GINT 740
CONDUCT AND FORMULATION OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
Fall 2000
Jerel Rosati
Department of Government & International Studies
Gambrell Hall 420
777-2981
Rosati@sc.edu
Please read the syllabus carefully for I have given great thought to the development of this course.
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the course is to provide the foundation to allow you to arrive at a strong understanding of the complex politics of U.S. foreign policy. This is to be accomplished: 1) by providing you with a broad and intensive survey of information and knowledge of the foreign policy process of the United States, 2) by familiarizing you with different sources and interpretations of U.S. foreign policy, 3) by improving your ability to analyze, synthesize, and communicate, and 4) by relating the course material to the contemporary politics of U.S. foreign policy. The course should broaden and deepen your substantive and historical knowledge of U.S. foreign policy. In addition, the course should improve your general learning potential and level of professional competence. It is hoped that by the end of the semester you will find the course to be informative, interesting and enjoyable.
REQUIREMENTS
Students are expected to engage in a considerable amount of reading and will be evaluated through class participation, written papers, and a final examination. The intent behind these requirements is to have you study and think about the course material throughout the semester--to provide you with numerous opportunities to demonstrate the knowledge you have acquired and to get feedback--in order to maximize your ability to learn and grow as a student.
1. Direct Participation (10%). In order to get the most out of class, you must be prepared when you come to class. Students are required to complete the readings prior to class meetings and to come to class ready to discuss them. I expect everyone to participate actively in the discussion of the day. A midterm evaluation of the quantity and quality of your participation in class discussion will probably be provided approximately halfway through the semester.
2. Three Writing Assignments (20% each). There will be three writing opportunities during the semester. The three writing assignments consist of: i) a legislative history and political analysis paper, ii) a public opinion and comparative analysis paper, and iii) a case study and political analysis paper. All assignments are to be completed on time and well-written. Grades for late assignments will be lowered by their tardiness. Further information about the written essays will be provided at a future time.
3. Final Examination (30%). The final will consist of essays and will be cumulative, focusing on the general points and major concepts/questions addressed in the readings and in class. Your essays should demonstrate your mastery and thoughtful consideration of the material, and should explicitly discuss and integrate the readings. You will receive a study guide in advance of the examination to help you prepare.
Late assignments. If you cannot fulfill a requirement by the due date, I (or the GINT office, 7-7686) MUST BE CONTACTED WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE DUE DATE and provided a legitimate explanation (e.g., medical illness). Assignments which are allowed to be completed after the due date will be expected to meet higher standards given the additional time granted.
GRADES
The grades for all of the above requirements are based on my assessment of your quality of substantive knowledge, quality of analysis, and effective communication demonstrated--in other words, the level of understanding demonstrated. An A represents "excellent" understanding; a B+ represents "very good" understanding; a B represents "good" understanding. Grades below B indicate that the level of understanding demonstrated is below the level expected of graduate students.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY AND STRATEGY
The class will be structured around what I call a class dialogue in which information, knowledge, and thought will be generated through lecture/background, discussion, and the Socratic method. I will often play the role of provocateur and advocate to stimulate participation. The class dialogue emphasizes the importance of student participation and ACTIVE LEARNING as a means to improve one's skills, interest, information, knowledge, and, ultimately, understanding. In essence, class discussions will consist of an active exchange between the student and professor. When deemed necessary, background will be provided for some of the more difficult material and to provide appropriate context.
The class is organized around the required readings. I expect every student to come to class prepared and ready to participate. Every student should be able to summarize and analyze each assigned reading and place it in perspective relative to the rest of the course material by addressing the following questions:
1. What is the author's purpose?
2. What is the basic theme(s) or argument(s) of the reading?
3. What are the most important historical events, information, concepts, etc., discussed in the reading?
4. How does this reading relate to the other readings, the central themes of the course, and contemporary politics?
5. How powerful or weak is the argument and the evidence? Why?
Students also are encouraged to offer comments or questions which contribute to class discussions on a regular basis.
NATURE OF THE COURSE
One ultimate purpose of higher education and the offering of this course is to broaden your knowledge and understanding about the world around you--to learn about things that you probably don't know much about and to think about things that you haven't given much thought to. At the same time, I recognize that many individuals hold strong beliefs and feelings about the United States, often based more on faith and emotion rather than substantive knowledge. Therefore, much of the material in this course may be controversial and will challenge you to think about many beliefs and assumptions you hold (and have rarely examined).
Your role is to act as student, social scientist, or policy analyst, not policymaker, activist, or true believer. Remember, our goal is to better understand reality--in this case the history and contemporary practice of U.S. foreign policy--regardless of what your feelings and opinions are about that reality. Learning and understanding are to be accomplished through the accumulation of information and knowledge and reliance on an open and critical mind.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Jerel Rosati is a Professor of political science and international studies and has been a member of the Department of Government and International Studies at Carolina for eighteen years. His intellectual interests range from understanding American politics and intellectual thought to exploring the dynamics of global change, political psychology, and the nature of human interaction. His area of specialization is the theory and practice of foreign policy, focusing on the United States policymaking process. He is the author of The Carter Administration's Quest for Global Community: Beliefs and Their Impact on Behavior and The Politics of United States Foreign Policy (which has been translated in Chinese), as well as the co-editor of The Power of Human Needs in World Society and Foreign Policy Restructuring: How Governments Respond to Global Change, and the author of numerous scholarly articles. He has been named the Outstanding Professor of the Year in the Humanities and Social Sciences by the South Carolina (Honors) College and the Outstanding Teacher in International Studies in the Department of Government & International Studies. He has offered a course on pedagogy for Ph.D.'s in political science and international studies; taught Master's of International Business students; and participated in a number of USIA funded instructional programs involving, for example, Bulgarians, Israelis, and Somalis. He has taught at Somalia National University in Mogadishu and at China’s Foreign Affairs College in Beijing. He has been a Research Associate in the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division of the Library of Congress's Congressional Research Service, President of the International Studies Association's Foreign Policy Analysis Section, and President of the Southern region of the International Studies Association. He is happily married and the proud father of three children and enjoys travel, sports, music, reading, and good company. He came of age during the early seventies as an undergraduate at U.C.L.A when the events surrounding the Vietnam War and Watergate reached a crescendo, which had a profound impact on his intellectual and personal development to the present day.
Please feel free to come see me during my office hours or to make an appointment. EMAIL is a very effective way to communicate with me.
THIS SYLLUBUS REFLECTS THE EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS YOU MUST FULFILL. I EXPECT YOU TO TAKE THE COURSE SERIOUSLY AND WORK AS HARD AS I DO--WHICH IS, AFTERALL, THE KEY TO LEARNING AND INTELLECTUAL GROWTH.
READINGS
The course revolves around the readings--a large, diverse, kaleidoscopic set of readings. Together, the readings in the four books below reflect different genres, provide different perspectives and interpretations, and come from a variety of sources. Some of the readings are more scholarly; others are more policy-oriented; and others are more intellectual and journalistic in their orientation. Some are long; some are short. Some are classics; others are more contemporary pieces. A mix of a large number of readings maximizes the acquisition of information, knowledge, and understanding of the politics of United States foreign policy and will hopefully increase interest and readability.
Jerel A. Rosati, The Politics of United States Foreign Policy (Harcourt Brace, 1998)
Jerel A. Rosati, ed., Readings in the Politics of United States Foreign Policy (Harcourt Brace, 1998)
James C. Scott, ed., After the End: Making U.S. Foreign Policy in the Post-Cold War World (Duke University Press, 1998)
Godfrey Hodgson, America in Our Time (Vintage, 1976)
The readings are intended to be accessible and diverse so as to improve your ability to acquire an understanding of the dynamics of world politics and its real-world relevance. The required readings for each week are specified under Course Topics and Readings below.
Contemporary Affairs. It is also expected that you will follow contemporary affairs through the media during this semester more than you might normally be accustomed. The national news--on network television or on National Public Radio--is strongly encouraged as well. You should also familiarize yourself with the litany of magazines and journals which present a host of intellectual, opinion, and policy positions. Such journals can be found in the Thomas Cooper Library, the Institute of International Studies Library located on the Fourth Floor of Gambrell Hall, the Richland County Public Library on Assembly Street, and the bookstore Intermezzo (next to Goatfeather's). All the sources below can also be found on the internet.
American Media Sources for Following Contemporary Affairs.
TV:
National News (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN)
The News with Brian Williams (MSNBC, CNBC)
Nightline (ABC), M-F 11:30-12:00 pm
The News Hour with Jim Lehrer (PBS), M-F 6:00-7:00 pm
This Week with Sam Donaldson & Cokie Roberts (ABC), Sunday 10:30-11:30 am
Face the Nation (CBS), Sunday 12:00-12:30 pm
Meet the Press (NBC), Sunday 9:00-10:00 am
60 Minutes (CBS), Sunday 7:00-8:00 pm
Frontline (PBS), Tuesday 10:00-11:00 pm
CSPAN
MSNBC and CNBC (at night)
West Wing (NBC), Friday, 9-10 pm
Radio:
Morning Edition (NPR), M-F 6:00-8:00 am
All Things Considered (NPR), M-F 4:00-6:00 pm
Weekend Edition (NPR), Sat 8:00-10:00 am; Sun 9:00-11:00 am
The World (NPR), M-F 3-4 pm
Newspapers:
The State
New York Times
Washington Post
International Herald Tribune
Wall Street Journal
Newsweeklies:
In These Times
Newsweek
Time
U.S. News and World Report
Intellectual/Opinion journals:
American Prospect
Atlantic Monthly
Commentary
Chronicles
Dissent
Nation
National Review
New Republic
New York Review of Books
Progressive
Reason
Utne Reader
Z Magazine
Policy journals:
Foreign Policy
Foreign Affairs
International Security
National Interest
Orbis
World Policy Journal
Department of State Bulletin
Other programs, magazines, and literature are available, as well as fictional accounts (e.g., novels, movies) with important political messages.
COURSE TOPICS AND OUTLINE
[If you miss a class, you are responsible for contacting a classmate
to find out the reading and class assignments.]
[Please bring the readings with you to class.]
PART I -- INTRODUCTION
Topic 1. The Politics of United States Foreign Policy
Required:
Rosati, preface and chapter 1
Hilsman, “Policy-Making is Politics,” chapter 1 in Rosati reader
Scott and Crothers, “Out of the Cold: The Post-Cold War Context of U.S. Foreign Policy,” chapter 1 in Scott volume
Recommended:
Hedrick Smith, The Power Game: How Washington Really Works (Ballentine, 1988), introduction
PART II — HISTORICAL AND GLOBAL CONTEXT
Topic 2. History of U.S. Foreign Relations and American Power
Required:
Rosati, chapters 2 and 3
Kennedy, "The (Relative) Decline of America," chapter 55 in Rosati reader
Nye, “The Misleading Metaphor of Decline,” chapter 56 in Rosati reader
Recommended:
Joseph S. Nye, Jr. "The Changing Nature of World Power," Political Science Quarterly 105 (Summer 1990), pp. 177-92
Joseph S. Nye, Jr. "Soft Power," Foreign Policy 80 (Fall 1990), pp. 153-71
Paul Kennedy, "Fin-de-Siecle America," New York Review of Books (June 28, 1990), pp. 31-40
Paul Kennedy, "The American Prospect," New York Review of Books (March 4, 1993), pp. 42-53
Lincold Bloomfield, "Planning Foreign Policy: Can it be Done?," Political Science Quarterly 93 (Fall 1978), pp. 369-92
Peter Gourevitch, "The Second Image Reversed: The International Sources of Domestic Politics," International Organization 32 (Autumn 1978, pp. 881-912
Bruce Russett, "The Mysterious Case of Vanishing Hegemony; or, Is Mark Twain Really Dead?," International Studies Organization 39 (Spring 1985), pp. 207-32
Joseph S. Nye, Jr., "The Misleading Metaphor of Decline," The Atlantic Monthly (March 1990), pp. 86-94
PART III — THE GOVERNMENT AND THE POLICYMAKING PROCESS
Topic 3. Presidency and NSC
Required:
Rosati, chapters 4, 5 and 6
Neustadt, “Leader or Clerk?” chapter 2 in Rosati reader
Greenstein, “Ronald Reagan--Another Hidden-Hand Ike?” chapter 3 in Rosati reader;
Crabb and Mulcahy, “George Bush’s Management Style and Operation Desert Storm,” chapter 4 in Rosati reader
Greenstein, “The Two Leadership Styles of William Jefferson Clinton,” chapter 5 in Rosati reader
Mulcahy and Kendrick, “The National Security Adviser: A Presidential Perspective,” chapter 6 in Rosati reader
Kissinger, “Getting Organized,” chapter 7 in Rosati reader
Mulcahy, “The Secretary of State and the National Security Adviser: Foreign Policymaking in the Carter and Reagan Administrations,” chapter 8 in Rosati reader;
Sciolino, “Christopher and Lake Vying for Control of Foreign Policy,” chapter 9 in Rosati reader
U.S., National Security Act of 1947, “National Security Council,” chapter 10 in Rosati reader
Rosati and Twing, “The Presidency and U.S. Foreign Policy after the Cold War,” chapter 3 in Scott reader
Recommended:
Fred I. Greenstein, "The Two Leadership Styles of William Jefferson Clinton," Political Psychology 15 (June 1994), pp. 351-61
Garry Wills, "Clinton's Troubles," New York Review of Books (September 22, 1994), pp. 4-8
Zbigniew Brzezinski, Power and Principle: Memoirs of the National Security Adviser, 1977-1981 (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1983), pp. 57-78
Smith, "The Shadow Staff," pp. 294-325
Margaret G. Hermann, "Presidential Leadership Style, Advisory Systems, and Policy Making: Bill Clinton's Administration After Seven Months," Political Psychology 15 (June 1994), pp. 363-74
Jason DePared, "The Man Inside Bill Clinton's Foreign Policy," New York Times Magazine (August 20, 1995), pp. 33-39, 46, 55, 56
Richard M. Pious, The American Presidency, (Basic Books, 1979), introduction, chapter 2, and conclusion
Fred I. Greenstein and John P. Burke, "The Dynamics of Presidential Reality Testing: Evidence from Two Vietnam Decisions," Political Science Quarterly 104 (Winter 1989-90), pp. 557-80
Smith, "Shadow Government: The Power of Staff," pp. 294-325; "The Other Foreign Policy Game: End Runs and Back Channels," chapter 16
Fred I. Greenstein, "The Presidential Leadership Style of Bill Clinton: An Early Appraisal," Political Science Quarterly 108 (Winter 1993-94), pp. 589-601
Jacob Heilbrunn, "Lake Inferior," New Republic (September 20 & 27, 1993), pp. 29-35
Topic 4. State and Military
Required:
Rosati, chapters 7 and 8
Clarke, “Why State Can’t Lead,” chapter 11 in Rosati reader
Hook, “The White House, Congress, and the Paralysis of the U.S. State Department after the Cold War,” chapter 12 in Scott volume
Jones, “What’s Wrong with Our Defense Establishment,” chapter 12 in Rosati reader
Easterbrook, “Operation Desert Shill,” chapter 13 in Rosati reader
Binkin, “The New Face of the American Military,” chapter 14 in Rosati reader
Vistica, “Anchors Aweigh,” chapter 15 in Rosati reader
Jones, “The Foreign Policy Bureaucracy in a New Era,” chapter 3 in Scott volume
Sterling-Folker, “Assertive Multilateralism and Post-Cold War Foreign Policy Making,” chapter 11 in Scott volume
Schraeder, “Understanding U.S. Policy Toward Somalia after the Cold War,” chapter 13 in Scott volume
Reommended:
James Q. Wilson, Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It (Basic Books, 1989)
Harry Crosby, "Too At Home Abroad," The Washington Monthly (September 1991), pp. 16-20
U.S., Department of State, State 2000: A New Model for Managing Foreign Affairs (Report of the Management Task Force, December 1992), pp. 3-16
Barry Schweid, "Warren's World," Foreign Policy (Spring 1994), pp. 137-47
David C. Jones, "What's Wrong with Our Defense Establishment," New York Times Magazine (November 7, 1982)
Ronald H. Spector, "U.S. Army Strategy in the Vietnam War," International Security (Spring 1987), pp. 130-34
Gregg Easterbrook, "Operation Desert Shill," New Republic (September 30, 1991), pp. 32-42
John Barry and Roger Charles, "Sea of Lies," Newsweek (July 13, 1992), pp. 29-39
Carol Burke, "Dames at Sea," New Republic (August 17 & 24, 1992), pp. 16-20
Bert A. Rockman, "America's Department of State: Irregular and Regular Syndromes of Policy Making," American Political Science Review 75 (December 1981), pp. 911-927
Duncan L. Clarke, "Why State Can't Lead," Foreign Policy (Spring 1987), pp. 128-142
Charlton Ogburn, Jr., "The Flow of Policy-Making in the Department of State," in The Formulation and Administration of United States Foreign Policy (Brookings, 1960), edited by H. Field Haviland, Jr., pp. 172-77
Smith, "Pentagon Games," chapter 8
Richard K. Betts, Soldiers, Statesmen and Cold War Crises (Harvard University Press, 1977), pp. 116-38
Martin Binkin, "The New Face of the American Military," Brookings Review (Summer 1991), pp. 7-13
Eliot A. Cohen, "Constraints on America's Conduct of Small Wars," International Security 9 (Fall 1984), pp. 151-81
Earl H. Tilford, Jr., "The Meaning of Victory in Operation Desert Storm: A Review Essay," Political Science Quarterly 108 (Summer 1993), pp. 327-331
Eliot A. Cohen, "After the Battle," New Republic (April 1, 1991)
Carl E. Vuone, "Desert Storm and the Future of Conventional Forces," Foreign Affairs (Spring 1991), pp. 49-68
Eliot A. Cohen, "Down the Hatch," New Republic (March 7, 1994), pp. 14-19
Richard H. Kohn, "Out of Control: The Crisis in Civil-Military Relations," National Interest (Spring 1994), pp. 3-17
Lawrence J. Korb, "Peace Without Dividend: Why We Can't Seem to Cut the Defense Budget," Washington Post (July 9, 1995).
Charles Lane, "The Newest War," Newsweek (January 6, 1992), pp. 18-23.
Charles Moskos, "How Do They Do It?" The New Republic (August 5, 1991), pp. 16-20.
Robert L. Borosage, "Inventing the Threat: Clinton's Defense Budget," World Policy Journal (Winter 1993/94), pp. 7-15
Topic 5. Intelligence and Foreign Economics
Required:
Rosati, chapters 9 and 10 (pp. 253-267)
Heilbrunn, "The Old Boy at War," chapter 16 in Rosati reader
Sharpe, "The Real Cause of Irangate," chapter 17 in Rosati reader
Ott, "Shaking Up the CIA," chapter 18 in Rosati reader
U.S., National Security Act of 1947, “Central Intelligence Agency,” chapter 20 in Rosati reader
Wildavsky, “Under the Gun (at the National Economic Council,” chapter 19 in Rosati reader
Destler, “Foreign Economic Policy Making under Bill Clinton,” chapter 4 in Scott volume
Scherlen, “NAFTA and Beyond: The Politics of Trade in the Post-Cold War Period,” chapter 14 in Scott volume
Rosner, “American Assistance to the Former Soviet States in 1993-1994,” chapter 9 in Scott volume
Recommended:
Loch K. Johnson, "Covert Action and Accountability: Decision-Making for America's Secret Foreign Policy," International Studies Quarterly 33 (March 1989), pp. 81-109
Thomas Powers, "No Laughing Matter," The New York Review of Books (August 10, 1995), pp. 4-6
Peter Maas, "Is He the CIA's Last, Best Hope?" Parade Magazine (November 19, 1995), pp. 4-5
John B. Judis, "Old Master: Robert Rubin's Artful Role," New Republic (December 13, 1993), pp. 21-28
Kim Andrew Elliott, "Too Many Voices of America," Foreign Policy 77 (Winter 1989-90), pp. 113-131
Thomas Carothers, "The NED at 10," Foreign Policy 95 (Summer 1994), pp. 123-38
Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, The CIA and American Democracy (Yale University Press, 1989), chapter 1
Loch K. Johnson, America's Secret Power: The CIA in a Democratic Society (Oxford University Press, 1989), chapters 4 and 5