Course Information Instructor Information Office Hours
MTWRF
July 8 - August 9
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
White-Gravenor 201B
Paul Musgrave
646 709 4589 rpm47@georgetown.edu
10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
ICC Coffee Shop
Introduction
The study of American Foreign Policy is part of the study of international relations and American government. It examines how the United States of America has addressed the challenges of international politics in different times and contexts. As such, it opens the door to explanations and arguments that go beyond concrete investigation of particular episodes, trends, and issues in the making and execution of foreign policy. Instead, we will seek more general explanations for recurrent themes in U.S. foreign policy—but we will also work to identify critical junctures in U.S. foreign policy, moments after which foreign policy proceeded on different courses than it had before. This course also introduces you to the study of world politics, albeit from the perspective of one very powerful country.
Learning goals
Mission statement : Georgetown University’s Summer Programs for High School Students provide intellectually curious high school scholars with diverse, meaningful, and academically rich educational opportunities with the skills and tools these students need for a globally competitive society.
We expect that you will learn many things in this course. Among the topics you’ll learn about are:
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● the basics of the history of U.S. foreign policy--its objectives, its successes, and its failures; the contemporary challenges and responses of U.S. foreign policy; an overview of the major players and processes involved in shaping in U.S. foreign policy; and the broad outlines of the course of future U.S. foreign policy directions.
In some cases, we’ll present the consensus view of academics, practitioners, and others who have studied the issue. In other cases, we’ll present contending arguments. One of the key principles about learning beyond the high school level is that you must begin to accept that sometimes there may be a “right” answer and sometimes there may not be--or there may be many such. Developing your ability to analyze, assess, and grapple with contending arguments is crucial for your maturation as a scholar and a person.
A Note on the Syllabus
I do not expect any major changes to be made to the syllabus after the course begins, but if any changes should become necessary, I will notify the class in a timely manner.
Class Meetings
The class will begin on time. I will usually begin the day by referring to either a current event in the news or a major event from history before beginning the lecture. During the lecture, you should feel

free to ask questions. There will be time for discussion at the end of most class sections. Headlines don’t set the agenda for scholars, but they certainly do react to events in the world. Consequently, you should keep up to date with the news, ideally by reading the New York Times , the Financial Times , or a similar news source.
Grading Scale
A 93-100
A90-92.9
B+
B
87-89.9
83-89.9
B80-82.9
Evaluation
Participation/Attendance: 20%
Quizzes: 10%
Final Exam: 30%
C+ 77-79.9
C 73-76.9
C70-72.9
D
F
Simulation/Debates:
60-60.9
0-59.9
20%
Midterm: 20%
The midterm and final will be mixes of short-answer, identification, and essay questions. The final exam will be comprehensive.
Expect a minimum of six and a maximum of 12 short quizzes . I will drop your lowest score. The quizzes will take about five minutes to complete and will be a mix of short-answer and multiplechoice questions. They will be based on the reading assigned for that day.
Participation and attendance are both important to the course. Good participation doesn’t require you to put your hand up every time I ask for questions; rather, I will evaluate the quality of your participation as well as the quantity. You should also feel free to come to my office hours if you do not like participating in the informal discussion part of the course. From time to time, we will have in-class activities that require your participation.
Please note that attendance is mandatory for high school courses offered at Georgetown. All absences without an excuse will count as a zero. Official documentation, such as a medical excuse or the official GU form for university-related extracurricular activities, is required for an absence to be excused and not counted against your participation grade. I am strict about this, because it’s fairest to everyone.
You will receive more information about the simulation and debates in class. Each simulation and debate will require a one-page paper from you; you will receive more information
You may not appeal a grade until 24 hours after you have received the work. All grade appeals must be accompanied by a written explanation of why you think the grade should be changed. I reserve the right to raise or lower the grade on re-examination.
Late Work
Late work will not be accepted without prior, explicit, and written authorization from the instructor.
Academic Integrity
All university policy regarding academic integrity applies in this course and will be strictly enforced.
Violations include, but are not limited to, 1) cheating of any kind and 2) providing false or misleading information to receive a postponement or extension on a test, quiz, or assignment. For a

full review of university policy, see http://scs.georgetown.edu/departments/29/summerschool/resources-and-policies.cfm
.
The sources for all information and ideas in your assignments must be documented. In addition, all quotations must be identified as quotations, using quotation marks and documentation of the source of the quotation. Anything less than these standards will constitute an act of plagiarism. Plagiarized work will be reported to Georgetown’s Honor Council. If the council finds that the work has been plagiarized or in some other way violates the Honor Code, the student will receive a failing grade for the course.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities should contact the Academic Resource Center (Leavey Center, Suite 335;
202-687-8354; arc@georgetown.edu
; http://ldss.georgetown.edu/index.cfm
) before the start of classes to allow their office time to review the documentation and make recommendations for appropriate accommodations. If accommodations are recommended, you will be given a letter from
ARC to share with your professors. You are personally responsible for completing this process officially and in a timely manner. Neither accommodations nor exceptions to policies can be permitted to students who have not completed this process in advance.
Classroom Etiquette and Student Conduct
Students should turn off all cell phones, pagers, laptop computers, and other electronic devices while in class. (There are studies backing up instructors’ intuitions that students do not retain information as well if their laptops are open during teaching time, even if they are using their computers to take notes.) I will make a limited exception for iPads, Kindles, Nooks, and similar tablets if they are used for reading electronic versions of course texts only . Failure to comply will forfeit your tablet privileges for the semester (yes, even if your only copy of the book is electronic).
Student blogs, email, online portfolios, and social media (i.e. Facebook and Twitter) should remain respectful and professional as well. Students who cause disruptions may be referred to their
Associate Dean or the Office of Student Conduct and may be withdrawn from the course/program
(without a refund).
We will have a variety of guest speakers available throughout the course. We will update you on the names and backgrounds of these speakers nearer the dates they will be joining us. Please make sure to treat these guest speakers with all due deference and respect.
I will post lecture slides and other material on Blackboard. The lecture slides will be posted after the conclusion of the class session.
Course Readings
This course is reading intensive. I strongly suggest that you form reading groups to lighten the load.
Course readings not drawn from the required texts will be posted on Blackboard (marked ONLINE ).
Required Texts:
○ Bruce W. Jentleson, American Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Choice in the 21st Century
○
(Fourth Edition) ISBN 978-0-393-93557-4
Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World (Release 2.0) ISBN 978-0-393-34038-9

1.
Introduction a.
Jentleson, Chapter 1 (pp. 2 - 26) b.
Kenneth Waltz, Man, the State, and War (1959). Chapter 1. ONLINE
2.
Historical Context Through 1945 a.
Jentleson, Chapter 3 (pp. 72-113) b.
Mead, Walter Russell, “The Jacksonian Tradition,” The National Interest (No. 58),
ONLINE Winter 1999/2000 c.
Kissinger, Henry, “Isolationism vs. Internationalism: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the
Coming of World War II,” in Jentleson, pp. 231--239.
3.
The Cold War, Part 1. Guest Speaker: Dr. Alex Wellerstein, American Institute of Physics a.
Jentleson, Chapter 4 (pp. 114-149) b.
Mr. X: “The Sources of Containment: The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” in Jentleson, pp. 259-262 c.
Leffler, Melvyn P., “Cold War Revisionist Critique: The American Conception of
National Security and the Beginnings of the Cold War, 1945-48,” in Jentleson, pp.
246-252.
4.
The Cold War, Part 2 a.
Jentleson, Chapter 5 (pp. 150-192) b.
George, Alexander L. “Detente: The Search for a ‘Constructive’ Relationship,” in
Jentleson, 267--272. c.
Gaddis, John Lewis. “The End of the Cold War: The Unexpected Ronald Reagan,” in Jentleson, 273--275 d.
Gorbachev, Mikhail. “The End of the Cold War: The Soviet Union’s Crucial Role,” in Jentleson, 276--278.
5.
The Post-Cold War World a.
Jentleson, Chapter 6 b.
Charles Krauthammer, “Unilateralism: The Unipolar Moment Revisited,” in
Jentleson, 644-648. c.
Gaddis, John Lewis. “ A Grand Strategy of Transformation, ” Foreign Policy , Nov/Dec
2002.
ONLINE
2006.
ONLINE d.
Fukuyama, Frank. “ After Neoconservatism ,” New York Times Magazine , February 19,
SECTION 2.
Today’s World
SECTION 1.
The Origins of U.S. Foreign Policy
6.
Overview of Contemporary Geopolitics a.
Jentleson, Chapter 7 b.
Watch the first half of Commanding Heights: Episode 3 (link on Blackboard)

7.
Democratization. Guest Speaker: Saskia Brechenmacher, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace a.
Jentleson, Chapter 11 (pp. 590--641) b.
Lynch, Marc. “Downfall in Cairo.” Foreign Policy . 3 July 2013 ONLINE c.
Pollack, Kenneth. “America’s Second Chance and the Arab Spring.” Foreign Policy . 5
December, 2011.
ONLINE
8.
Globalization a.
Jentleson, Chapter 10 (pp. 528--585) b.
Watch the second half of Commanding Heights: Episode 3 (link on Blackboard)
9.
North American Economic Relations Guest: Dr. Antonio Ortiz-Mena, Head of Section,
Economic Affairs, Embassy of Mexico a.
CIDE Survey (pp. 1-26) ONLINE b.
Wilson et al, “New Ideas for a New Era” ONLINE
10.
Midterm
SECTION 3.
Who Makes Foreign Policy?
11.
The Process of Foreign Policy: Introduction a.
Jentleson, Chapter 2 (pp. 27 - 67) b.
Gelb, Leslie H. “Vietnam: The System Worked,” in Jentleson, 263--266.
12.
A Progress Report on the War on Terror. Guest Speaker: Daniel Byman, Georgetown University a.
Byman, Daniel. “Why Drones Work: The Case for Washington’s Weapon of Choice,”
Foreign Affairs 2013. ONLINE b.
Haas, Richard N. “The Irony of American Strategy.” Foreign Affairs May/June 2013.
ONLINE c.
Jentleson, Chapter 8, pp. 405-480. d.
Bush Doctrine on Pre-Emption: Pre-Emption and National Security Strategy, pp.
663-664. e.
(Optional) Boot, Max. “The Evolution of Irregular War,” Foreign Affairs 2013.
ONLINE
13.
The President and Foreign Policy a.
Rockman, Bert. “America’s Departments of State,” American Political Science Review
(1981) ONLINE b.
Silberman, Laurence. “Toward Presidential Control of the State Department,” Foreign
Affairs (1979) ONLINE
14.
Congress, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy a.
Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M., “The President and Congress: What the Founding
Fathers Intended,” in Jentleson, pp. 216-220 b.
Holsti, Ole R. “Public Opinion and Foreign Policy: Challenges to the Almond-
Lippmann Consensus.” in Jentleson, 223-230. c.
Kupchan and Trubowitz, “Grand Strategy for a Divided America.” Foreign Affairs
July/August 2007. ONLINE

15.
Debate: Should the President or the Congress lead in foreign policy?
SECTION 4.
Tomorrow’s Major Issues
16.
Is America in Decline?
a.
Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World , pp. 1-100. b.
Nathan, Andrew J., and Andrew Scobell. “How China Sees America.” Foreign Affairs
September/October 2012. ONLINE
17.
The U.S. and China.
a.
Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World , pp. 100-145. b.
Li, Eric X. “The Life of the Party.” Foreign Affairs January/February 2013. ONLINE c.
Friedberg, Aaron L. “Bucking Beijing.” Foreign Affairs September/October 2012.
ONLINE
18.
The U.S. and India.
a.
Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World , pp. 145--184 b.
Miller, Manjari Chatterjee. “India’s Feeble Foreign Policy.” Foreign Affairs May/June
2013. ONLINE
19.
The Military and U.S. Foreign Policy . Guest: Maj. Chris Molino, United States Army
20.
In-Class Simulation
SECTION 4, continued .
Tomorrow’s Major Issues
21.
Nuclear Weapons: In Historical Context Guest: Timothy Naftali, New York University a.
Allison, Graham T. “Conceptual Models and the Cuban Missile Crisis.” in Jentleson, pp. 221-222. b.
Trachtenberg, Marc. “Nuclear Weapons and the Cuban Missile Crisis.” International
Security 1985. ONLINE c.
OPTIONAL: Rosenberg, David Alan, and W.B. Moore. “Smoking Radiating Ruin at the End of Two Hours”: Documents on American Plans for Nuclear War with the
Soviet Union, 1954-55.” International Security 1981-1982. ONLINE
22.
Nuclear Weapons: Tomorrow’s Issues a.
Waltz, Kenneth N. “Why Iran Should Get the Bomb.” Foreign Affairs . July/August
2012. ONLINE b.
Kahl, Colin and Kenneth N. Waltz. “Iran and the Bomb.” Foreign Affairs .
September/October 2012. ONLINE c.
Traub, James. “The Limits of Leading by Example.” Foreign Policy April 2013. ONLINE d.
Shultz, George P., William J. Perry, Henry A. Kissinger, and Sam Nunn. “Deterrence in the Age of Nuclear Proliferation.” Wall Street Journal 7 March 2011.
ONLINE
ONLINE e.
Lieber, Keir A. and Daryl G. Press. “The Next Korean War.” Foreign Affairs April 1,
2013.

23.
The Environment a.
Remnick, David. “No More Magical Thinking.” The New Yorker 19 November 2012.
ONLINE b.
Traub, James. “The Climate Scofflaw.” Foreign Policy . 7 December 2012. ONLINE c.
Jaffe, Amy Myers, and Daniel Sperling. “An Idea Whose Time Has Come.” Foreign
Policy 24 January 2013.
ONLINE
ONLINE d.
Remarks by the President on Climate Change. WhiteHouse.Gov. 25 June 2013.
24.
Wrap-Up: Tomorrow’s World.
a.
Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World , pp. 184--238. b.
Richard Haass, “The Age of Nonpolarity,” Foreign Affairs (2008) ONLINE c.
John Rapley, “The New Middle Ages,” Foreign Affairs (2006) ONLINE
25.
Final Exam.