Information Package

Program of Political Science and International Relations (English)

POLI429

AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY

Course Code
POLI429
Semester
-
Theory+Practice
3 + 0
ECTS
5
Course TypeElective Course
Course LevelBachelor's Degree
Year of Study-
Semester-
ECTS5
Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

  1. learn the USA foreign policy in detail.
  2. learn how the post-war order is established by the USA, England and other main powers.
  3. learn the fundamental characteristics of the USA foreign policy.
  4. name the main features of four major global institutions which were disigned to regulate the post-war world.
  5. be able to name five arguments for the US war to democratize Iraq.
Mode of DeliveryFace to face
PrerequisitesNo
Recommended Optional Programme ComponentsNo recommended optional programme components.
Course DescriptionThis course will investigate the development of the American Foreign Policy to date starting from its roots. The major military conflicts that the USA have been a part of, and the foreign affairs of the USA will be discussed in the context of the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the conflicts in the Middle East, the War on Terror, and the regime change in Iraq. The course also will examine the current relations of the USA as the sole superpower of the 21st Century with the major powers and rising powers in the world.
Course Contents
WEEK TOPICS
1st Week Introduction: The City on the Hill and Manifest Destiny
2nd Week The Fallout from World War II
3rd Week The Beginnings of the Cold War
4th Week The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan
5th Week The Cold War and Containment
6th Week The War in Korea
7th Week The Eisenhower Doctrine and Era
8th Week Midterm Week
9th Week Kennedy and New Frontiers
10th Week The Vietnam Era. Nixon and the End of the Vietnam War
11th Week The United States and the Middle East
12th Week The Carter Era and Human Rights
13th Week Ronald Reagan and the Evil Empire
14th Week The United States in the Gulf
Recommended or Required ReadingStephen E. Ambrose and Douglas G. Brinkley: Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938. New York: Penguin Books, l997.
William Blum: Rogue State. London: Zed Books, 2002.
Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
  • Lecture
  • Discussion
  • Questions/Answers
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Quantity Percentage (%)
Mid-term 1 40
Total(%) 40
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%) 40
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%) 60
Total(%) 100
ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload
Activities Quantity Duration (Hour) Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam 1 1 1
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work 14 2 28
Preparation for Final exam 1 40 40
Course hours 14 3 42
Preparation for Midterm exam 1 40 40
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam 1 1.15 1.15
Homework
Total Work Load152.15
Total Work Load / 30 (h)5.07
ECTS Credit of the Course5
Language of InstructionEnglish
Work Placement(s)No
LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
K1
K2
K3 X X X
K4
K5
K6 X X
K7 X X X
K8
K9 X
K10 X
K11 X
K12 X
K13 X X X