roosevelt,”
Chapter 3 “The Uneven Leadership of Harry S. Truman,” and Chapter 4
“The Unexpected Eisenhower.”; Betty Glad, “When Governments are Good,”
originally published in Moorehead
Kennedy, et. al. eds., The Moral Authority of Government, New
Brunswick. Reprinted in Transaction: Social Science and Modern
Society, Vol. 37, no. 6, September/October 2000 (Xerox packet readings)
Week 4: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford
• Videos: “Thirteen Days,” with
Kevin Costner or “L.B. Johnson and the Vietnam War”
• Readings: Greenstein ---
Chapter 5 “Coming to Terms with Kennedy,” Chapter 6 “Lyndon B. Johnson
and the Primacy of Politics,” Chapter 7 “The Paradox of Richard
Nixon,” and
Chapter 8 “The Instructive Presidency of Gerald Ford.”
Week 5: Carter, Reagan, and Bush
• Video: “Jimmy Carter: The
American Experience” (from PBS)
• Readings: Greenstein ---
Chapter 9 “Jimmy Carter and the Politics of Rectitude,” Chapter 10
“Ronald Reagan: The Innocent as Agent of Change,” and Chapter 11
“The
Highly Tactical Leadership of George
Bush.”
Week 6: Clinton and G.W. Bush
• Readings: Greenstein ---
Chapter 12 “The Undisciplined Bill Clinton,” Chapter 13 “Lessons from
the Modern Presidency,” Handout from new edition of book,
forthcoming, on George W. Bush; and Betty Glad, “When President
are ‘Tough,’” in press.
Chris J. Dolan, “Foreign Policy on the Offensive” in press.
First Midterm Exam
Part Two: The Presidency in the
Broader Political Context
Weeks 7and 8: Foreign and Defense Policy
• Videos: To be announced (TBA)
• Readings: Edwards and Wayne ---
Chapter 14 “Foreign and Defense Policy Making” and Excerpts from the
9-11 Commission Report Chapters 1, 3, 7, 8;
George W. Bush,
“President Delivers Graduation Speech at West Point,” 2002;
Robert Byrd (D-W.
VA), “Speech on the floor of the US Senate,” 2003;
Betty Glad, “The
Limits of Empire” in press.
Week 9: Elections and Tenure of the President
• Video: “Being There”
• Video: “Dark Days at the White
House: The Watergate Scandal and the Resignation of President Richard
M. Nixon”
• Readings: Edwards and Wayne ---
Chapter 2 “The Nomination Process,” and Chapter 3 “The Presidential
Election.”
Week 10: The President and the Public
• Video: “The Manchurian
Candidate” (original version)
• Readings: Edwards and Wayne ---
Chapter 4 “The President and the Public.”
Week 11: The President, the Press and Accountability
• Video: “The Television
President” or “Wag the Dog”
• Readings: Edwards and Wayne ---
Chapter 5 “The President and the Media.”
Papers Due
Second Midterm Exam
Part Three: The Presidency and Other
Political Institutions
Week 12: The Executive Branch and Policy Implementation
• Video: “Intelligence
Failures”(from A&E) or alternative TBA
• Readings: Edwards and Wayne ---
Chapter 9 “The President and the Executive Branch.” and excerpts from
the 9-11 Commission Report Chapters 10,
11, 13
Week 13: The President and Congress
• Video: Senate Gates Hearings
• Readings: Edwards and Wayne ---
Chapter Ten “The President and Congress.” and excerpts from the 9-11
Commission Report pp. 102-107, 419-423.
Week 14: The President and the Courts
• Video: Senate Judiciary
Committee Hearings—Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill
• Readings: Edwards and Wayne ---
Chapter Eleven “The President and the Judiciary.” and excerpts from the
9-11 Commission Report (TBA)
Week 15: Wrap Up Discussions and Review.
Final Exam