Prospectus

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Modern United States Foreign Policy

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

Admission to the MA International Relations.

Description

In this course students study the foreign policy of the United States, engaging with history in order to understand the present. The course: (1) examines key concepts in American foreign policy, such as Wilsonianism, restraint, and America First; (2) looks at the processes by which American foreign policy is made, examining the roles of the president, Congress, and the national security agencies; and (3) looks at specific issues and regions, such as trade, immigration, and the rise of China.

Course objectives

  • Critically analyze key traditions in the history of American foreign relations, along with key events;

  • Critically analyze the key domestic processes involved in the formation of American policy, and the role of actors like the presidency, the executive branch, Congress, and the press;

  • Be able to understand and comment upon key issues posed to American foreign relations – and the issues posed by American power to the rest of the world;

  • Be able to synthesize their knowledge into group presentations and individual research papers which draw links between the various elements of the course. The research paper involves independent learning which goes beyond the information covered in the course. .

Timetable

The timetables are available through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

  • Seminars

Assessment method

Assessment

  • Weekly reading summaries

  • Critical review

  • Presentation

  • Final essay

Weighing

  • Weekly reading summaries, 15%

  • Critical review, 20%

  • Presentation, 15%

  • Final essay, 50%

Resit

The resit is only available if the final essay is insufficient.

Inspection and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.

Reading list

A syllabus will be provided before the course begins containing information on the literature to be used in the course. Any student wishing to start early should contact the instructor.

Registration

Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website

Contact

  • For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.

  • For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga

Remarks

Not applicable