POLS5254 Comparative Foreign Policy
Spring 2016
Ezzedine C. Fishere
POLS 5254 - Comparative Foreign Policy:
Theories and Applications
Sunday 17:00-19:40 @ WALEED CP60
Professor Ezzedine Choukri FISHERE
ecfishere@aucegypt.edu
Office Hours
Sunday and Wednesday 12H00: 13H30 @ WALEED 2015
Teaching Assistant: Farah Hegazy
farahhegazy1@aucegypt.edu
World politics - and World Orders - are greatly shaped by strategies, positions and
decisions of states, i.e. by their foreign policies. This course explores the theories,
approaches and models of foreign policy analysis. Through the examination of theories
and case-studies, the course explores the role of actors, their interaction, and the
structural constraints they struggle with as they formulate foreign policy. This includes
looking into the multiple ways of assessing the role of leaders, bureaucracies as well as
the impact of domestic, regional and global settings on foreign policy making. The main
objective of this course is to familiarize graduate students with the different ways of
analyzing foreign policy and, by the same token, help them formulate their own research
questions and approaches related to analyzing specific foreign policies of states.
Textbooks
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Allison, Graham (with Zelikow, Philip), Essence of Decision (New York:
Longman, 1999). (Availabe in Library’s Reserve)
Beasley, Ryan K. Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective: Domestic and
International Influences on State Behavior. Thousand Oaks: CQ Press, 2013.
Second edition. (Available in Library’s Reserve)
Hudson, Valerie M., Foreign Policy Analysis (New York: Rowman and
Littlefield, 2007). (Availabe in Library’s Reserve)
Janis, Irving L. Groupthink: psychological studies of policy decisions and
fiascoes. 2nd ed. Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Houghton Mifflin; 1982.
(Availabe in Library’s Reserve)
Jentleson, Bruce W., American Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Choice in the
21st Century (New York: W.W. Norton, 2007) (Availabe in Library’s Reserve)
Kingdon, John. Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies, 2nd ed., Longman
classics in political science (New York: Longman, 2003). (Availabe in Library’s
Reserve)
Neustadt, Richard, E. Presidential Power: The Politics of Leadership from FDR
to Carter (New York: Wiley, 1980). (Availabe in Library’s Reserve)
Woodard, Bob, Plan of Attack (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.) (Availabe
in Library’s Reserve)
POLS554 Comparative Foreign Policy
Spring 2015
Ezzedine C. Fishere
Evaluation
1.
Participation
10 %
 Students’ participation (i.e. reading the required texts before class and discussing
them during class) is an integral part of the learning process.
 Participation counts for 0.5% of the total grade per class. Each student will be
quizzed on all readings; each unread text costs 0.1% (with maximum 0.4%).
Participation in class discussions is measures for the remaining 0.1%.
2. Book Review and presentation
each 10%
 Students should review six books (10% each). A typical review includes a
summary of the books’ main arguments, how these arguments are presented, and
what is the contribution of the book in comparison to other books in the same
area. Each review should not exceed 2500 words. Two students present the
material each session.
 Each review is due on the day when that book is discussed in class.
3.
Final Exam
30%
 The test is a take home exam during the examination period. It will cover all
material and requires research. Students will have three days to submit their
copies via BlackBoard.
The following is the grading scheme in this class
A
starting 90%
Astarting 88%
B+
starting 85%
B
starting 80%
Bstarting 78%
Submission of work
 Late submissions are not accepted and make-up assignments are not possible.
 All submissions are done through BlackBoard; email attachments and hard copies
are not accepted.

Work should be typed, in Times New Roman font, size 12, spaced in 1.5, 1-inch
margin each side, on regular A4 sheets.
Expectations
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Students are required to read the texts thoroughly before coming to class. Not
reading means a loss of the participation grade. Students will be quizzed on the
readings.
POLS554 Comparative Foreign Policy
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Spring 2015
Ezzedine C. Fishere
Students should arrive before class begins. Attendance will be taken at the
beginning of class. No entry is allowed 10 minutes after class begins. Those who
arrive during these 10 minutes - and those who leave before class ends - lose a
third of the attendance grade. Students who are absent for more than three
sessions, regardless of the reason, will receive an F grade in the course.
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AUC has adopted a zero-tolerance policy regarding academic integrity. Lack of
integrity, like plagiarism, is severely punished.
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General rules of civility apply (no screens in class, collegiality, no monopoly of
discussion, mutual respect, etc.).
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Negotiation of grades or deadlines is not tolerated.
Communication
- The instructor is available to answer the students’ academic questions, in class as
well as during regular office hours (or by appointment).
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All other questions including questions about course readings should be directed
to the teaching assistant.
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All emails to the instructor should be copied to the teaching assistant.
Schedule
Week 1
Sunday 31 January
Introduction
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Week 2
Sunday 7 February
A Road Map of Foreign Policy Analysis
Hudson, Valerie M., Foreign Policy Analysis, pp. 3-36.
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Week 3
Sunday 14 February
Four perspectives on Foreign Policy: the four chapters of Hudson
Hudson, Valerie M., Foreign Policy Analysis, pp. 37-163.
POLS554 Comparative Foreign Policy
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Spring 2015
Ezzedine C. Fishere
Week 4
Sunday 21 February
American Foreign Policy
Jentleson, Bruce W., American Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Choice in the
21st Century (New York: W.W. Norton, 2007). (First book review)
Week 5
Sunday 28 February
Russian, British and Iranian Foreign Policies
Omelicheva, Mariya. “Russian Foreign Policy: A quest for a Great Power status
in a multipolar world”, in: Beasley, Ryan K. Foreign Policy in Comparative
Perspective, pp. 94-117.
White, Brian. “British Foreign Policy: Continuity and Transformation.”, in:
Beasley, Ryan K. Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective, pp. 27-52.
Davies, Graeme A.M.. “The Changing Character of Iranian Foreign Policy.” , in:
Beasley, Ryan K. Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective, pp. 204-222.
Week 6
Sunday 6 March
Rational Actor Model and the case of the Cuban Missiles
Allison, Graham (with Zelikow, Philip), Essence of Decision. Introduction,
chapters 1 and 2. (Second book review)
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Week 7
Sunday 13 March
The Governmental Politics Model (Case-study: Cuban Missiles)
Allison, Graham (with Zelikow, Philip), Essence of Decision, chapters 5 and 6.
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Week 8
Sunday 20 March
The Organizational Behavior Model (Case-study: Cuban Missiles)
Allison, Graham (with Zelikow, Philip), Essence of Decision, chapters 3 and 4
24 March: deadline to drop the course
Sunday 27 March Official Holiday (Western Easter)
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Week 9
Sunday 3 April
Groupthink
Janis, Irving L. Groupthink. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1982. (Third book review)
POLS554 Comparative Foreign Policy
Spring 2015
Ezzedine C. Fishere
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Week 10
Sunday 10 April
Agenda Setting Approach
John Kingdon, Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies. (Fourth book review)
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Week 11
Sunday 17 April
Leaders and Bureaucrats
Richard Neustadt. Presidential Power. (Fifth book review)
Spring Break 24 April – 2 May
Week 12
Sunday 8 May
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Woodward, Bob, Plan of Attack (Sixth book review)
Week 13
Sunday 15 May
Putting it back together: Foreign Policies of France, South Africa, Germany,
Venezuela
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Treacher, Adrian. “French Foreign Policy: Maintaing Global Ambitions.”, in:
Beasley, Ryan K. Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective, pp. 53-70.
Harnisch, Sebastian. “The Evolution of German Foreign Policy.”, in: Beasley,
Ryan K. Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective, pp. 71-93.
Giacalone, Rita. “Venezuelan Foreign Policy: Petro-Politics and Paradigm
Change.” , in: Beasley, Ryan K. Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective, pp.
290-312.
Becker, Derick. “South African Foreign Policy: Power and Post-Apartheid
Identity”, in: Beasley, Ryan K. Foreign Policy in Comparative Perspective, pp.
246-264.