Democracy Promotion in Modern U.S. Foreign Policy

Catalog description

Promotion and support of democracy is a well-established principle of U.S. foreign policy. However, even four decades after its insertion into Washington's approach overseas, it is misunderstood and still under challenge, internally within the U.S. Government and from external actors. In this course, the modern origins of democracy support, or promotion, will be examined, beginning with the values-based focus of the Carter Administration's foreign policy leading into its Cold War use in the Reagan presidency. The development of bipartisan democracy promotion through succeeding Administrations up to the challenges under Donald Trump and the Biden Administration's response, including the Summit for Democracy process, will be examined. Real-world applications and connections will be central. How democracy assistance is conducted and how it is perceived will be a focus of the course. Course participants will discuss the relationship between democracy promotion and its distinction with human rights and the concept of democracy prevention as a response by external actors to democracy promotion. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)