DIP-700-001-- DYNAMICS OF DIPLOMACY
-Fall 2008
Professor John D. Stempel
Office: Patterson Ofc. Twr, Rm. 449
rm.)
Telephone: 257-8261
E-mail: stempelj@email.uky.edu
Web: www.uky.edu/~stempel
Class Time: Tuesday 1-3:30,
Classroom: POT 420 (Van
Office Hours: Mon/Tues 911:30 AM, other times by
appointment
COURSE OVERVIEW -- Diplomacy, often called the second oldest
profession, has been a significant form of interaction between sovereign
entities since antiquity. It gradually became the primary form of
international discourse after the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, and
evolved in its classical European state-centric form well into the 20th
century. Post-World War II, Diplomacy assumed a somewhat different
shape in the bipolar perspective of the Cold War. After 1989 however,
Diplomacy again assumed new meanings and new forms, which lead
some to call it vital, while others consider it outmoded and archaic--cf:
the extreme American Primacy argument, post 9/11. This course will
set out the dynamics of Diplomacy, place it in the contemporary world,
and help you to begin practicing it.
We begin by exploring the historical evolution of diplomacy,
reviewing its origins then turning swiftly to the post-World War II period
as diplomatic practitioners adjusted to a new world--rapid
communication, faster transportation, bipolar political alliances and
growing transnational activity.
With the end of the Cold War,
diplomatic activity surged--while countries simultaneously cut back
their diplomatic establishments.
We then analyze the evolving
functions and organization of diplomacy, zeroing in on what diplomats
actually DO, including practical skill-building exercises.
From there, the course sketches the new functions and tasks
undertaken by diplomats and others, concluding with an assessment of
Diplomacy and diplomatic skills and what they mean for the current
international system and nations in it. Students will be required to do
independent probing on key analytical and policy questions and will
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sharpen their oral and written skills, which are absolutely critical to
diplomatic and other organizational careers anywhere.
ATTENDANCE -- This is a seminar-style course, and participation will
be counted. All credit-earning members of the class should be present
for all sessions, especially ones at which they are presenting material
(see below). Just as in business, government, or politics, occasionally a
scheduled appointment must be missed. In case of such emergency, a
phone call, e-mail, message, note or post-it on the door, or some other
communication should precede an absence. You are responsible for
obtaining notes and information on a session you miss from a
classmate.
EXAMINATIONS AND GRADING -- There will be one test and three
practical exercises in this course. Graded activities will be performed
regularly in class. The following activities will constitute the evaluation
system:
Percent of grade
Seminar participation
10
Demarche
15
Memo of conversation
20
Midterm
25
Analytical briefing
20
There will be no final exam.
per
per
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frequency
every session
once per semester
once per semester
October 30
once per semester
Letter grades will be given for all exercises. However, the instructor
reserves the right to factor in improvement over time in calculating the
final grade. Late written work will be marked down 1/3 a grade a day
(B+ to B). Work over four days late will not be accepted and an “F” grade
assigned. Nonattendance at a scheduled presentation (without
acceptable excuse) will be graded “F”
REPRESENTATION -- Much of diplomacy requires understanding the
attitudes, culture, and politics of another society. With this in mind, at
the beginning of the course, each student will assume the role of a
diplomat in a foreign embassy in Washington. The principal written
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assignments: memcons, demarches, analytical briefings etc., will be
made from the perspective of the country chosen. A list of countries
having significant relations with the United States appears on the
information handout each of you will receive. Please list first, second,
and third choices. No duplicate assignments will be made; a student
cannot choose his or her native country, otherwise, the choice is open.
DEMARCHE -- Beginning September 16 at the start of each class, one
or more of you (as necessary to complete the cycle), will act as the
deputy chief of your country’s embassy. You will present to me, as U.S.
Undersecretary of State for Political (or Economic) Affairs, an issue
important to the country you represent. I will determine the order of
presentation by Sept. 9, and an additional informational handout will
be provided then. Your demarche should be 3-4 minutes. I will then
question you and react to your presentation, as in life.
MEMO OF CONVERSATION -- Once during the semester I, or someone
else, will make a presentation or give a press conference, for which you
will take notes and prepare a short memorandum of conversation, or
“memcon” to be sent in telegraphic form to your home Foreign Ministry.
More will be said about this later.
ANALYTICAL BRIEFING -- Once during the semester, you will be given
a week’s notice and provided with designated material on which to
develop a one-to-two page paper analyzing the significance of the
material for the next class. You will also, when directed, give a TENminute oral presentation in the class to share your insights with your
fellow students, and direct discussion on the subject for an additional
few minutes. You will be graded on both your paper and your handling
of the discussion, the overall grade being a combination of the two.
SUBJECTS OF STUDY -- A detailed topical syllabus follows. Students
are expected to do the readings grouped under each seminar period
BEFORE the seminar discussion session. Readings not in the assigned
texts but listed below can be found in the holder marked with this
course name in the Student Room, Patterson Office Tower Rm. 469. In
addition, material has been placed on reserve for this course at the
Young Library. Many of the articles may be found in the Library’s Full
Text Data Base. The reserve list attached at the end of this syllabus is a
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major research source for further study in this field. Additional
materials will be handed out during the semester. You should also keep
abreast of current diplomatic developments, especially in your country
of representation and others significant to it by reading a good daily
newspaper and a weekly news magazine.
SOURCE/TEXTBOOKS --available at bookstores or on line
G.R. Berridge, Diplomacy: Theory and Practice, Palgrave, 2005, 3rd Ed.
(referred to below as DIPLOMACY)
Gordon Craig and Alexander George, Force and Statecraft: Diplomatic
Challenges of our time. Oxford Univ. Press, 2006 (referred to below as
FORCE)
Charles W. Freeman, The Arts of Power: Statecraft and Diplomacy, U.S.
Institute of Peace, (referred to below as ARTS.
Harold H. Saunders, Politics is about relationships: A Blueprint for the
Citizen’s Century, Palgrave/Macmillan, 2005 (referred to below as
POLITICS)
And, when available, John D. Stempel Common Sense and Foreign
Policy. The Clark Group, 2008.
You are also expected to read the international section of a good
newspaper regularly, and take a student subscription to the Economist
magazine—for student-rate subscriptions use my professor number
4333), or the Christian Science Monitor by mail either same day, or a day
late, this combines the daily/weekly news in a unique fashion.
SEMINAR TOPICS AND READINGS
Sept. 2
Up from Classical Diplomacy
ARTS, preface, intro and pp. 9-22
DIPLOMACY, intro, ch. 7
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FORCE, intro, chs 1-3
POLITICS, Preface, introduction
Sept. 9
Functions of Diplomacy in the International System
ARTS, pp. 69-74
DIPLOMACY, chs 4,5
FORCE, chs 4-6
POLITICS, chs 1 and 2
Freeman Charles, America and the World: Magoo at the Helm
(by email)
Sept. 16 Organizing Diplomacy
Holsti, K. J., “Diplomacy,” (handout & in box)
DIPLOMACY, ch 1
FORCE, chs 6 &7
U.S. Department of State, short history (box in student room,
or Encyclopedia of Foreign Affairs in Van room)
Sept. 23 Communication, Negotiation & Representation--Verbal
and Symbolic
ARTS, pp. 105-140
DIPLOMACY, chs 2,3,6,11
FORCE, ch. 8
Langholz, Harvey J. “The Psychology of Diplomacy.” ch 1 (in box)
Joseph Nye, Soft Power, (on reserve), chs 1, 2
POLITICS, ch. 3
Sept. 30 Information, Intelligence, & Public diplomacy
ARTS, pp 23-44
Stempel, “Error, Folly and Policy Intelligence,” IJICI, vol. 12,
no. 3 (in box), or Ch. 3 in Common Sense and Foreign Policy.
Ada Bozeman, Comparative Intelligence Studies, ch. 6 (box)
Stempel, Covert Action and Diplomacy, IJICI , vol. 20, No. 1
Oct. 7
Diplomacy and Power: Strategic Action
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ARTS, pp. 45-52
FORCE, ch 9 & 12
POLITICS, ch. 4 & 5
ODOM, chs 2 and conclusion (box)
Stempel, Common Sense…ch. 2
Oct. 14
Force and Diplomacy
ARTS, pp 53-68
FORCE, ch 10,11 and conclusion
Joes, Anthony, Resisting Rebellion, prologue & chs 1, 2
(on reserve)
Stempel, Common Sense… ch. 5
Oct. 21
Bureaucracy and Diplomacy
DIPLOMACY, chs 8-10
Sharp, Paul “The Idea of Diplomatic Culture and its Sources,”
paper (handout)
Irving Janis, Groupthink, pp. 1-47, on reserve, (also in box)
POLITICS, Ch. 6 (applicability to the Middle East?)
“Cuts urged in Political Ambassadors” (by email)
Stempel, Common Sense…. ch. 7.
Oct. 28
Political and Economic reporting and Influence
ARTS, pp 45-52
FORCE, ch 6, (review)
MULTI, ch. 3
Stempel, Inside the Iranian Revolution, ch. 14 (box)
Nov. 4
MIDTERM
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MIDTERM EXAM DURING THIS PERIOD
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Nov. 11
Multilateral Diplomacy, Aid, and Sub-national Actors
Muldoon, Multilateral Diplomacy. Chs 2, 4-In Box)
FORCE, ch 4 (review)
State Action in a Global Framework, Dag Ryen (box)
POLITICS, ch. 7
Nov. 18
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution in Diplomacy
ARTS, review pp 69-104
DIPLOMACY, chs 2, 3
Stempel, Common Sense… ch. 4
OPTIONAL: Putnam, Robert, “Diplomacy and Domestic Politics:
The logic of two-level games,” International Organization,
Summer 1998 (box).
Nov. 25
Crisis Management and the World Community
DIPLOMACY, ch 6
FORCE, review ch 11
POLITICS, Ch. 10
Der Derian, James, Antidiplomacy, preface & ch. 1.8, Reserve),
Stempel, Common Sense…. ch. 1.
Dec. 2
Broader Views of Diplomacy
DIPLOMACY, conclusion, pp 214-219
FORCE, ch 20, epilogue
Hendrikson, Alan K. ”The Future of Diplomacy? Five Prospective
Visions.
POLITICS, ch. 9.
Dec. 9
Whither the World and Diplomacy?
Stempel, Common Sense…. Ch. 8
Practice of Diplomacy readings (handout)
Allan Hendrikson, “Recrafting the Old Guild,” paper (In box)
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Note: The Reserve Readings list is attached as the last two pages
to this syllabus as well as the following list of useful Internet sites
for you to begin building your own collection.
Diplomacy: useful Internet reference sites
Council of Foreign Relations (New York)
http://www.cfr.org/thesource/
Foreign Affairs Literature
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/envoy/
U.S. Institute of Peace Highlights
http://www.usip.org/
Virtual Diplomacy Fact Sheet
http://198.5.6.201/oc/virtual_dipl.html
Peace and security integrated Internet guide
http://www.cfcsc.dnd.ca/links/
U.S. Dept of State Home page
http://www.state.gov/
The Electronic Embassy
http://www.embassy.org/
Middle East Institute
http://www.mideasti.org/
National Security Website
http://www.nationalsecurity.org/
Defense Link
http://www.dtic.mil/defenselink/
Economic Growth Data
http://www.worldbank.org/html/prdmg/grthweb/datasets.htm
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Business demographics
http://www.unc.edu/courses/kenan/App_Dem/index.htm
International Studies Assn Site
http://www.isanet.org/
American Diplomacy
http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/
Center for International Science and Technology Policy
http://www.gwu.edu/~cistp/
Center for Science and International Affairs
http://ksgweb.harvard.edu/csia/
Defense Science & Technology
http://www.dtic.mil/dstp/
Institute for Biotechnology Information
http://www.biotechinfo.com/
National Defense University
http://www.ndu.edu/
Science, Technology and Public Policy
http://ksgweb.harvard.edu/iip/stpp.html
The NASA Homepage
http://www.nasa.gov/
Israeli intelligence Briefings
http://www.debka.com/