Political Science 319                                                              Roy Licklider

Issues of American Foreign Policy                                       licklide@rci.rutgers.edu

Fall 2003                                                                                 732 932-9249 (Douglass office)

 

 

CAREERS:  Students often want information about jobs related to international affairs.  Careers in International Relations is an essay about different kinds of positions in this area and appropriate ways to prepare for them; it is on the political science department web-page at www.polisci.rutgers.edu.    A slightly revised web version with many links to other sites has been prepared by faculty at another school; its address is http://www.drake.edu/artsci/ir/ ir_careers.html.

  

 

OFFICE HOURS:

            Tuesday 12:30-1:00 and Thursday 4:15-4:45, first floor, Milledoler Hall, CAC

            By appointment, 616 Hickman Hall, DC

 

WHAT IS THIS COURSE ABOUT?  This course is concerned with what policy the American government should adopt toward several foreign policy issues in the next decade or so, including proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, nation-building in Iraq, international finance, and the conflicts between India and Pakistan, Israelis and Palestinians, and China and Taiwan.  It assumes that policy reflects choice by human beings, although their perceptions and options are restricted, sometimes in ways they may not understand themselves.  This implies that it is useful to discuss what this government ought to do in order to both judge and influence its decisions.

 

These topics have at least four things in common.  (1)  They all require analysts to clarify their goals, establish realistic alternatives, try to determine the consequences of these alternatives, and then choose.  We call this process policy analysis, and it is at the heart of the course.  Indeed, I hope that you will learn the process so that you can apply it to problems and issues which we cannot foresee.  (2)  None of the alternatives available may be particularly attractive, but that does not relieve us of the obligation to choose, since some will be clearly worse than others.  (3)  All are set in the future, so we do not know with confidence the possible alternatives or their consequences.  (4)  None of these issues has been resolved.  Your teachers do not agree on the answers to these questions themselves.  You should have no illusions that, at the end of this course, you will be able to answer these questions with great confidence (indeed many students are less sure after the course than before it began).  However, you should certainly be more knowledgeable about the different arguments and issues involved.  The reading, lectures, and discussions will expose you to different viewpoints, and in the required papers you will have to state fairly positions with which you disagree.

 

GRADING POLICY:            Paper #1                                                                     20%

                                                Paper #2                                                                     20%

                                                Reading quizzes (top 6 grades)                                 15%

                                                Groupwork (top 4 grades)                                         15%

                                                E-mail listserve participation                                    10%

                                                Final exam at scheduled time                                    20%

NOTE: Students must complete at least one version of both papers and the final exam in order to pass the course.

 

PAPERS:  The papers are based on an idea by Anatol Rapoport, a social scientist at the University of Michigan.  In a conventional debate, the winning side presents its own position more persuasively than its opponent.  In a Rapoport debate, the winner is the first side to present its opponent's position to its opponent's satisfaction.  The idea behind this unusual device is that you do not really understand an issue until you can argue persuasively for the side with which you disagree.  The papers require you to make the best arguments first in favor and then against a statement.  You should then state your own position, which may be one of the two or another one altogether, and explain why the others are less persuasive to you (that is, compare the different positions).

 

            The papers should be no more than five double-spaced pages or about 1500 words; typewritten papers are strongly recommended but not required.  The papers require thought rather than research and will be graded accordingly.  They must be written in standard English; students with writing problems will be required to go to the Writing Centers, and papers which cannot be comprehended will not be accepted.  Late papers without a reasonable excuse will be reduced a full letter grade for each class period that they are late.  Papers may be rewritten for credit if the original grade was C+ or below; the second version will be graded independently and averaged with the first to calculate the grade for that paper.  Students must talk to whoever graded the paper before rewriting it.  Rewritten papers will be accepted for three weeks after the originals have been returned. 

 

            Because of the size of this class, a political science graduate student may be assigned as a grader.  To ensure that our grading standards are the same, we begin each assignment by grading and exchanging papers until we are giving the same grades to the same papers.  After this agreement has been reached, each of us will grade one-half of the remaining papers or exams.  When rewriting a paper or discussing an exam graded by the grader, you should first talk to him or her (office hours will be scheduled).  Only after such discussion may grades be appealed to me. 

 

READING QUIZZES:  Nine reading quizzes will be given during the semester at the beginning of class; they will not be announced in advance, and no makeups, excuses, or rewrites will be accepted.  Each quiz will require you to demonstrate, in fifty words or less, that you have read a specified part of the reading assignment for that day, even if you did not understand it; outlining the major points and noting a few things which are unique to the assignment are the obvious ways to do this.  Written notes (but no books or xeroxes) may be used.  Quizzes will be graded pass or fail.  Students with six passing grades will get an A for the reading portion of their final grades; those with five will get a B, those with four will get a C, those with three will get a D, and those with fewer than three will get an F.

 

GROUPWORK: Five times during the semester, on dates in the syllabus marked (G), the class will meet in groups of five students at the regular time; groups and rooms will be announced later.  Each group will be given an assignment, analyzing a problem based on the assigned reading and writing a brief group paper during the class period.  You are not expected to do any research beyond the assigned reading other than possibly finding a few Internet sources.  Make a serious effort to reach agreement within the group.  After the discussion, students who wish to do so may leave the group and write their own paper; however, they will be penalized one full grade (since it is much easier to write your own opinion than to work with others with whom you may disagree).  Students who do not contribute may be asked by the group to leave and write their own papers; they also will be penalized one full grade.  The final paper should include the names of all those who participated in the process; they will all receive the same grade.  Five groupworks are scheduled; the top four groupwork grades will be averaged and count 15% of your final grade.  Extra credit will be given to papers which include at least one reference from the Internet on each side of the issue.

 

E-MAIL MAILING LISTS: In another attempt to obviate the worst effects of a large class, a special mailing list (called a listserve) is being established for the course.  All registered students will be automatically subscribed to the list.  Any message sent to the list is automatically sent to all members.   It has two purposes (although more may develop over time): 

(1)  It allows me to respond to questions about the lecture which students are understandably reluctant to raise in class.  If you do not understand anything about the lecture, send an e-mail message either to the listserve directly (polisci_319@rams.rutgers.edu) or to my personal e-mail address (given at the top of the syllabus).  I will post interesting student questions to the listserve for the class to read, along with my response.  If you would prefer not to be identified on the listserve, just say so. 

(2) Every few  weeks I will post a question related to the assignment for class discussion and response.   Students are encouraged to respond to the question and to one another.  Their messages will be graded, although only the highest grade for each student for each question will be counted.  Grading will be based on thoughtfulness, originality, linking the question to class materials, and responsiveness to other student comments.  This will be 10% of your final grade. 

 

BOOKS REQUIRED FOR PURCHASE (abbreviated in the syllabus by their titles, available in the Rutgers University Bookstore in Ferren Mall and New Jersey Books):

Bruce Jentelson, American Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Choice in the 21st Century

Paul Pillar, Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy

            Sumit Ganguly, Conflict Unending: India-Pakistan Tensions Since 1947

Randall Forsberg, William Driscoll, Gregory Webb, and Jonathan Dean,            Nonproliferation Primer

            Barry Eichengreen, Financial Crises and What To Do About Them

            Joseph Braude, The New Iraq

            Bernice Lee, Security Implications of the New Taiwan    

           

A few copies of all other materials in the syllabus should be in the undergraduate reserve room at Alexander Library.  They will probably also be available on electronic reserve, which allows you to download them at any computer.  They will also be available for purchase in a xerox packet at New Jersey Books on Easton Avenue (not in the Rutgers Bookstore).  Note that you are not required to buy any materials other than the books listed above; everything else is available on reserve, and you may also find the originals in other  libraries.  However, whether you buy them or use them on reserve, you are responsible for having read all assigned materials before the class when they are assigned.  If for some reason the materials are not available, please notify me immediately.

 

 

9/2:      Introduction

 

 

FOREIGN POLICY AS CHOICE

 

9/4:      Roy Licklider, "Policy Analysis  and Argument”

American Foreign Policy, chapters 1-2

           

 

FOREIGN POLICY IN A DEMOCRACY

 

9/9:      Charleton Ogburn, "The Flow of Policy-Making in the Department of

                        State," Appendix C, H. Haviland Field, The Formulation and

                        Administration of United States Foreign Policy, pp. 172-177.

            American Foreign Policy, chapter 3-4

 

 

 

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, THE COLD WAR, AND AFTER

 

9/11:    American Foreign Policy, chapters 5-6

            John Lewis Gaddis, “A Grand Strategy of Transformation,” Foreign Policy, 133 (November/December 2002), pp. 50-57

OPTIONAL: “The National Security Policy of the United States of America,” September 2002, http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nssall.html

            Nicholas Lemann, “The Next World Order,” New Yorker (April 1, 2002), pp. 42-48

 

 

PEACEBUILDING: PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

 

9/16:    Nonproliferation Primer, chapters 1-3

 

9/18:  Nonproliferation Primer, chapters 4-7

(G)       “North Korea and Nuclear Weapons”

OPTIONAL: Bill Keller, “The Thinkable,” New York Times Magazine (May 4, 2003)

 

 

POWER: TERRORISM

 

9/23:    American Foreign Policy, pp. 310-315

            Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy, Foreword and pp. 1-56

“Responding to Terrorism: Challenge for Democracy,” pp. 1-14

 

9/25:    Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy, pp. 57-129

“Responding to Terrorism: Challenge for Democracy,” pp. 15-25

           

9/30:    Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy, pp. 130-196

 

10/2:    Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy, pp. 197-235

Jessica Stern, “The Protean Enemy,” Foreign Affairs, 82, 4 (July/August 2003), pp. 27-40

“Responding To Terrorism: Challenge for Democracy,” pp. 26-32          

 

10/7:   PAPER #1: “U.S. counter-terrorist policy should center around the aggressive use of military force against governments which sponsor terrorism.”

            1.  Formulate the most plausible alternative policy to deal with this situation. 

(Doing nothing might be one such policy.)

2.  Make the strongest arguments in favor of the topic statement, specifying its major assumptions.  These assumptions should include the importance of the goal and the costs and consequences of the proposed policy.  For each assumption, explain briefly why it is plausible.

3.  Do the same for the alternative policy.   

4.  Compare the assumptions of the different arguments and explain why you find one set more persuasive than another.

           

 

PEACEBUILDING: PALESTINE

 

10/9:    “Shifting Sands: Balancing U.S. Interests in the Middle East,” pp. 1-38

(G)       Daoud Kuttab, “Road Map To Nowhere?”  Foreign Policy (July/August 2003), pp.

                        88-89

            Yuval Elizur, “Israel Banks on a Fence,” Foreign Affairs 82, 2 (March/April 2003),                               pp. 106-119

            Edward Sheehan, “The Map and the Fence,” New York Review of Books, 50, 11                                    (July 3, 2003), pp. 8-13

 

 

POWER: NATION-BUILDING IN IRAQ

 

10/14:  Karin von Hippel, “Democracy by Force: A Renewed Commitment to Nation

                        Building,” Washington Quarterly, 23:1 (Winter 2000), pp. 95-112

Minxin Pei, “Lessons of the Past,” Foreign Policy, 137 (July/August 2003), pp. 52-55

                        (also at http://www.foreignpolicy.com/issue_julaug_2003/afterwar.pdf)

David Fromkin, “How Iraq Became Iraq (and Now What?),” Bostonia (Summer 2003), pp. 20-23

            The New Iraq, Prologue and chapters 1-3

OPTIONAL: Gary Dempsey, Fool’s Errands: America’s Recent Encounters with Nation Building

 

10/16: The New Iraq, chapters 4-6

            Eric Davis, “Baghdad’s Buried Treasure,” New York Times (April 16, 2003).

Christopher de Bellaigue, “The Shiites Under Occupation,” New York Review of Books (July 17, 2003), pp. 24-26

Marina Ottaway, “One Country, Two Plans,” Foreign Policy, 137 (July/August 2003), pp. 55-59 (also at http://www.foreignpolicy.com/issue_julaug_2003/afterwar.pdf)

 

10/21: The New Iraq, chapters 7-9

 

10/23: The New Iraq, chapters 10-11 and Epilogue

(G)       Dave Marash, “Saddam’s Serb Supplier,” Washington Monthly (March 2003), pp. 14-18

            “Iraq After War: The Challenge of Securing the Peace–Policy Options” 

 

10/28:  PAPER #2: “The United States should rebuild Iraq and create a working democracy there.” 

            1.  Formulate the most plausible alternative policy to deal with this situation. 

(Doing nothing might be one such policy.)

2.  Make the strongest arguments in favor of the topic statement, specifying its major assumptions.  These assumptions should include the importance of the goal and the costs and consequences of the proposed policy.  For each assumption, explain briefly why it is plausible.

3.  Do the same for the alternative policy.   

4.  Compare the assumptions of the different arguments and explain why you find one set more persuasive than another.

 

 

PROSPERITY: CRISES IN THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM

 

10/30:  Financial Crises and What To Do About Them, chapters 1-2

 

11/4:    Financial Crises and What To Do About Them, chapter 3

 

11/6:    Financial Crises and What To Do About Them, chapters 4-6

 

 

PEACEKEEPING: PREVENTING NUCLEAR WAR IN SOUTH ASIA

 

11/11:  Conflict Unending: India-Pakistan Tensions Since 1947, Introduction and chapters 1-2

11/13:  Conflict Unending: India-Pakistan Tensions Since 1947, chapters 3-4

 

11/18:  Conflict Unending: India-Pakistan Tensions Since 1947, chapter 5

Seymour Hersch, "A Reporter At Large:  On The Nuclear Edge," New Yorker (March 29, 1993), pp. 56-73

 

11/20:  Pankaj Mishra, “Kashmir: The Unending War,” New York Review of Books,

(G)                   October 19, 2000

            Conflict Unending: India-Pakistan Tensions Since 1947, chapter 6 and Epilogue

OPTIONAL: K. Shankar Bajpai, “Untangling India and Pakistan,” Foreign Affairs, 82, 2 (May/June 2003)

 

 

POWER:  CHINA AND TAIWAN

 

11/25:  American Foreign Policy, pp. 271-273 and 278-281

            “China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response,” pp. 1-26

The Security Implications of the New Taiwan, Glossary, Introduction, and chapter 1

 

12/2:    The Security Implications of the New Taiwan, chapters 2-5 and Conclusion

 

 

12/4:    George Gilboy and Eric Heginbotham “China’s Coming Transformation,” Foreign

(G)                   Affairs, 80 (July/August 2001), pp. 26-39

Wu Xinbo, “To Be An Enlightened Superpower,” Washington Quarterly (Summer 2001), pp. 63-71

            “China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response,” pp. 27-34

OPTIONAL:  Michael O’Hanlon, Defense Policy Choices for the Bush Administration, 2001-05, chapter 7

 

 

PRINCIPLES, CHALLENGES, AND ALTERNATE RESPONSES

 

12/9:    “The International System in the 21st Century: Considering the U.S. Role,” pp. 1-27

 Thomas E. Ricks, “The Widening Gap Between the Military and Society,”Atlantic Monthly (August 1997), pp. 66-78.

Moisés Naím, “Five Wars of Globalization,” Foreign Policy, 134 (January/February 2003), pp. 28-37

Joseph P. Nye, “U.S. Power and Strategy After Iraq,” Foreign Affairs, 82, 4 (July/August 2003), pp. 60-73

            American Foreign Policy, chapter 10

           

 

 

12/15:  FINAL EXAMINATION, 12:00-3:00 pm