Political Science 363 - Geopolitics and American Foreign Policy

This seminar has two foremost objectives: (1) to understand the forces that led to the elections of Donald Trump, and (2) to examine the main geopolitical and ideological features of his foreign policy. Since American War of Independence what role has ideology and geopolitics played in American statecraft? Using the methods of diplomatic history, political science and international relations, we will explore critical historical moments and crucial historical themes in American foreign policy to better understand the role of the United States in world politics today.  Along the way, we will also examine domestic controversies over the character of America’s global role as well as analyze the following issues: How and why did the US moved from the periphery of world politics at the beginning of the twentieth century to the center of world politics during the Cold War? How and why did America first gain and then soon begin to lose its global unipolar position in the post-Cold War decades after 1989? How have Americans
responded to the emerging multipolar global system? Finally, we will conclude our seminar by assessing how Trump’s current domestic and foreign policy adventurism has already changed and will continue to transform the world order in the future.

Requisite: Recommended two or more classes in the social sciences. At least one should be a POSC course (200 level or above) 

Limited to 25 students. Fall semester. Professor Machala.

How to handle overenrollment: Preference given to Political Science 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 reading and written work.