Political Science 380 - Kremlin Rising: Russia's Foreign Policy in the 21st Century

This course will examine the foreign policy of the Russian Federation of the past twenty years. As a successor state Russia has inherited both the Soviet Union's clout (nuclear arms, a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council) and Soviet debts—monetary, psychological, and historical. What are the conceptual foundations of Russian diplomacy? Can we deconstruct Russian nationalism so as to examine its different trends and their impact on foreign policy? Do Russian exports of oil and gas define Russian diplomacy, as it is often claimed? Is there any pattern in the struggle over resources and their export routes in continental Eurasia?

Requisite: A previous POSC course. Limited to 20 students. Fall semester. Visiting Assistant Professor Pleshakov.

How to handle overenrollment: Preference given to senior and junior Political Science majors who require the class, then to majors by rank, then to non-majors

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on class discussion, oral presentations, and written work.