American Foreign Policy

Catalog description

This course offers an in-depth, applied examination of the complex processes, institutions, and actors that formulate and execute United States foreign policy in the 21st century. The course focuses on the strategic decision-making environment by analyzing how theoretical models (i.e., rational actor, bureaucratic, group dynamics, and cognitive/emotional) and systemic factors (i.e., geopolitics, geoeconomics, and domestic institutions) shape policy outcomes. Through policy simulations and applied writing assignments, students step into the shoes of policymakers, developing the critical skills necessary to analyze global crises, formulate actionable policy recommendations, and navigate the interagency competition inherent in the National Security Council process. Offered Alternate Years.