What is the nature of the 21st century world, and what role(s) should the United States play in it? This course will begin with an historical overview of how the era of globalization emerged and came to shape the world today, assess the evolution over time and competing visions of America’s international roles, and survey the various issues and trends that drive global events. It will also explore many of the ideas, ideologies, and interests that have contended for global influence, and the specific policy concerns that predominate in a globalized world such as terrorism, human rights and humanitarian intervention, energy and environmental concerns, and WMD proliferation. The course will expose students to the issues and challenges facing contemporary policy-makers, including information overload, bureaucratic politics, domestic constraints, and competing interests. It will also examine the different instruments of national power – including economic, diplomatic, and military – and explore the processes of foreign policy-making across the various sectors of government. An over-riding goal of the course will be to expose students to the knowledge base and skill-sets necessary for aspiring policy-makers and scholars to understand the global age, and potentially to influence it.
