US Foreign Policy 2104-GPIR-D3USFP
This course tackles US foreign policy from the conceptual, institutional, systemic and topical standpoints. It will be divided into 2 thematical blocs, covering:
1) the concept, traditions and the system of US foreign policy,
2) US foreign policy manifestations / case studies.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
This is an interactive course, requiring a substantial, yet doable amount of reading and class participation. Below you will find a general list of recommended background texts to be read during this course.
To facilitate your work this syllabus contains a list of class meetings matched with their specific topics and a list of readings assigned to them. You are expected to know them in advance of every meeting.
Countless other texts, and Internet sources on US foreign policy are widely available and continuously grow in numbers, so you may wish to find and consult them on your own. I strongly encourage you to do so.
In order to be eligible for taking-up your final exam, your class attendance and all assignments will have to be met before the day of the finals.
For smoothing-out our group communication during the semester, I ask the group to nominate a spokesperson to represent you on all emerging issues requiring clarification relevant for the whole group.
Obviously, I’m available to all of you regarding your individual/personal issues.
All questions will be properly discussed and answered at our first meeting.
SCHEDULE AND READINGS:
1. Introduction. Course overview. Q&A session.
I. The concept, traditions and the system of US foreign policy
2. Foreign policy concept, US foreign policy identities and paradoxes.
READINGS:
Read a general introductory chapter of any topical handbook on foreign policy and diplomacy. My suggestion:
M. Cox, D. Stokes (eds.), US Foreign Policy, Oxford University Press 2012, pp. 1-30.
A.Cooper, J. Heine, R. Thakur (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy, Oxford University Press 2015, pp. 35-53, 91-121.
S. Smith, A. Hadfield, T. Dunne, Foreign Policy. Theories, Actors, Cases, Oxford University Press 2008, Section 1. Foreign Policy Analysis, pp. 11-82.
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- What is foreign policy and how it connects with international relations?
- Is foreign policy different from a domestic one? If so, why?
- What are factors influencing foreign policy and its analytical models?
- Persistent goals of US foreign policy.
- Reasons to study US FP and its paradoxes.
3. US foreign policy - constitutional and legal basis. Key actors.
READINGS:
US Constitution
US Declaration of Independence
S.W. Hook, U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power, CQ Press College 2017, pp. 176-272.
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- The US political system (its features).
- US Constitution as a reference for foreign policy decision-making.
- Checks and balances; division of powers: legislative, executive, judiciary.
4. US foreign policy formulation: decision-making and decision-shaping. The US State Department and its “environment”.
READINGS:
S.W. Hook, U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power, CQ Press College 2017, pp. 273-472.
US Foreign Service Act of 1980: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/fsa.pdf
DoS web page: https://www.state.gov/
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- Decision-making vs decision-shaping in US FP.
- Non-governmental influence of US FP decision-making.
- Domestic and foreign lobbying in US FP and its consequences.
- Inter-agency process in US FP decision-making.
- History and tasks of DoS.
- Structure and organization of DoS – what we can learn from it?
- US Foreign Service.
II. US foreign policy manifestations / case studies
5. Traditions of US foreign policy; „schools”, doctrines and grand strategies.
READINGS:
W.R. Mead, Special Providence. American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World, New York 2002, pp. 99-263 (the reader’s task is to identify four distinctive US foreign policy traditions).
C.V. Crabb, The Doctrines of American Foreign Policy. Their Meaning, Role, and Future, Louisiana State University Press 1982, pp. 371-438.
B. Posen, A.L. Ross, Competing Visions for US Grand Strategy, „International Security” 1996/97, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 5-53.
Hook, pp. 108-125.
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- US exceptionalism, its manifestations and US FP.
- “Schools” of US FP thought and practice (Hamiltonian / Jeffersonian / Jacksonian / Wilsonian).
- Doctrines of US FP – meanings, origins.
- The concept of US grand strategy.
- The evolution of US grand strategy.
- Persistent goals and means of US grand strategy
- Neo-isolationism, selective engagement, US primacy.
6. The US rise to world’s superpower. Isolationism, global engagement, neo-isolationism: foreign policy concepts vs reality.
READINGS:
George’s Washington Farewell Address and James Monroe’s Message to Congress, Dec. 2, 1823, in: Ł. Wordliczek, „US Foreign Policy…”, pp. 17-19.
President’s Wilson Fourteen Points Delivered in the Joint Session of the US Congress, January 8, 1918, https://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/President_Wilson’s_Fourteen_Points
S.W. Hook, U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power, CQ Press College 2017, pp. 69-128.
M. Cox, D. Stokes (eds.), US Foreign Policy, Oxford University Press 2012, pp. 41-108.
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- The US power growth (from weak power to hyperpower).
- The idea, manifestations and paradoxes of US isolationism.
- Isolationism and rise of US power – the role of foreign policy?
- The roots of US foreign policy activism.
7. The Cold War and the evolution of US global engagement.
READINGS:
Cox/Stokes, pp. 59-97.
Hook, pp. 92-107.
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- Why the US abandoned its foreign policy of isolationism?
- The strategic logic of the Cold War rivalry.
- US foreign policy responses to the Cold War.
- US Cold War FP “toolkit” and areas of activity.
8. US foreign policy and nuclear weapons (guest speaker will attend the class).
READINGS:
A list of relevant recent publications can be found online at: https://sgp.fas.org/crs/nuke/index.html
F.J. Gavin, Beyond Deterrence: U.S. Nuclear Statecraft Since 1945, https://www.amacad.org/publication/us-and-russian-nuclear-concepts-past-and-present/section/3
The Nuclear Proliferation Treaty Fact Sheet, https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/npt
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- What is nuclear weapons and why they are “game changer” in international relations?
- The threat and the evolution and tools of US policy on nukes.
- The future US nuclear policy – things to think about.
- Is nuclear war thinkable?
9. The Gulf War (1990–91) and the "New World Order"
READINGS:
L. Freedman, E. Karsh, The Gulf Conflict, 1990–1991: Diplomacy and War in the New World Order, Princeton University Press, 1993.
Z. Khalilzad, I. Lesser, "Sources of Conflict in the 21st Century" (RAND, 1998) — background chapter on Gulf security architecture: https://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR897.html
G.H.W. Bush, Address to a Joint Session of Congress (Sept 11, 1990): https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/september-11-1990-address-joint-session-congress
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- Was the Gulf War the first successful test of the post-Cold War “New World Order”?
- Why did the United States go to war—and how should we understand the hierarchy of U.S. interests?
- Was the United Nations an instrument of U.S. power—or a genuine constraint on U.S. power?
- Did the Gulf War start an era of American unipolar leadership—or expose the contradictions of the emerging order?
10. The US’ “unipolar moment” and the War on Terror.
READINGS:
F. Fukuyama, The End of History, „The National Interest”, Summer 1989.
J. Mueller, M.G. Stewart, The Terrorism Delusion. The America’s Overwrought Response to September 11, „International Security” 2012, 37 (1), pp. 81-110.
A.C. Cronin, The War on Terrorism. What Does It Mean to Win?, „Journal of Strategic Studies” 2013, 37(2), pp. 147-197.
J. Stern, Obama and Terrorism. Like It Or Not, The War Goes On, „Foreign Affairs” 2015, September/October, pp. 61-70.
Hook, pp. 495-520.
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- Why history did not end in 1989?
- How the US entered the war on terror.
- The 9/11 attacks and the evolution of terrorist threat.
- Afghanistan, Iraq - global war on terror and the axis of evil.
- GWOT lessons learned.
11. The Obama "Pivot to Asia" and the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal
READINGS:
H. Clinton, America's Pacific Century, “Foreign Policy” (2011), https://foreignpolicy.com/2011/10/11/americas-pacific-century/
B. Rhodes, The World As It Is. A Memoir of the Obama White House (Random House, 2018),
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- Was the “Pivot to Asia” primarily a strategy for managing China—or a broader attempt to redefine U.S. global priorities?
- Did the Pivot successfully translate American diplomatic and military resources into a coherent Asian strategy?
- Was the 2015 Iran nuclear deal an example of effective multilateral diplomacy—or of the limits of negotiated arms control?
- What connects the Pivot to Asia and the Iran deal: a coherent Obama grand strategy or two largely separate regional policies?
12. The US foreign policy during Trump 1.0. Administration.
READINGS:
Stephen M. Walt, January 5, 2021, “Foreign Policy”: Big ambitions, a handful of successes and many more failures, https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/05/trumps-final-foreign-policy-report-card/
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- Was “America First” a new grand strategy, or a new way of pursuing longstanding U.S. interests?
- Did Trump weaken the U.S. alliance system—or force allies to reconsider their own responsibilities?
- What were the successes and failures of Trump 1.0. foreign policy?
13. Biden's temporary correction and Trump's 2.0. foreign policy.
READINGS:
A.J. Blinken, America’s Strategy of Renewal. Rebuilding Leadership for a New World, “Foreign Affairs”, November/December 2024
S.M. Walt, The Predatory Hegemon. How Trump Wields American Power, “Foreign Affairs”, March/April 2026
Other texts published in recent editions of “Foreign Affairs”.
Key questions/issues guiding your preparations:
- Was Biden a restoration of the pre-Trump order—or merely a temporary correction of Trump 1.0?
- Did Biden's alliance-centered foreign policy strengthen the traditional U.S. system—or prepare the ground for a different division of responsibilities?
- Is Trump 2.0 a return to Trump 1.0—or a qualitatively different phase of “America First”?
- Are Trump and Biden visions of foreign policy compete or simply form successive stages in America's adjustment to a fundamentally different international environment?
14. What may U.S. foreign policy look like after Trump?
(Optional) READING:
A good guide to structured thinking about future foreign policy might be:
T. Scherer (2025), How to Predict the Future in Foreign Policy, https://www.fp21.org/publications/how-to-predict-the-future
A structured group discussion, guided by the following questions:
- What are the options? Is “post-Trump” foreign policy actually the right analytical lens?
- May post-Trump U.S. foreign policy a return to the pre-Trump international order?
- Can the traditional U.S.-led alliance system be restored? On what premises?
- Will “America First” survive Trump as a political doctrine even if another president rejects the concept / label / practice?
- How might the U.S.-China and US – Russia relations evolve after Trump?
- Can the United States remain a global power while becoming more selective about where and how it exercises that power?
15. Final exam: (written/in class/closed books and notes/no electronic devices).
|
W cyklu 2025Z:
The structure of the course may slightly vary from the general description, depending on the number of classes resulting from the organisation of the semester regulated by the Warsaw University. The accurate sylabus will be sent to all class participants via their student emails, in the week preceeding the commencement of the semester. |
W cyklu 2026Z:
The structure of the course may slightly differ from the general description contained in the core cyllabus, depending on the number of classes in the current semester resulting from the organisation of the semester regulated by the Warsaw University. This means that the final list of topics, depending on the number of classes in the semester, may result in a reduction from the original list of 15 topics described in the core syllabus. The accurate sylabus will be sent to all class participants via their student emails, in the week preceeding the commencement of the semester. |
Koordynatorzy przedmiotu
Tryb prowadzenia
Efekty uczenia się
By the end of the course all students should:
- have the knowledge about key actors and their roles in the US foreign policy formulation,
- understand key concepts, domestic factors, traditions, doctrines and strategies underlying US foreign policy and their impact, both domestic and international,
- understand the US global role and challenges it has to confront, both at home and abroad,
- be able to use this knowledge to better assess current issues in US foreign policy.
Kryteria oceniania
1. Final exam/test will take place in-class in a written form: a mix of short question-answer, multiple choice and open question(s).
If necessary, the make-up exam will take place in a written form.
2. I reserve the right to administer two short, unannounced quizzes during the course. Their purpose will be to assess the group’s work consistency and their knowledge of the recommended readings and the content covered in our classes.
Passing both quizzes will result in a bonus of 20 percent of the score achieved, which will be added to the final test grade.
Passing one quiz and failing the other will reset / zero your bonus points. An absence from one / both test(s) is considered an opportunity lost.
Absence from both tests will result in a deduction of 0.5 from the final grade on the final test.
This approach stems from the role I assign to these tests—namely, to verify the consistency of your work and your acquisition of knowledge.
The only exception to this rule may be a long-term, documented sick leave.
Literatura
Every class has assigned readings. See above.
Documents:
Declaration of Independence
Constitution of the United States
Wordliczek, Ł., US Foreign Policy. Procedure and Substance, Cracow 2005 (a compilation of key US foreign policy documents)
Current US foreign policy documents (available via Internet)
Books:
Hook S.W., U.S. Foreign Policy: The Paradox of World Power, CQ Press College 2017.
Cox M., Stokes D. (eds.), US Foreign Policy, Oxford University Press 2012.
Other readings:
Mandelbaum M., The Four Ages of American Foreign Policy. Weak Power, Global Power, Superpower, Hyperpower, Oxford University Press 2022.
Hook S.W., Spanier J., American Foreign Policy since World War II, CQ Press 2010.
Kaufman J.P, A Concise History of US Foreign Policy, Rowman and Littlefield 2010.
Hastedt G., American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014.
McCormick J.M. (ed.), The Domestic Sources of American Foreign Policy: Insights and Evidence, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2012.
Mead W.R., Special Providence. American Foreign Policy and How it Changed the World, N.York 2002.
USEFUL INTERNET LINKS:
• Foreign Policy - http://www.foreignpolicy.com/
• Foreign Affairs - http://www.foreignaffairs.org/
• www.state.gov
• www.defense.gov
• www.whitehouse.gov
• www.cia.gov
• www.foreign.senate.gov
• www.house.gov/international_relations
|
W cyklu 2025Z:
Given the size of available literature on US foreign policy, students are encouraged to search additional texts on their own. |
Uwagi
|
W cyklu 2025Z:
Specific instructions concerning individual assignments, and the list containing topics of student's essays will be provided at our first meeting, There is a possiblity of a BONUS (+20%) for extra activity, like a short paper (summary report of the agreed extra readings/or report on key foreign policy developments). |