American Foreign Policy
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POLSCI 157
American Foreign Policy
Department of Political Science
Duke University
Spring 2011
Date and Time: Tue-Thur, 11:55 a.m -12:45 pm
Room: Soc Psy 126
Office Hours: Tuesday, 2:30-3:30
Thursday, 9-10, or by appointment
Peter Feaver
Office Location: Perkins 308
Email: peter.feaver@duke.edu
Phone: 660-4331
Teaching Assistants: Ionut Popescu (icp@duke.edu)
Seth Cantey (seth.cantey@duke.edu)
Course Description
The objective of this course is to help students become informed observers of (and perhaps
participants in) American foreign policy. We will cover the key themes in the historical
evolution of American foreign policy and address current challenges and opportunities.
The course is divided into four sections. The introductory section looks at the broad
sources that shape foreign policy decisions generally—such as the international balance of
power, ideas, and domestic structure—as well as the more specific traditions in American
foreign policy, including isolationism, Wilsonian idealism, and American exceptionalism.
The next section provides an in depth look at how domestic institutions and societal forces
influence the process by which foreign policy decisions are made in the United States. We
will examine the influence of the President and Congress on foreign policy, the role of
bureaucracies, special interest groups, public opinion, and the media in shaping foreign
policy, the nexus between elections and foreign policy decisions, and the relationship
between the United States military and its civilian leadership. In the third section, we
analyze the tools that American leaders use to pursue their interests in the foreign policy
arena, including diplomacy, economic sticks and carrots, and military force. We will
explore why certain tools are chosen in certain situations and also the conditions under
which those tools are most likely to be effective. In the final section, we will use the
framework developed in the first part of the class to analyze some of the special foreign
policy challenges facing the United States today. We will discuss terrorism, nuclear
proliferation, climate change, trade, anti-americanism, democracy promotion, and the
United States’ relations with other major powers. Weekly discussion sections will be
devoted to applying the relevant theories learned during lectures to specific foreign policy
decisions. The cases were selected to provide students with an in depth understanding of
pivotal events in American Foreign Policy. The combination of theory and history is
designed to give students a better understanding of history but also to develop the
student’s abilities to use history to test competing theories.
Course Requirements
Analytical Paper (40%): In this paper students will explain American conduct in a
particular foreign policy case using the theories developed in parts 1-2 of the class,
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including IR theories of foreign policy, traditions in American foreign policy, and the
politics of American foreign policy. The case may not be one that the entire class discusses
in section. The paper should be 8-10 pages, Times New Roman, 12pt font, with 1-inch
margins. It is due March 4. You should discuss potential topics with your TA no later than
January 30.
Rewrite option: You will have the option to rewrite your paper and receive a second
grade for this assignment. If you choose to do this, 20% of your grade will be based on your
initial draft, and 20% on your rewrite.
Final (40%): This in class exam will cover the material from the entire course and will be
conducted during the scheduled time during exam week.
Class Contribution (20%): Students are required to attend section each week and to
actively participate in discussion. Students’ grades will be determined by performance on
weekly current events quizzes and by their contribution to section discussions.
Extra Credit Option: You can receive a 2% increase in your final grade if you enroll in the
Political Science Research Pool (PSRP) program and complete 2 credit hours. Please find all
details on how to take advantage of this opportunity at http://www.duke.edu/web/psrp/.
Required Course Materials
 The following are available in the campus bookstore:
Glenn P. Hastedt, American Foreign Policy: Past Present and Future, (2009)
Walter Mead, Special Providence,
Graham T. Allison and Phillip Zelikow, The Essence of Decision: Explaining
the Cuban Missile Crisis, (1999)
 In addition there will be book chapters and articles that will be available online or
through e-reserves.
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Course Outline
Part I: Sources of American Foreign Policy
Lecture 1: Why Study American Foreign Policy
 Hastedt, Chapter 1 p. 1-30
 Mead Special Providence, Chapters 1-3 p. 3-98
January 13
Section: Is Obama A Realist or an Idealist?
Lecture 2: History and Theory of American Foreign Policy
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January 18
Mead, Special Providence, Chapters 4-5 p. 99-173
Lecture 3: The “Isms” and the American Tradition
 Mead, Special Providence Chapters 6-7 p. 175-263
January 20
Section: League of Nations Debate
 Denis Merrill and Thomas G. Patterson, “Woodrow Wilson, the First World War, and
the League Fight,” pp 41-75 (E-Reserves)
o Document 5: The Fourteen Points
o Document 6: Articles 10-16 of the League Covenant
o Document 7: Wilson’s Speeches Defending the League
o Document 8: Cabot Lodge Reservations
o “Wilson’s Higher Realism”
o “The Peace Advocate Out of Touch with Reality”
o “Wilson’s Battle for the League: Progressive Internationalists Confront the
Forces of Reaction”
Part II: The Politics and Process of American Foreign Policy
Lecture 4: Executive Branch/ Interagency Politics
January 25
 Hastedt, Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 p. 175-229
 Graham T. Allison and Phillip Zelikow, Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban
Missile Crisis, Chapter 1 ,3, 5
Lecture 5: Congress
January 27
 Hastedt, Chapter 6 p. 143-174
 James M. Lindsay, “Deference and Defiance: The Shifting Rhythms of ExecutiveLegislative Relations in Foreign Policy”, Presidential Studies Quarterly, vol.33,
issue 3, September 2003 p. 530-546
Section: The Cuban Missile Crisis
 Graham T. Allison and Phillip Zelikow, Essence of Decision: Explaining the
Cuban Missile Crisis, Chapter 2 ,4, 6
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Lecture 6: Special Interest Groups
February 1
 Hastedt, Chapter 5, pp 121-130
 Lawrence Jacobs and Benjamin Page, “Who Influences U.S. Foreign Policy?”,
American Political Science Review, Feb. 2005 p. 107-173
 John Newhouse, “Diplomacy, Inc.”, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2009 p. 73-92
 Ron Asmus and Jeremy Rosner, “Logic, Not Lobbies”, Foreign Affairs, July/August
2009, Letter to the Editor, p. 166-167
Lecture 7: Public Opinion
February 3
 Hastedt, Chapter 5, pp 110-116
 Ole Holsti, “Public Opinion and Foreign Policy”, International Studies Quarterly,
(1992) Volume 36, No. 4, p. 439-466
 Douglas C. Foyle, Counting the Public In: Presidents, Public Opinion, and Foreign
Policy, Chapter 1 (E-Reserves)
Section: The Israel Lobby
 John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign
Policy”, Middle East Policy, vol. 13 issue 3, pp 29-87, September 2006
 Eliot Cohen, “Yes, It’s Anti-Semitic”, The Washington Post, Wednesday, April 5th,
2006
 Leslie Gelb, “Dual Loyalties”, The New York Times Sunday Book Review, September
23rd, 2007
 Walter Russell Mead, “Jerusalem Syndrome: Decoding the Israel Lobby”, Foreign
Affairs, November/December 2007, Vol. 86 No. 6, p. 160-168
Lecture 8: Media
February 8
 Hastedt, Chapter 5, pp 131-137
 Mathew A. Baum and Phillip B.K. Potter, “ The Relationship Between Mass Media,
Public Opinion and Foreign Policy: Toward a Theoretical Synthesis,” Annual Review
of Political Science, Vol. 11, (June 2008) p. 39-65
Lecture 9: Electoral Politics
February 10
 John H. Aldrich, Christopher Gelpi, Peter Feaver, Jason Reifler, and Kristin
Thompson Sharp, “Foreign Policy and the Electoral Connection,” Annual Review of
Political Science, Vol. 9, (2006) p. 447-502
Section: US Intervention in Somalia
 James Burk, “Public Support for Peacekeeping in Lebanon and Somalia: Assessing
the Casualties Hypothesis,” Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 114 No. 1, (Spring 1999)
p. 53-78
 Jim Mermin, “Television News and American Intervention in Somalia: The Myth of a
Media-Driven Foreign Policy.” Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 112 No. 3, (August
1997) p. 385-403
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Lecture 10: Civil Military Relations
February 15
 Peter D. Feaver, Armed Servants, Chapter 3, (E-Reserves)
 Eliot Cohen, “The Unequal Dialogue: The Theory and Reality of Civil-Military
Relations and the Use of Force,” in Peter D. Feaver and Richard H. Kohn, eds.,
Soldiers and Civilians (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001), pp. 429-458 (E-Reserves)
Lecture 11: Q&A
 No assigned readings
February 17
Section: Truman and McArthur in the Korean War
 Roy K. Flint, “The Truman-MacArthur Conflict: Dilemmas of Civil-Military Relations
in the Nuclear Age,” in Richard Kohn, ed., The United States Military Under the
Constitution, pp. 223-267. [Course Documents, Blackboard]
Part III: Tools of Foreign Policy
Lecture 12: Diplomacy
 Hastedt Chapter 10
 Hillary Clinton, “Leading Through Civilian Power”, Foreign Affairs,
November/December 2010 Vol. 86 No. 6 p. 13-24
February 22
Lecture 13: Engagement/Appeasement
February 24
 Peter Karsten, “Response to Threat Perception,” in Knorr, Historical Dimensions of
National Security, pp. 120 – 163 (E-Reserves)
 Stephen Rock, Appeasement in International Politics, (2000), Chapter 7 (EReserves)
Section: Détente and Rapprochement—Nixon Goes to China
 Geoffrey Warner, “Nixon, Kissinger, and the Rapprochement with China: 19691972,” International Affairs, Vol. 83 No. 4 (July 2007) p. 763-781
Lecture 14: Public Diplomacy and Soft Power
March 1
 Christopher Ross, “Public Diplomacy Comes of Age,” Washington Quarterly, (Spring
2002) p. 75-83
 Joseph Nye, Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics, (2004), Chapter 4,
pp 99-126 (e-reserves)
Lecture 15: Economic Instruments
March 3
 Hastedt, Chapter 11
 Richard Haass, and Meghan O’Sullivan, Honey and Vinegar: Incentives, Sanctions
and Foreign Policy, (Brookings Press 2000), Conclusion (E-Reserves)
 Risa Brooks, “Sanctions and Regime Type: What Works When,” Security Studies,
(2002)
Section: Apartheid in South Africa
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Neta Crawford and Audie Klotz, How Sanctions Work: Lessons From South Africa
(1999), Chapter 1 and 14 (E-Reserves)
Bronwen Mamby, “South Africa: The Impact of Sanctions,” Journal of International
Affairs, Vol. 46 No. 1, (Summer 1992) p. 193-217
Phillip I. Levy, “Sanctions on South Africa: What Did They Do?” Discussion Paper,
Economic Growth Center Yale University, (1999) p. 1-13
Lecture 16: Latent Military Power—Conventional Deterrence and Compellence
March 15
 Hastedt Chapter 12 pp 322-324
 Paul Huth, “Deterrence and International Conflict: Empirical Findings and
Theoretical Debates,” Annual Review of Political Science, (1999) pp. 25-48
 Robert J. Art, “Coercive Diplomacy: What Do We Know?” in The United States and
Coercive Diplomacy, ed. Robert J. Art and Patrick M. Cronin (2003), 359-420 [Course
Documents, Blackboard]
Lecture 17: Latent Military Power—Nuclear Strategy
March 17
 Hastedt Chapter 12 pp 313-322, 332-336
 Robert Jervis, “Why Nuclear Superiority Doesn’t Matter,” Political Science Quarterly,
Vol. 91 No. 4 (Winter 79/80)
 Robert Jastrow, “Why Strategic Superiority Does Matter,” Commentary, March 1983,
pp. 27-32
 Karl Lieber & Daryl Press, “The Nukes We Need”, Foreign Affairs,
November/December 2009 Vol. 88 p. 39-51
 Jan Lodal, James Acton, Hans M. Kristensen, Matthew McKinzie, and Ivan Oelrich;
and Karl Lieber and Daryl Press, “Second Strike”, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2010
Vol. 89 p. 145-152
Section: The Berlin Crises
 Alexander L. George and Richard Smoke, Deterrence in American Foreign Policy:
Theory and Practice, (1974), Chapters 13, 14, (E-Reserves) p. 390-446
Lecture 18: Using Military Power—Conventional Conflict
March 22
 Hastedt, Chapter 12, pp 325-328
 Robert Pape, Bombing to Win, (1996) Chapter 1-2. Read pg 1-38, 48-54, skim 38-48.
(E-Reserves)
 Steve Biddle, “Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle”,
Chapter on “The Modern System” (E-Reserves)
Lecture 19: Using Military Power—Asymmetric Conflict
March 24
 Hastedt, Chapter 13
 Max Boot, “The New American Way of War”, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2003 p. 4159
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Frank G. Hoffman, “ Hybrid Warfare and Challenges”, Joint Force Quarterly, No.52,
1st quarter 2009 p. 34-39
Army Field Manual 3-24 : Counterinsurgency Operations; Preface, Introduction,
Chapter 1 (available online) p. 9-33
William Lynn, “Defending a New Domain: The Pentagon’s Cyberstrategy”, Foreign
Affairs, September/October 2010 p. 97-108
Section: Vietnam
 Robert Pape, Bombing to Win, (1996) Chapter 6 (e-reserves)
 Andrew Birtle, “Doctrine Applied: The US Army in Vietnam, 1965-1973,” in U.S.
Army Counterinsurgency Operations Doctrine, (1998), (E-Reserves)
Part IV: Special Topics in American Foreign Policy
Lecture 20: Morality in American Foreign Policy
March 29
 Mark R. Amstuz, International Ethics: Concepts, Theories, and Cases, Chapter 1-3 (EReserves)
Lecture 21: Human Rights, Democracy and Humanitarian Intervention March 31
 Michael Ignatieff, “Are Human Rights Defensible: The Attack on Human Rights,”
Foreign Affairs 80, No. 6 (November/December 2001), pp. 102-116.
 Clifford Bob, “Merchants of Morality,” Foreign Policy no. 129 (March/April 2002),
pp. 36-45.
 George W. Bush, “Remarks by the President at the 20th Anniversary of the National
Endowment for Democracy,” 6 November 2003. Available for download at:
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/11/200311062.html
 Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President at Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt,” 4 June
2009. Available for download at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/remarks-president-cairo-university-6-04-09
 Kenneth Roth, “Empty Promises? Obama’s Hesitant Embrace of Human Rights,”
Foreign Affairs 89, No. 2 (March/April 2010), pp. 10-16.
Section: Debate over Rwanda
 Samantha Power, “Bystanders to Genocide: Why the United States let the Rwanda
Tragedy Happen,” Atlantic Monthly (September 2001)
 Astri Suhrke and Bruce Jones, “Preventive Diplomacy in Rwanda: Failure to Act or
Failure of Actions?” in Bruce Jentleson, Opportunities Missed, Opportunities Seized:
Preventive Diplomacy in the Post Cold War World (2000) (e-reserves)
Lecture 22: US Relations with the Great Powers
April 5
 Fareed Zakaria, “The Future of American Power,” Foreign Affairs, (May/June 2008),
pp. 18-43
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Richard Haass, “The Age of Nonpolarity,” Foreign Affairs, (May/June 2008), pp. 4456
Stephen Sestanovich, “What Has Moscow Done?” Foreign Affairs,
(November/December 2008) pp. 12-29
Elizabeth Economy, “The Game Changer”, Foreign Affairs, November/December
2010
Even Feigenbaum, “India’s Rise, America’s Interest”, Foreign Affairs, March April
2010 pp. 76-91
Yoichi Funabashi, “Keeping Up With Asia,” Foreign Affairs, (September/October
2008), pp. 1-7
Jorge Castaneda, “Not Ready for Prime Time”, Foreign Affairs, September/October
2010, p. 109- 123
Lecture 23: Nuclear Proliferation
April 7
 Feaver, Peter and Emerson Niou, “Managing Nuclear Proliferation: Condemn, Strike
or Assist?” International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 40 No.2 (Summer 96) pp. 209-233
 World at Risk: The Report of the Commission on the Prevention of WMD
Proliferation and Terrorism, Executive Summary and Chapter 1: pp. xv – xxviii, 1-20
(online)
 Graham Allison, “Nuclear Disorder”, Foreign Affairs, January/February 2010,
Volume 89, No.1, pp. 74-85
Section: Iran
 James M. Lindsay and Ray Takeyh, “After Iran Gets the Bomb”, Foreign Affairs,
March/April 2010, Vol. 89, No. 2, pp. 33-49
 Eric S. Edelman, Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr, and Evan Braden Montgomery, “The
Dangers of a Nuclear Iran: The Limits of Containment,” Foreign Affairs,
January/February 2011, Vol. 90, No. 1, pp. 66-81
 Barry Posen, Barry Rubin, James Lindsay and Ray Takeyh, “The Containment
Conundrum” Foreign Affairs, July/August 2010, Vol. 89, No. 4, pp. 160-168
 Thomas Preston and Michael P. Infranco, “The Nuclear Standoff between the United
States and Iran: Conflict, Misunderstandings, and Diplomatic Inflexibility,” in
Contemporary Cases in U.S. Foreign Policy (e-reserves)
Lecture 24: Terrorism
April 12
 911 Commission Report, Chapter 2, 11, 12 (approx. 84 pages)
 Peter Bergen and Katherine Tiedemann, “The Almanac of Al Qaeda”, Foreign Policy,
May/June 2010, No. 179, pp. 68
 Ryan C. Hendrickson and Frederick Gagnon, “The United States versus Terrorism:
Clinton, Bush, and Osama Bin Laden,” in Contemporary Cases in U.S. Foreign Policy
(e-reserves)
 George W. Bush, “National Strategy for Combating Terrorism: Remarks delivered at
the Military Officers Association of America”, September 5th, 2006, available online
at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR2006090500656.html
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Douglas Feith, “Civil Liberties, Civil Society, and Civility,” Remarks at the John F.
Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts,
March 3, 2005. Available at
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/dod/feith_3mar2005.htm (approx. 8 pages)
Bruce Hoffman, “The Myth of Grassroots Terrorism,” Foreign Affairs, May/June
2008, Vol. 87, No. 3, p. 133-138
Jessica Stern, “Mind over Martyr: How to Deradicalize Islamist Extremists”, Foreign
Affairs, January/February 2010, Vol. 89, No. 1, pp. 95-108
Lecture 25: Getting Into and Out of Iraq
April 14
 Kenneth M. Pollack, The Threatening Storm: The Case for Invading Iraq (New York:
Random House, 2002), 243-280 (E-Reserves).
 John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, “An Unnecessary War,” Foreign Policy
(January/February 2003): No. 134 pp. 50-59
 Stephen Biddle, Michael O’Hanlon, and Kenneth E. Pollack, “How to Leave a Stable
Iraq: Building on Progress,” Foreign Affairs, Vol 87 No. 5 (Sept/Oct 2008) pp. 40-58
Section: Debate on the Surge
 James H. Baker and Lee Hamilton, The Iraq Study Group Report, pp. 4-31, 48-51
(online)
 Peter Feaver, “The Right to be Right: Civil-Military Relations and the Iraq Surge
Decision,” manuscript in draft
Lecture 26: Trade
April 19
 Bernard K. Gordon, “A High Risk Trade Policy,” Foreign Affairs, (July/Aug 2003) Vol.
82, No. 4; pg. 105
 Contemporary Cases in American Foreign Policy (E-reserves), Chapter 9, 11, 12
 C. Fred Bergsten, “A Renaissance for U.S. Trade Policy,” Foreign Affairs, (Nov/Dec
2002), Vol. 81, No. 6; pg. 86-98
Lecture 27: Climate Change
April 21
 Department of Defense. 2004. "An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and its
Implications for United States National Security."
(http://www.edf.org/documents/3566_AbruptClimateChange.pdf) pp. 1-22
 Shearer, A.W. 2004. “Whether the Weather: Comments on 'An Abrupt Climate
Change Scenario and its Implications for United States National Security,'” Futures,
Vol. 37 No. 6, pp. 445-463
 RG Bell, “What to Do About Climate Change,” Foreign Affairs, (2006) Vol. 85, No. 3;
pp. 105
 Carter F. Bales and Richard B. Duke, “Containing Climate Change: An Opportunity for
U.S. Leadership,” Foreign Affairs, (Sept/Oct 08) Vol. 87, No. 5; pp. 78-90
Section: The Global Financial Crisis
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Roger Altman, “The Great Crash, 2008: A Geopolitical Setback for the West,” Foreign
Affairs, (January/February 2009) Vol. 88, No. 1; pp. 2-15
Robert Blackwill, “The Geopolitical Consequences of the World Economic Recession
– A Caution”, RAND Occasional Paper Series, 2009
(http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP275.html) pp. 1-10
Harold James, “The Making of a Mess: Who Broke Global Finance, and Who Should
Pay for it,” Foreign Affairs, (January/February 2009) Vol. 88, No. 1, pp. 162-169
Walter Russell Mead, “The Top Ten Lessons of the Global Economic Meltdown”, May
24th, 2010, available at http://blogs.the-americaninterest.com/wrm/2010/05/24/the-top-ten-lessons-of-the-global-economicmeltdown/
The Economist, “A Special Report on the World Economy: How to Grow”, October
9th, 2010, available online at http://www.economist.com/node/17173886
Lecture 28: Anti-Americanism
April 26
 Anti-Americanisms in World Politics, ed. Peter J. Katzenstein and Robert O. Keohane
(2007), Chapter 1 & 10 (e-reserves)