ClassInfo

This course will examine the institutions that shape, influence and manage U.S. foreign policy. Through a combination of readings, classroom lectures and discussions, and policy-making simulations, it will provide students with a foundation of knowledge about the institutions, their origins, and culture. During the semester, the instructor, a 25-year veteran of the Foreign Service, will guide students as they delve into the way key foreign policy institutions work. We will examine the changing role of the State Department and the Foreign Service, including its decision-making and planning processes; the role of foreign assistance and USAID in foreign policy; and the emergence of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) as a leader in trade and economic policy. Through readings and discussions we look at the role of the Department of Defense and examine the argument that there has been a growing "militarization" of foreign policy, as well as look at how intelligence agencies have been used by presidents in foreign policy and have themselves impacted policy. We will examine, with a close linkage to the 2016 presidential elections, how the National Security Council has grown from a coordinating body to a foreign policy leader, and examine academic and policy critiques of and recommendations for these institutions, with a particular eye to the transition preparations the newly elected president will put into place in November. The course will also look at the role played by Congress in making and carrying out foreign policy; and examine non-governmental forces that seek to influence policy, including the media, think tanks, non-governmental organizations and lobbying groups, and the public as they seek to influence foreign policy. Students will have the opportunity several times during the semester to meet virtually with Washington policy-makers who will join the class via Skype to provide their insights on real time iss and institutional realities. The impact of the 2016 election will be woven into the course, in particular with regard to the transition process.

Students will be graded on an A-F basis. Grading will be as follows:

10% Short Policy Memo (300-500 words) summarizing an assigned issue. Examples will be given and reviewed before the assignment..

15% Negotiation and Policy Memo Writing Exercise (3 class periods) Over three class periods, the class will write a consensus policy memo to the newly elected president on a complex major foreign policy issue on which there are differences among departments (eg., China). Students will write one paragraph as the contribution of their assigned bureau or department; negotiate with other students consensus language and assist in writing a consensus memo; and orally brief their bureau's recommendation.

45% Class Participation - Students will be expected to attend participate fully in class discussions, offering their own informed opinions, role playing, and making formal presentations as required. Students must complete the assigned reading and remain abreast of key foreign policy developments.

30% Final Paper--A final paper, 2,500-3,000 words, with research footnoted, will be due on December 15. Students must meet with professor by November 1 to discuss the topic of their paper, which must address either a policy or institutional foreign policy issue.