America: Empire and Democracy in the 21st Century

Catalog description

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, America stands as the world's sole superpower. With that rise to power, important questions have been raised about the role the United States should and does play within the international community. Will the twenty-first century be one of freedom and universal equality, or one based on a Pax Americana? What has been gained through our nation's recent war endeavors, and what has been lost? This course will address these questions by looking at the historical development of the United States' rise to world hegemony and its position in the world today. We will explore the use of propaganda in fomenting support for war and in dulling sympathy for the enemy. And we will examine a sampling of literature from and about the countries we have recently invaded, in an effort to better understand these cultures.