Jon Western

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Courses

270s American Foreign Policy

In this examination of American foreign policy since 1898, topics include the emergence of the United States as a global power, its role in World War I and II, its conduct and interests in the cold war, and its possible objectives in a post-cold war world. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between domestic interests and foreign policy, the role of nuclear weapons in determining policy, and the special difficulties in implementing a democratic foreign policy.

317f U.S. Foreign Policy and Regional Conflict

This course examines American diplomatic and military responses to post-cold war regional and civil violence in the Balkans, northern and sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and elsewhere. Two themes will be considered throughout the course: (1) What can the United States do; and (2) What should the United States do? We will examine U.S. policies concerning preventive diplomacy, international mediation, economic and military sanctions, military intervention and peacekeeping, peace implementation, and postwar reconstruction and reconciliation.

319f The United States and the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights

This course examines American foreign policy concerning the promotion of democracy and human rights abroad. The course begins by examining how and why these policies are developed within the U.S. political, economic, institutional, and geostrategic context. Through the use of case studies, we will then evaluate how these policies have influenced events in Latin America, East Asia, Eastern Europe, and sub-Saharan and southern Africa.