GOVT 344/002: AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY
Professor Hung
Robinson B124
Spring 2014
TR 12:00-13:15
Course Description:
This course has three objectives: 1) to examine the process of American foreign policy-making
and the factors and forces affecting it; 2) to analyze the development and change in American
foreign policy since the end of World War II; and 3) to discuss the new context and key issues of
American foreign policy in the post cold-war era.
Required Texts
Steven W. Hook and John Spanier, American Foreign Policy Since World War II, 19th Ed.,
Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2013. Paper. ISBN 978-0-87289-969-8
Donald M. Snow and Patrick J. Haney, American Foreign Policy in a New Era, New York,N.Y.:
Pearson, 2013. Paper. ISBN 978-0-205-21024-4
Suggested Readings
Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft, America and the World: Conversations on the Future
of American Foreign Policy. New York, N.Y.: Basic Books, 2008. Cloth. ISBN 978-0-56501501-6
Loch K. Johnson, American Foreign Policy and the Challenges of World Leadership: Power,
Principle, and the Constitution. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 2015
Videos and DVDs
“Rumsfeld’s War.” Call number E 840.8. R84 R86 2004
“Inside the Cold War, Part I.” Call number E 183.8. S65 I57 1998
Course Requirements
1. Prerequisites: Govt 132, Govt 133, or Gov 149
2. Class Discussion: Students are expected to have read all assignments before class, and
participate actively and meaningfully in class discussion. The last two class meetings will be
reserved for group presentations of students’ papers when everyone must participate.
Participation grade of each student will reflect his/her performance in class discussion
throughout the semester. It will account for 20 percent of the final grade.
Chronic tardiness is not looked upon with favor and it will lower your participation grade.
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Students who plan to be absent frequently from class without justifiable excuse should seriously
consider withdrawing from this class at their earliest convenience to make place for others who
may need to add in. The final drop deadline (67% tuition penalty) is February 21
To avoid distraction, cell phones must be silenced and the use of laptops/Ipads in class is
discouraged.
3. Research Papers: Students will be required to write a research paper of approximately 10-15
pages in length. Paper topics must be selected from the attached list and submit to the instructor
by January 30. Papers must be typewritten. I do not accept emailed papers; only hard copies of
your papers are acceptable.
The first part of the paper must be submitted for review and graded by the instructor by
February 27. It should only include a) an outline, b) a full bibliography, and c) a synopsis
(summary of points and issues you propose to develop in your final draft).
The bibliography must include relevant books, official publications, scholarly articles and/or
working papers. You must attach to the first draft copies of the first two pages of at least four
scholarly journal articles dealing with your research topic. The final paper must be submitted no
later than April 8.
Failure to submit papers on time will result in grade reduction of five points per day for each
day of delay. Failure to submit any paper after 7 days will result in a grade of zero for that
paper. You are expected to start working on your papers early and save it in more than one place
(disk/USB). Except for rare circumstances which can be documented, last-minute crisis,
especially those dealing with computer problems, cannot serve as a legitimate excuse for late
submission of papers.
Instructions for doing research will be discussed at Fenwick Library Instruction room (214-A) on
February 6. For citation style, please refer to the latest edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers
of Research Papers or the Chicago Manual of Style.
4. Examinations: There will one midterm examination on February 18 and a final examination
on May 8. Make up midterm examination is not looked upon with favor and given only if
requested before the scheduled examination date and only for reasons which are beyond the
control of the students and can be documented. Make up midterm examination may be given in a
different format. It will cover materials –both lectures and readings-- up to the date when the
make-up is given and, therefore, will not be limited to the questions listed in the study guide.
For this class, the final examination cannot be rescheduled. Look at your final examinations
schedule, if you happen to have three examinations on one day and do not plan to drop any of
your classes, start negotiating immediately with other professors. Failure to take any
examination will result in a grade of zero for that examination. Bluebooks are required for all
examinations. Use pens, not pencils, to write your answers.
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5. Evaluation Method: Final grade will be based on:
First paper
Second paper
Midterm examination
Final examination
Class participation
20 percent
20 percent
20 percent
20 percent
20 percent
6. Office Hours: Questions of general interest should be raised and discussed in class. All other
questions will be dealt with during individual meetings with the professor. My office hours are
Tuesday and Thursday, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and by appointment, in Robinson
Building, room A-215, tel. 703-993-2957. My email address is hnguyen@gmu.edu
COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
1/21
Introduction and course organization
The U.S. Foreign Policy-Making Process
1/23
The President and the U.S. Foreign Policy Making Process
Snow and Haney, Ch. 4
1/28
The Role of the Bureaucracy
Snow and Haney, Ch. 5
1/30
Submission of paper topics
1/30
The Role of Congress
Snow and Haney, Ch. 6
2/4
Interest Groups and Think Tanks
Snow and Haney, Ch. 7
2/6
Research Method
Helen McManus
Fenwick Library Instruction Room (214-A)
2/11
The Public and the Media
Snow and Haney, Ch. 8
U.S. Foreign Policy: From Truman to Obama
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2/13
2/18
The American Approach to Foreign Policy
Hook and Spanier, Ch. 1
Snow and Haney, Ch. 2
Midterm Examination
2/20-25
Truman, the Cold War and Containment
Hook and Spanier, Ch. 2
2/25
Submission of the first draft
2/27
Containment: From Theory to Practice
Hook and Spanier, Ch. 3
3/4
The U.S. and the Third World
Hook and Spanier, Ch. 4
3/6
Vietnam and the Cost of Containment
Hook and Spanier, Ch. 4
3/10-16
Spring Break
3/18-20
Nixon, Carter and the Era of Superpower Détente
Hook and Spanier, Ch. 5
3/25-27
Reagan and the Revival of American Power
Hook and Spanier, Ch. 6
4/1-3
George W. H. Bush and the End of the Cold War
Hook and Spanier, Ch. 7
4/8
Submission of the complete paper
4/8-10
Clinton and America’s “Unipolar Moment”
Hook and Spanier, Chs. 8-10
4/15-17
Bush and the War on Terror
Hook and Spanier, Chs. 11-13
Snow and Haney, Ch. 10
Philip H. Gordon, “The End of the Bush Revolution,” Foreign Affairs,
July/August 2006, pp. 75-86
Nguyen Manh Hung, “The Bush Doctrine –A Minority View,” GMU
Center for Global Studies, Working Paper No 6, May 2010
http://cgs.gmu.edu/publications/gswp/gs_wp_6.pdf
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Robert Kagan, “The September 11 Paradigm: America, the World, and
George W. Bush,” Foreign Affairs, September-October 2008, pp. 25-39
4/22-24
Obama Presidency and the Resetting of American Foreign Policy
Hook and Spanier, Ch. 14
Barack Obama, “Renewing American Leadership,” Foreign Affairs,
July/August 2007, pp.2-16
Daniel W. Drezner, “Does Obama Have a Grand Strategy?” Foreign
Affairs, July/August, 2011, pp. 57-68
Christopher Hemmer, “Continuity and Change in the Obama
Administration’s National Security Strategy,” Comparative Strategy, Vol.
30, No 3, July 2011, pp. 268-277
Hillary Clinton, “America’s Pacific Century,” Foreign Policy, November
2011, pp. 56-63
Joseph M. Parent and Paul K. MacDonald, “The Wisdom of
Retrenchment,” Foreign Affairs, November/December 2011, pp.32-47
Martin S. Indyk, Kenneth G. Lieberthal, and Michael E. O’Hanlon,
“Scoring Obama’s Foreign Policy: A Progressive Pragmatist Tries to Bend
History,” Foreign Affairs, May-June, 2012, pp.29-43
Lois Farrow Parshley, “Grading Obama’s Foreign Policy,” Foreign
Policy, January 24, 2012.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/01/23/grading_obama_s_forei
gn_policy#sthash.jO6cAXaZ.dpbs
National Intelligence Council, Global Trends 2030
http://www.dni.gov/files/documents/GlobalTrends_2030.pdf
4/29-5/1
Group presentations
5/6
Reading and Review
May 8
Final Examination
(10:30-13:15 am)
RESEARCH TOPICS
1. The U.S. and Maritime Conflict in the South China Sea
2. A New Type of Major Power Relationship between the U.S. and China?
3. The U.S. and the Iranian Nuclear Issue
4. Comparing the Obama Administration’s Foreign Policies in Libya and Syria
NOTES
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This course fulfills, in part, the writing-intensive requirement for the GVIP and PUAD majors.
The last day to add a course is January 28.
The final drop deadline (67% tuition penalty) is February 21.
HONOR CODE POLICY
The Honor Code policy endorsed by the members of the Department of Public and International
Affairs relative to the types of academic work indicated below is set out in the appropriate
paragraphs:
1. Quizzes, tests and examinations. No help may be given or received by students when
taking quizzes, tests, or examinations, whatever the type or wherever taken, unless the
Instructor specifically permits deviation from this standard.
2. Course Requirements: All work submitted to fulfill course requirements is to be solely the
product of the individual(s) whose name(s) appears on it. Except with permission of the
instructor, no recourse is to be had to projects, papers, lab reports or any other written work
previously prepared by another student, and except with permission of the instructor no paper or
work of any type submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of another course may be
used a second time to satisfy a requirement of any course in the Department of Public and
International Affairs. No assistance is to be obtained from commercial organizations which sell
or lease research help or written papers. With respect to all written work as appropriate, proper
footnotes and attribution are required.
DISABILITY STATEMENT
If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me
and contact the Office of Disability Resources at 703-993-2474. All academic accommodations
must be arranged through that office.
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