Review Sheet, First Midterm Exam, GOV 312L: U.S. Foreign Policy

Tuesday, September 2 nd: Foreign Policy and National Interest News:

1. In the crisis over Ukraine, why is Russia in a much better situation than the U.S. and the west? What advantages does Russia possess?

Better situation: We either have to arm Ukraine or Putin gets what he wants. Ukraine doesn’t have ability to stand up for itself and Russia is geographically closer and has more political pull

Example: Latvia (lecture 3): In latvia russian speakers only listen to russian radio, and get their news from there. It says Ukranians are neo-­nazis and encourages russian involvement. -­-­ makes having competitive news important and something more difficult for west to be involved in. (good for russia’s wants though)

2. What impact does Ukraine’s non-­membership in NATO have on the crisis? How is the geopolitical situation in Ukraine resemble that of Estonia and Latvia (both NATO members)?

NATO can’t offer military support to Ukraine. If they tried to become members now, it would be a clear sign to Russia of NATO taking over the area which Russia is strongly opposed to. The move to become a member would take time. During that time for military support and supplies to be moved to Ukraine, Russia can already act upon Ukraine’s decision to become a NATO member

Geopolitically, Ukraine resembles estonia and Latvia in that it also shares a border with Russia. Russia therefore has more of an influence than western democracy

3. How does nuclear deterrence work in Russia’s favor in this crisis?

This threatens the west that if russia perceives and threat from the west, it’ll launch these. NATO letting Ukraine join, would be perceived by Russia as a threat. Therefore, they’re discouraged from Ukraine joining

4. How does the press misinterpret President Obama’s statement about “not having a strategy to combat the ISIS threat?

The press takes what he says out of context. Obama was asked a narrow question saying, what should the U.S. Strategy relative to ISIS be in Syria? but it was interpreted as his entire Grand Strategy plan being non-­existent when it is just that one specific area they have yet to have a strategy.

5. What is the interrelationship between the threat from ISIS and other potential threats to U.S. interests such as the Assad regime and Iran? How does this complicate the military and diplomatic strategy to combat the threat from ISIS? How have congressional Republicans taken advantage of this situation to criticize the president through the media?

The relationship between the threats from ISIS and other threats on US interest (Assad regime, Al-­Qaeda, and Iran for example) is that ISIS is considered a big threat to many threats of US. For example, Al-­Qaeda considers ISIS to be too radical.

US could attack ISIS and take them out and take out their biggest threat, but by doing that, they’re also taking out their enemies biggest threat at the moment. The groups

would be able to shift their focus back to being against US. Ex 2: Attacking ISIS and ISIL could strengthen Assad It’s a bit of a lose-­lose situation.

US and Iran and Iraq are having pseudo-­cooperating . They’re sorta working together. Republicans are going to take advantage of Obama having to navigate dealing with

these conflicting choices and groups. It will look like not having Grand Strategy, but is it really that? Or are they just misinterpreting it? (that’s the question they wanted us to focus on)

Lecture/readings : 1. What is foreign policy? What are the aspects of foreign policy? What are its targets? What is it designed to influence?

Actions, often statements, undertaken by the US federal government directed towards some foreign audience (Actions or Statements)

Targets are foreign audiences, other governments, international organizations, nonstate actors (citizens or orgs outside of US)

Designed to shape target’s beliefs , capabilities , interests , & actions 2. What are the main foreign policy actors within the executive branch? What are the main responsibilities of each foreign policy department within the executive branch?

State, Defense, Treasury NSC, UN, CIA, DNI

3. What is the national interest? What are the arenas in which the U.S. has important national interests? What dimensions help to determine preferences over outcomes?

A preference about outcomes Security, Economic, Ideals Multiple dimensions of national interests: states, bureaucracies, subnational actors

(economic, ethnic, special interest) 4. What are the five frameworks for approaching practical ethics? What are the principal metrics by which each framework deems a decision to be ethical?

Utilitarian: maximizes most good for greatest number Common Good: maximizes common good of community Virtue: most moral Rights: Best respects rights Fairness: what doesn’t discriminate or show favoritism

5. What are the differences between ethically prohibited, ethically required, ethically permitted, and ethically ideal decisions?

self explanatory 6. How do values come into conflict when making ethical decisions? How does the immigration crisis reflect some of these tradeoffs between competing values?

individual vs community loyalty vs truth justice vs mercy short term vs long term letting kids cross border example

7. What is the difference between the approaches of realism and idealism toward U.S. foreign policy? What values did Woodrow Wilson champion in his famous fourteen points speech? Idealism (Wilson)

Collective security (league of nations) National self-­ determinism democracy promotion Democracy promotion as a moral duty:

Spreading democracy is unqualified blessing democracy is a universal value the US has a moral obligation to spread

Thursday, September 4 th: Grand Strategy I Lecture/readings : 1. What is grand strategy? How does grand strategy intersect with domestic partisanship? How do the differences between Republican politicians John McCain and Rand Paul illustrate the differences between grand strategy and domestic partisanship?

Grand strategy: “the set of overarching ideas that guide the conduct of foreign policies.” (top of triangle)-­shapes how US acts with other states

Often bundled into: Intellectual Architecture (Brand) or world view that provides the foundation for foreign policy. and relations with other states

akin to domestic partisanship: but not correlated. (domestic partisanship, like republicans and democrats, have similar grand strategy plans but not necessarily as it depends on what is appropriate for the time.

ex 2: Isolationists vs neoconservatives Differences between John McCain and Rand Paul:

Paul-­ republican;; associated with isolationists, cuts to foreign aide budge McCain-­ republican military force to support democracy abroad, and military in

syria and iraq. ISIS is huge threat. 2. How do different specific grand strategies differ from one another?

Geographic scope (regional/global) Unilateralism v. multilateralism hard v soft power Central problem that needs to be addressed:

Nuclear revolution & threat of great war power? keeping the world at a safe distance? preventing the rise of a rival power? maintaining a hospitable security and economic global environment

3. Based on President Obama’s speech at West Point, what type of grand strategy best approximates his general philosophical approach? 4. What is Isolationism? What is the logic that underlies this grand strategy? What is the chief critique of this grand strategy? How are George Washington and his Farewell Address

and Republican presidential successors to Woodrow Wilson in the 1920s historical examples of this grand strategy?

Goal to reduce foreign interventions and avoid future commitments Logic

American threats abroad are minimal foreign conflicts can infect domestic politics foreign intervention itself can create a threat america first: scarce resources should be devoted to domestic problems

Critique: Allows problems to fester Washington

Set against wars associated with french revolution Warns against foreign entanglements, antipathies or alliances helps to set up a tradition of isolationism by recommending detachment from

europe Wilson

Post wilson, republican senators are isolationists reply on private economic influence rather than political military power tax cuts, demobilization, limited political involvement in Europe

Cold War isolationism waxed/waned less isolationism rebirth of isolationism after collapse of USSR Partial retreat again with threat of Al Qaeda Return of neo-­isolationism in current climate

5. What does your Heilbrun reading argue regarding the recent re-­emergence of “neo-­isolationism” in the U.S.? 6. What is Selective Engagement or Offshore Balancing? What is the logic that underlies this grand strategy? What is the chief critique of this grand strategy? How are Dwight D. Eisenhower and George H. W. Bush historical examples of this grand strategy?

Goal is to better align capacity and interests. Both are limited. Logic

American interests abroad are still global but not unconstrained American power has limits US must prioritize its interests and bring them in line with capacity US must partner with regional powers

Critiques: Difficult to execute Eisenhower GW Bush

7. What does your Jetleson reading argue regarding “strategic recalibration”? Tuesday, September 9 th: Grand Strategy II News:

1. How has domestic politics impinged on President Obama’s plans for immigration reform?

Wants to hold of vote on immigration so other democrats can get re-­elected. 2. What do Senator Marco Rubio’s remarks and Senator Rand Paul’s letter to Time Magazine (“I am not an isolationist.”) illustrate about the role of domestic politics, and Republican party presidential politics in particular, in foreign policy surrounding the American response to ISIS?

They’re trying to run in the primaries and they want to have a strong enough stance on ISIS to get elected. Isolationism looks bad now.

Lecture/readings : 1. What is Liberal Internationalism? What is the logic that underlies this grand strategy? What is the chief critique of this grand strategy?

Use military power and international institutions to pursue a liberal international order. Logic

American threats abroad are global security is collective and achieved through multilateral organizations and

alliances Security is best achieved in a world based on western values: free markets,

democratic regimes, protecting human rights American intervention with military and economic power used to establish an

american led liberal international order Critique: LI can be too expansive and perceived as imperialism.

2. How is Woodrow Wilson and Barack Obama historical examples of this grand strategy? Why does Posen in your article, “Pull Back,” disagree with this depiction of President Obama’s grand strategy?

Wilson Collective security through League of Nations National self-­determinism democracy free trade open navigation of the sea Problems

How to enforce? Securing domestic support through congress …

Obama

Support for multinational cooperation in west point speech still supportive of democracy willing to use military force pulls back from bush grand strategy of Primacy by withdrawing from Iraq and

drawing down in Afghanistan. Posen disagrees.

3. In what ways did Moser suggest that President Obama’s foreign policy diverge from Liberal Internationalism? (See clip from John Oliver.) 4. What is Primacy? What is the logic that underlies this grand strategy? What is the chief critique of this grand strategy?

Goal to use unilateral means to establish american hegemony over all rivals Logic

American interests abroad are global security is achieved UNILATERALLY through preponderant american power reliance on military power can be marked by emphasis from a worldview that is primarily realist (material)

or idealist (values) Critique: Primacy can lead to overreach and isolation

5. How is George W. Bush’s grand strategy a neo-­conservative version of Primacy?

Moralism associated with neoconservatism not necessary for primacy primacy about dominance, not values to which dominance might be used to promote

6. Using lecture and the Fukuyama reading, trace the evolution of neo-­conservativism as an ideological movement from its beginnings on the far left through its evolution under the Reagan administration to its emergence as the dominant ideological approach to foreign policy under President George W. Bush after 9/11.

Politically started on far left, moved to center during and following social turmoil of 1960’s;; moved right during carter and Reagan admin.

Original Hero: Leon Trotsky (anti-­stalin;; Stalin had perverted communist revolution) were anti-­capitalist;; anti liberal in US, strong critiques of FDR

Anti-­stalin views foundation for strong hardline stance against Soviet Union during cold war

pushed rightward by social upheaval of 1960’s, deplored rise of cultural relativism, blaming of US, “attack” on our universities by student radicals, opposed to affirmative action.

Frustration with realists in the republican party on foreign policy (Nixon/Kissinger). Prevent alliance with conservatives until Reagan’s staunch anti-­communism and escalation of cold war. Although frustrated with his willingness to negotiate with Gorbachev in second term.

emerging alliance with Evangelical wing of republican party during/after Reagan Frustration with rising secularism and decline of personal responsibility support of christian right for israel

Influences by Wohlstetter during cold war nuclear balance delicate, not stable, push arms race

big supporters of Reagan and his characterization of the soviet union as evil empire, rollback (not containment)

Post 1991: Embrace vision of american primacy that fuses american power with pursuit of liberal ideals

use american power to promote liberalism/democracy around the world US should pursue moral foreign policy (supported clinton interventions in haiti

and bosnia) Bush Administration

Clear willingness to use military force to promote goals in Iraq and Afghanistan skepticism of international institutions democracy promotions preserve military dominance over peers

dramatic post 9/11 buildup

Shock of 9/11 important candidate bush as an offshore balancer

7. Compare and contrast the reading by Posen and Brooks et al. Why does Posen see a need for the U.S. to pull back from its international commitments while Brooks and his co-­authors remain committed to global engagement in the world? Posen -­ US needs to pull back from interventionist policies

American Activism Has: promted an anti-­american balancing started unending conflict with nationalism enabled allies to shirk on their own defense

A restrained American foreign policy should focus on preventing a powerful rival, fighting terrorism, and stopping nuclear

proliferation reduce global alliance commitments avoid counterinsurgency reduce the size of the military

Brooks -­ US needs to remain engaged Advocates of restraint overstate costs

hard to calculate real economic costs, but US is wealthy and it’s a small % of GDP

Countries do not balance against US Do not get pulled into unnecessary wars, US alliances constrain

Forget real benefits: keep peace by deterring bids for regional hierarchy military dominance leads economic benefits fosters multilateral issues on new issues

Thursday, September 11 th: Executive Branch and U.S. foreign policy Special section on 9/11:

1. What made 9/11 an historical watershed event? How did it change US foreign policy goals, American public opinion on the tradeoff between security and liberty, domestic security levels due to increased vulnerability, and the balance between executive and legislative authority over foreign policy?

shift to terrorists and states harboring terrorists as chief threat changes in public opinion: debate over tradeoff between security and liberty increased domestic security measures due to vulnerability increased presidential authority

Lecture/readings : 1. Where in the constitution (which articles) is executive authority over foreign policy anchored?

President as commander in chief executive power of the president

2. What is the logic of separating war-­making powers and authority over foreign policy between the executive and legislative branches? How do crucial difference between presidential, separation-­of-­powers systems such as separate presidential and legislative elections (and thus separate constituencies), fixed terms, and no “vote of confidence” for a president to maintain power produce different foreign policy decision-­making processes and outcomes compared to parliamentary systems, which have greater fusion of executive and legislative powers?

Logic: Part of madison’s separation of powers and checks and balances system difference between presidential vs parliamentary systems

separate elections, separate constituencies fixed terms, no “vote of confidence” for a president

3. How do challenging in coordinating executive branch bureaucracies affect foreign policy decision-­making?

President and national security advisor have a huge role to play in coordinating all the agencies

think of the rules of the road, need to get everyone on the same page problems when interagency coordination fails : 9/11

4. How do competing interests between foreign policy bureaucracies affect foreign policy decision making, for example, in the post-­invasion Iraq?

Competing foreign policy interests within executive branch intensely political: deciding who wins and who loses

5. How do organizational needs and “turf wars” influence foreign policy decision-­making? How do incentives to spend all resources in order to maximize budgets affect foreign policy and military planning, for example, in the allocation between branches of the military such as the air force versus the army?

Bureaucratic power function of resource control spend all resources so can lay claim to more next year

Policy preferences generated by organizational needs 6. According to classical liberalism, why does war expand presidential authority?

War as a tool to extend political influence of external AND internal actors Thomas Paine: war as art of conquering at home;; war as means to raise taxes Richard Cobden: war as justification to maintain high levels of armaments;;

measure costs in lives, economic costs, and lost individual freedoms Implications

these arguments motivate calls for democracy as a means to peace;; and justification for legislative checks on executive authority

Not just in respect to prosecution of the war, but also in domestic policy matters (congress votes closer to presidential prefs or policy goals

7. According to the interview with Professor Bobby Chesney, …

Tuesday, September 16 th: Congress and U.S. foreign policy News:

1. How does the Ebola crisis pose multifaceted challenges to Liberia’s social, economic, and security environment?

Liberia has 250 doctors for 4.1 million people. many cases in cities, cannot contain in rural isolated villages like prior outbreak request for american military administration health care system overrun economy collapsing: people are staying home failing state and return of civil wars?

2. How does the role of indispensable nation potentially increase the moral responsibility of the United States in this crisis?

Is it ethically permissible NOT to intervene? We have the power to fix things, so should we?

3. How do different approaches to practical ethics confront the ethical dilemma of the Ebola crisis?

described below 4. From a utilitarian point of view, what are the potential harms versus the potential benefits that the U.S. confronts in the Ebola crisis?

Utilitarianism: Benefits v harms benefits: relieve human suffering, save lives, prevent disease spread, prevent

social economic breakdown, prevent civil conflict, boost international and domestic image

harms: risk american lives, overstretch american military, distract from greater threats, political risks of failure and disappointment, where do our obligations end?

5. What questions arise when considering the Ebola crisis from a fairness framework?

Fairness: minimize descrimination Who gets treatment?

western aid workers vs african victims most severe cases or most likely to survive? social categories: young v old, rich v poor Utility: Urban vs rural, educated vs uneducated

problem of scarcity what if you can’t help everyone?

6. How does self-­interest enter the picture? Is self-­interest and ethical decision-­making necessarily contradictory?

Moral intent: what role for self interest? fighting ebola because it could spread to US Self interests and ethics are not necessarily contradictory

Self-­protection of your own citizens is a moral obligation ethical action can benefit the state self interest helps “sell” ethical foreign policy

Lecture/readings :

1. According to conventional wisdom, war increases presidential power not only in the prosecution of war itself but also in domestic policy? According to Howell, Jackman, and Rogowski (cited in lecture and a reading), why does the legislative branch allow the expansion of presidential authority when their mandate is to check it? What effects do different constituencies and levels of information have on the ability of the president to get Congress to go along with his foreign policy goals? Howell, Jackman and Rogowski

Importance of different constituencies generate different compositions of societal interests to represent President larger constituency Congress narrower;; societal interests can be concentrated on left or right side

of ideological perspective Congress has national and district interests, sometimes compete war elevates the importance of national goals in political calculations of

congressional officials move closer to the presidents position, enhancing his authority and enabling

him to achieve more of his policy goals congressional uncertainty about optimal foreign policy choice also strengthens

executive that possesses “informational” advantage 2. Where in the constitution (which articles) is congressional authority over foreign policy anchored?

Congress and the declaration of war Congress and the power of the purse Senate and treaties

3. What is the War Powers Resolution (1973) and why is it an important congressional restraint executive war-­making powers? What does this law require of the president in its dealings with Congress? How has every president since Richard Nixon (who had his veto of the bill overridden) viewed this law?

Congressional attempt to rein in presidential war-­making power after vietnam war federal law intended to check the president's power to commit the United States to an

armed conflict without the consent of Congress. passed over nixon’s veto declared as unconstitutional because it violates separation of powers by every

president since nixon mixed effects

4. The reading by Jack Webb expresses frustration with Congress and its abdication of oversight over foreign policy and war-­making. However, there are many ways that Congress affects presidential decision-­making on the use of force. What are these ways? 5. How does divided government generate greater congressional oversight over foreign policy?

Divided gov (president’s party does NOT hold both chambers of congress) generates greater congressional oversight of foreign policy

call more hearings engage in public criticism

pass legislation that restricts presidential actions set conditions on spending bills to implement policy Electoral incentives to increase when opposing party controls white house presidential information advantage: more likely to share info with own party, so

opposition increase oversight to offset 6. How do members of congress use the media to shape public opinion and ultimately foreign policy decisions by the president?

usually through hearings open congressional committee meetings on some element of foreign policy presence or absence of divided governments shapes number of hearings public criticism of president can also shape public opinion of president by

altering how media covers Thursday, September 18 th: Congress and U.S. foreign policy News:

1. What critiques did congressional Republicans lodge against President Obama’s military strategy on ISIS? Why have Republicans become so much eager to engage in military operations against ISIS? How have domestic politics and approaching elections factored into these choices?

favor all out war waged by americans he’s too quick to rule out options he may need later if it’s important enough to fight it’s important enough to win, we should put troops on

the ground Lecture/readings : 1. How do societal interests affect foreign policy?

shifts in public opinion economic interests special interest groups political movements

2. What is the “rally around the flag” effect? What tends to drive it?

The tendency for the public to rally behind the president and the cause of war at times of percieved crisis

Why? Nationalism Lack of interest/information dramatic impact of foreign crisis fleeting nature of support

3. Has President Obama experienced a “rally around the flag” effect surrounding the crisis with ISIS? How has divided government potentially influenced the political dynamics of this crisis?

4. According to lecture and your Mueller reading, why has it been so difficult to sustain public support for military interventions in the Korean, Vietnam, and Iraq Wars?

War Fatigue tendency for public support for american military intervention to decline over

time. Casualty-­phobic

5. How do special interest groups influence foreign policy?

Interest groups influence FP function of its ability to organize lots of voters organizational capacity and influence set by ability to transcend free riding

6. What is the free rider problem and how does the fact that national defense is a public good relate to this problem?

Free riding may be considered as a free rider problem when it leads to under-­provision of goods or services, or when it leads to overuse or degradation of a common property resource. An opposite concept is that of a forced rider

Individually costly for citizens to try and change policy through lobbying or appeals to gov officials

benefits of lobbying victory (change in policy) as public good, diffused across society public good as nonexcludable and non rivalrous classic example: national defense

provision of public goods subject to free riding 7. How do special interest lobbying groups solve the free rider problem?

It’s difficult to mobilize as individuals. Interest groups have solved collective action problem and can mobilize sufficient

societal support 8. How have powerful economic interests captured state power and fashioned economic trade policy to further their interests through the Open Door policies of the 19 th century?

Because of economic interests we did a lot of territorial expansion since 1840’s. Equal access for all firms in global economy to a market in practice, it just means more external markets for americans to sell products

9. According to lecture and the Mead reading, what type of interests underpin the Tea Party movement? What is the demographic profile of this movement?

Tea party’s emergence function of frustrations with policies of Bush admin, 2008 financial crisis, and election of obama

Economic interests are key: conflict over distribution of taxation and distribution of spending

grassroots of tea party membership tends to be older, whiter middle class Tuesday, September 23 rd: USFP: From Independence to the Civil War News:

1. How has the coalition-­building process strengthened President Obama’s hand in the domestic political battle over airstrikes against ISIS?

2. How has the Republican position on airstrikes become so close to the president’s position? 3. Why is the issue of climate change a potential free rider problem?

Lecture/Readings:

1. According to the reading by Mearsheimer and Walt, why has AIPAC been so influential on U.S. policy toward the Middle East and why is this a problem? Is this problem easily remedied in a democratic political system?

Theoretical “realists” Significance: national interests groups should be defined by external threats to the US;;

alliance relationships can be transient and subservient to these The Lobby/AIPAC too powerful, hijacking US interests How?

Campaign contributions collective action problem of societal opposition

2. How did a global conflict originating in Europe help bring about the American state?

Global conflict, originating in europe great britain huge territorial gains (from france and spain wars) in north america

3. What challenges did Great Britain face in managing its colonies in North America in light of the Seven Years/French & Indian War? How did these challenges lead to new taxation and limits on self-­government that ultimately spurred mobilization for independence?

New challenges for british in North america paying for the war protecting western frontier

War shocks the political relationship between GB and colonies Significant new taxes to pay for the troops Political opposition, increasingly focused on independence, mobilizes in colonies GB responds with new limits on self-­governance

4. How did France help to secure independence for the American colonies from Great Britain? What role did the Declaration of Independence play in signaling device to France?

Key foreign policy goal to counter military weakness: Secure french aid and loans. Declaration of independence: signal to french that committed to independence, worthy

of investment 5. How does Charles Tilly’s dictum, “war made the state,” apply to the American war for independence? How did that experience shape the American state?

The epxerience of the american revolution helped establish the new american state. don’t want a tyranny gov, fair taxation, weary of strong central government

6. How did the Articles of Confederation and its concentration of power in the states shape American foreign policy?

Foreign policy was a key weakness in, more like alliance and loose union among states.

Commercial regulation/taxation stays within state

7. How did war and the anticipation of war in Europe lead to constructing a constitution with a stronger national government capable of reining in state powers?

European war fairly regular: US in danger of being drawn in, more so if loose confederation. need to be able to enforce foreign treaties on states that resist.

John Jay: Worry that state rivalry will invite foregin intervention, alliances 8. How did Washington’s Farewell Address guard set a precedent of isolationism for the United States? What was Washington’s fear regarding international cleavages and American domestic politics?

Warns against foreign entanglements Critical to survival against internal and external threats sets a tradition of isolationism by recommending detachment from europe

9. What were the main principles of the Monroe Doctrine? How did the Monroe Doctrine establish a sphere of influence for the United States in the Western Hemisphere? Why did the U.S. assert such an ambitious foreign policy statement at this time? What was Great Britain’s role in enforcing the Monroe Doctrine and why was it so supportive of American ambitions in the Western Hemisphere?

Main principles Western hemisphere was no longer open for colonization drew a line between colonies and newly independent latin american states,

extending american protection against european interference only to the latter. Dual message:

Asserted sphere of influence would refrain from participation in european wars and would not distrub

existing colonies in western hemisphere So why then?

Latin american independence movements Developments in europe

Napoleonic wars, holy alliance, and fear of return of monarchy balance of power system in europe allowed for greater assertiveness

british help US too weak to enforce the monroe doctrine, but great britain and british

navy enforced it for them 10. What were the implications of the Monroe Doctrine?

Key moment in evolution of US foreign policy an assertive US enters the world stage

Introduces key concepts/ideals: sphere of influence anti colonialism, protection of democracy basis for american imperialism

roosevelt corollary Thursday, September 25 th: USFP: Manifest Destiny to World War I News:

1. How does Obama’s speech at the UN relate to his speech at West Point? What are the major themes he touches on in both speeches? 2. How does Obama’s themes relate to Liberal Internationalism and the legacy of Woodrow Wilson? Lecture/Readings:

1. What forces promoted American expansionism in the middle of the 19 th century?

Population and economic growth technology: the railroad Ideology: manifest destiny domestic politics: slavery

2. What made the American Civil War an international event?

The civil war and the survival of democratic governance fusion of nationalism and liberalism global repercussions

European powers and the american civil war some had interests in US breaking up, wanted to aid south

3. What differentiated Union diplomacy from Confederate diplomacy? What did each side rely upon to generate implicit or explicit support from European powers? 4. According to Fareed Zakaria (covered in lecture), why was America slow in expanding from a continental power to a global power? How did the experience of the Civil War delay American global expansion of power?

Not like other great powers in age of imperialism have to understand domestic institutions

war fatigue from civil war turns US inward to focus on consolidation institutional prereqs for expansion: solidify federal authority over the states, executive

authority over congress, and build up federal bureaucracy 5. According to Walter LaFeber’s alternative argument (also covered in lecture), how did crucial business interests and the need for foreign markets contribute to the timing of American expansion in the 1890s?

Need new foreign markets, many of which closed because of european colonialism, to cure the problem of overproduction and deflation

Acquire foreign markets through territorial expansion;; politically easier than domestic reform in aftermath of economic crisis

6. Why did the U.S. enter World War I in 1917 when President Woodrow Wilson ran for reelection on keeping the U.S. out of the European war? How did Germany’s submarine campaign contribute to a shift in American public opinion? How does Wilson’s desire to shape the terms of the postwar order enter into his calculations?

German submarine campaign shifts public opinion, makes it politically impossible to stay out of war

wilson ALSO wants to shape terms of peace 7. How did American entry into World War I shape the end of the war and its aftermath? How did Wilson’s ideas of national self-­determination contribute to the collapse of empires?

Military consequences shifts balance of military power alters german perceptions of potential for

victory political consequences

war and wilson’s support of self-­determination facilitates imperial collapse democracy

get collective security system centered around league of nations Economic consequences

united states as preeminent economic power of world and victor’s creditor In sum, US plays critical role in construction of postwar international political order

Tuesday, September 30 th: Versailles Treaty to the Cold War News:

1. How does President Obama’s declaration, “That’s the way we roll,” help to solidify his vision of the U.S. as the indispensable nation?

He said that we set moral examples and since we can help people that’s what we will do.

Lecture/Readings:

1. How did the Versailles Treaty, particularly the harsh terms imposed on Germany, contribute to World War II? How did Wilson’s compromises on his ideals contribute to World War II? How did American capital play an important role in keeping the reparations system afloat and the withdrawal of American capital contribute to the end of German reparation payments?

Harsh peace on germany Loses navy, merchant marine, colonies, allies occupy Rhineland Wilson demands democracy

Germany has to pay reparations to France, GB, and Belgium Limits their economic growth difficult to impose new taxes on citizens to fund foreigners Cycle of credit: US loans prop up reparations system

So how did it cause WW2? Destabilizing new (Weimar) democracy in germany activates conservatives in germany to pursue revisionist foreign policy: retake

lost territory Failure of treaty ratification in US begins withdrawl = bad for germany

2. How did American policies contribute to the Great Depression?

Elements (just general) collapsing industrial production

falling agricultural prices rising unemployment international trade contracts significantly

Tight Monetary policy by federal reserve halts loans to germany, pushes interest rates up

Smoot-­Hawley: high tariffs provoke reciprocal measures in world, and global trade collapses

FDR: Takes US off gold standard to offset deflation (foster inflation) 3. What were the political consequences of the Great Depression and how did they contribute to World War II?

FDR and US withdrawal from Europe congress passes series of neutrality acts

german government makes collapse worse by pursuing austerity (dramatic spending cuts, tax hikes, high interest rates) and creates political space for Hitler’s nazi party to seize government through legal and constitutional means

Hitler uses rearmament to generate economic recovery, which leads directly to WWII

4. How does FDR get around an isolationist Congress and support the Allied powers (particularly the British war effort) against Germany?

Gets congress to repeal arms embargo to Neutrality acts US Navy patrolling atlantic destroyers for naval bases deal with british by executive order

Lend Lease: US as arsenal for democracy Then all democratic constraints fall away with pearl harbor

5. Why did wartime cooperation between the United States and Soviet Union so quickly collapse after World War II? How did the different worldviews of the U.S. and Soviet Union, the mutual suspicions of each country against the other, and individual leaders’ idiosyncrasies such as Stalin’s insecurity and paranoia and Truman’s anti-­communism contribute to the emergence of the Cold War? Competing goals.

US Competing Goals: universal and ambiguous

maintain US international engagement promote democracy, free and fair elections promote free and open markets united nations and collective security

Mistrust of soviets: world revolution Molotov-­Ribbentrop pact negotiations over eastern europe soviet army occupied western europe

Individual level: Truman’s anti-­communism Soviet Union

Soviet goals: concrete and territorial buffer zone sphere of influence

Mistrust of US: capitalist imperialism

history of western invasion western intervention during russian revolution second front issue during WWII

Individual Level: Stalin’s paranoia 6. Drawing from lecture and the “X” article reading, how did George Kennan view the Soviet threat?

Innately antagonistic dual nature: expansionary but cautious

7. How did Kennan’s definition of the Soviet threat naturally give rise to the containment strategy?

Soviets are constantly shifting, we should apply “counterforce” corresponding to shifts and maneuvers of soviet policy

Thursday, October 2 nd: The Cold War Lecture/Readings:

1. According to Kennan, why did the Soviets behave the way that they did? For Kennan, how was the United States to overcome the Soviet threat and win the Cold War?

Patience and Marxist Ideology Dictatorship and the need for an external enemy containment as a contest between rival political systems

to overcome them

force kremlin into moderation promote tendencies to breakup soviet union don’t necessarily do it alone

2. What were the causes and implications of the Truman Doctrine? Diminished power of GB causes power vacuum established anti-­communism as basis of AFP Establishing american global leadership set precedent of US intervention introduced seeds of domino theory

3. Why did the United States adopt the Marshall Plan? What were the policy’s goals and how did the policy play to American strengths and contribute to American prosperity?

Why? rebuild europe

Policies economic dislocation and extremism curbing domestic attraction to communism building on US economic power

4. Why did the crisis of 1948-­49 so greatly swing the security environment against the United States?

Continued evidence of soviet/communist expansion US response with NATO and NSC-­68

5. How did Stalin acquire a nuclear weapon years before the United States expected him to? 6. How did the “loss of China” contribute to McCarthyism and the Red Scare? 7. What is the German security problem? Why did it emerge in the late 19 th century? What was the American solution to this problem? What was the Soviet solution? How was the German problem aggravated by Eisenhower’s willingness to rearm Germany, potentially with nuclear weapons?

German security problem challenges associated with fighting a two-­front war, i.e. being surrounded creates incentives for territorial expansion for buffer zones

American solution partition, occupy, democratize West germany and integrate it economically and

militarily into a western alliance Soviet solution: partition, occupy, communize east germany and integrate it

economically and militarily in soviet-­led bloc Why was it aggrevated?

Soviet concerned that west germany would reconstitute economically and basically attack soviet union

Eisenhower makes it worse by rearming west germany, maybe even with nukes

8. Why was Berlin such an important signal to American commitment to protect Western Europe from Soviet aggression? 9. What were the various forms of military intervention in the Third World during the Cold War?

Proxy wars US -­ Korea, Vietnam Soviet Union -­ Afghanistan

Covert actions staging and/or aiding rebellions

Supporting friendly regimes Foreign and military aid US support for anti communist dictatorships

10. Why was containment so much more difficult in the Third World than it was in Europe?

Advantages in europe Acceptance of US involvement Immediacy of external soviet threat Political, cultural, and historical ties

Disadvantages in Third world Rejection of american intervention

the west as an imperial power communism as a liberation ideology

lenin’s theory of imperialism Soviet union as model of development

domestic threat of communist insurgency nationalism as dominant ideology issue of political will lack of modernization and democratization

unconventional warfare 11. What are the two perspectives on the role of Reagan foreign policy in the end of the Cold War?

pushed soviets to reform no effect

12. How did the foreign policy regarding the Soviet Union differ in Reagan’s first term and his second term?

Foreign policy I -­ confrontation rhetoric -­ renewed confrontation arms buildup strategic defense initiative (SDI) the Reagan Doctrine

Foreign policy II -­ negotiation Cooling rhetoric embracing soviet reform arms control

13. How did Gorbachev’s foreign policy (his “New Thinking”) differ from classic Soviet foreign policy (Soviet “Old Thinking”)? How did he get away with these changes?

Old thinking Two camp thesis Ideological confidence in final crisis of capitalism peaceful coexistence but continued class struggle

Gorbachev’s “new thinking” Emphasis on universal values interdependence and mutual security denying west their “enemy image”

How he got away with it soviet loss of optimism, self confidence selling salvation rather than selling out

14. How did Gorbachev’s withdrawal from hegemony in Eastern Europe through his refusal to use force to sustain communist rule there contribute to the end of communist rule in the Soviet Union? What were the intentions of this policy and what were its unintended consequences?

Intentions broadening support for reform, lowering costs of empire

Specific reforms sinatra doctrine ( "Sinatra Doctrine" was the name that the Soviet government of

Mikhail Gorbachev used jokingly to describe its policy of allowing neighboring Warsaw Pact nations to determine their own internal affairs.”)

refusal to use force Unintended consequences

loss of empire and prestige provided a model for ending communism

15. How was the end of the Cold War a manifestation of successful containment and Kennan’s vision of how the strategy was supposed to work?

Successful containment appeal of democracy economic success technological revolution

soviet system failure soviet implosion and the end of the cold war

Tuesday, October 7 th: Violence and the International Political Order News:

1. What factors make the Ebola crisis such a challenge to regulatory and medical authorities in the U.S.? 2. How does the potential spread of the Ebola crisis challenge ethical decision-­making regarding the public health response to the epidemic? How have tangential issues such as insecure borders factored into the debate? Lecture/Readings:

1. What is the definition of politics? What are the two central components of this definition?

Use of authority to allocate scarce resources means of coordinating social behavior

Two elements Authority: capacity to direct social behavior

often relies on coercion: capacity to impose costs but presence of authority also rests on some legitimacy

Allocation of scarce resources: implies some degree of competition or social conflict over that allocation

2. How does violence shape political order? Give an example of how the use of coercion by a legitimate authority helps to establish political order.

Political order: stable patterns or regularities of social behavior induced by authority relationships and/or coercion

critical role for coercion and violence in politics violence is often necessary ex: 6th street at 2 am

3. What is the central dilemma of the use of force to establish for political order in domestic politics?

Government or organization strong enough to enforce it’s directives is also strong enough to leverage authority for it’s own gain

4. How does this same dilemma frame the problem of war and political order in the international order?

Government needs to enforce directives while also constraining its ability to engage in predatory activities that could strengthen its authority

5. What is a historical example of predatory behavior in the international realm? What is a contemporary example? Hitler 6. How did the U.S. address the central dilemma of the use of force in the international realm after World War II? How did the Soviet threat help to legitimate U.S. projection of U.S. military power in Western Europe? What role did international organizations play in constraining U.S. military power?

If predators in international politics, what do we do? e.g. hitler: use violence to overturn Weimar democracy then embarks on horrific

program of genocidal expansion use of violence for the predation as self sustaining: take what they want and

then use those new resources to bolster military Sometimes have to go to war to impose limits on or regulate violence Soviet union: legitimizes US military because they’re a threat

7. According to Ikenberry (cited in lecture), why was the 2003 invasion of Iraq so problematic for the constraint of U.S. military power? 8. What is war? What did Clauswitz say war was?

Military contest among competing organizations use of physical punishment to secure political concessions or disarm adversary Clausewitz: war as the continuation of politics by other means

9. How does realism, idealism, and pacifism each view the role of morality in war?

Realism: morality shouldn’t be considered in international relations idealism: morality must be taken into consideration but may require the use of force for

just ends Pacifism: killing is never justified

10. What are the requirements of Just War theory within its three realms ( jus ad bellum – just resort to war;; jus in bello – just conduct of war;; and jus post bellum – just aftermath of war)?

just resort to war a just war has a cause that is likely self defense only taken when armed conflict is last resort only undertaken by legitimate authority right intention reasonable chance of success proportionality

just conduct discrimination against civilians and soldiers proportionality

justice after war victors should achieve goals, no vengeance still keep discrimination and proportion

ultimate goal is to re-­establish peace 11. What is the problem of integrating a just resort to war ( jus ad bellum ) and the just conduct of war ( jus in bello )? How is the morality of the conduct of individual soldiers affected?

If the cause of a war is not justified, are the individual combatants actions in carrying out the war justified?

can soldiers kill people as long as they have instructions 12. What is the case for Just War? How is it related to Utilitarianism?

War as a necessary and lesser evil utilitarian approach

war can cause greater good than harm 13. According to Crawford, what sort of transformations in war have made Just War theory less applicable in the age of terrorism and counter-­terrorism? What is the counter-­argument to these assertions? Thursday, October 9 th: Great Power Politics I Lecture/Readings:

1. How do great powers structure international politics after great power wars like World War I and World War II? What changes in the aftermath of these wars and the peace settlement that follows? 2. What were the main pillars of the peace settlements of World War I and World War II? How did these two settlements differ from one another? 3. What was the significance of international institutions like the United Nations, NATO, and economic institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) to the peacetime settlement after World War II? How did these institutions help the U.S. resolve the central dilemma of politics and the use of force? 4. What explains the absence of great power war since the mid-­20 th century? Be sure to discuss the impact of globalization, nuclear deterrence, and unipolarity? 5. How do your readings by Mead and Ikenberry see the current post-­Cold War settlement and the prospects for the continuation of the US-­led global system of alliances, international institutions, and values such as democracy and free trade? What are the chief challengers to this system? How does Mead view these challengers versus Ikenberry? 6. How was the Cold War similar to a great power conflict and how did the end of the Cold War resemble a peace settlement following a great power war?

7. What did Russia lose in the post-­Cold War settlement in terms of territory, empire, international status, regime type, and economic and political stability? How did these losses shape Russian foreign policy goals under President Vladimir Putin? 8. What did the United States and the West gain in the post-­Cold War settlement in terms of military hegemony, economic hegemony, ideological hegemony, and the shift from bipolar to unipolar distribution of power? 9. What was the principal challenge facing the United States as it fashioned the post-­Cold War settlement? How did this challenge shape the debate over policies related to NATO expansion and foreign aid to Russia? 10. What was the principal dilemma and choice facing Russia as it adapted to the post-­Cold War settlement? How did Russia view the expansion of NATO and Western foreign aid? Tuesday, October 14th: Civil War and Humanitarian Intervention News: 1. How does the pressure to intervene with ground troops in Syria resemble the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam? How does military intervention have a logic of its own? 2. Why is Turkey reluctant to cooperate with the United States in its efforts to combat ISIS? What domestic constraints does Turkey face? Lecture/Readings: 1. How did the peaceful end of the Cold War lead to more civil wars in the Third World? 2. Why do states fail to come to a peace settlement even though it will make all parties better off than if they continue fighting? What is the role of private information and overestimation of one side’s bargaining leverage? What is the commitment problem and how does it contribute to continuation of conflict? 3. How do shifts in the distribution of power contribute to civil war conflict? How do withdrawals of great powers from internal conflicts lead to new distributions of power? What is the role of ethnic imbalances and income inequality? 4. How can intervention from a third party (like the United States) help to resolve the commitment problem? 5. What is the moral hazard problem? How can this concept help to explain how the prospect of intervention from a third party (like the United States) might actually increase incentives to leave civilian populations vulnerable to attack and genocide? 6. What is genocide? What are the four problems associated with the international norm of stopping genocide?

7. What is the responsibility to protect? How is this mandate even more expansive than the mandate to stop genocide? What are the problems associated with this approach to humanitarian intervention? 8. What is pragmatic humanitarian intervention? How does it differ from both the norm to stop genocide and the responsibility to protect? 9. According to Mearsheimer, what are the five reasons the U.S. should not intervene in Syria?

Terms: Hard vs. soft power

Soft power is the ability to attract and co-­opt rather than coerce, use force or give money as a means of persuasion.

Hard power is the use of military and economic means to influence the behavior or interests of other political bodies. This form of political power is often aggressive, and is most effective when imposed by one political body upon another of lesser military and/or economic power

Unilateralism

The process of acting, reaching a decision, or espousing a principle unilaterally, pursuit of or belief in unilateral nuclear disarmament

Multilateralism

Involving more than two nations or parties Regional vs. global scope of interests Separate presidential and legislative elections, separate constituencies Fixed terms No “vote of confidence” for a president divided government and the making of U.S. foreign policy Rally around the flag effect

Is international Involves the United States and particularly the President directly Specific, dramatic, and sharply focused

War fatigue Free rider problem, public good provision, and national defense Open door policy and free trade Washington’s Farewell Address and isolationism John Quincy Adams foreign policy thinking

US does not go abroad in search of monsters Roosevelt Corollary

The corollary states that the United States will intervene in conflicts between European countries and Latin American countries to enforce legitimate claims of the European powers, rather than having the Europeans press their claims directly.

Manifest Destiny Slavery and American expansionism Wilson, self-­determination, democracy, collective security German war reparations and American capital Smoot-­Hawley Act (1929), high tariffs, and the global depression Franklin D. Roosevelt and the gold standard Congress and Neutrality Acts (1935, 1936, 1937) Lend Lease Program Lenin’s Theory of Imperialism

Imperialism is highest stage of capitalism

Nature of capitalism and its doctrine of profit maximisation means that imperialism is that the capitalists are forced into in search of greater profits in ever shrinking and unstable markets

NSDD-­75 Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI or Star Wars)

The Strategic Defense Initiative ( SDI) was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983,[1] to use ground-­based and space-­based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles.

Sinatra Doctrine "Sinatra Doctrine" was the name that the Soviet government of Mikhail

Gorbachev used jokingly to describe its policy of allowing neighboring Warsaw

Pact nations to determine their own internal affairs. Clauswitz on war Dilemma of politics and the use of force Just War Theory jus ad bellum, jus in bello, jus post bellum

The purpose of the doctrine is to ensure war is morally justifiable through a series of criteria , all of which must be met for a war to be considered just. The criteria are split into two groups: "the right to go to war’' (jus ad bellum) and ‘'right conduct in war’' (jus in bello) . The first concerns the morality of going to war and the second with moral conduct within war.

Great powers Great power war Cold War as great power conflict Bargaining model of war

the bargaining model of war is a means to represent the potential gains and losses and ultimate outcome of war between two actors as a bargaining interaction .

Commitment problem and end of civil wars Genocide Responsibility to protect Pragmatic humanitarian intervention Mass homicide campaign Low-­cost intervention plan Enduring security and exit strategy