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2013/14 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PIED2402 United States Politics and Foreign Policy

20 creditsClass Size: 171

Module manager: Dr Christine Harlen
Email: c.m.harlen@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2013/14

This module is mutually exclusive with

PIED2463United States Politics
PIED3402American Foreign Policy

Module replaces

PIED2463 (United States Government)PIED 3402 (American Foreign Policy)

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

As the single most powerful country, the United States plays an important and controversial role in the world. This module will introduce students to the key elements and institutions of U.S. politics necessary for understanding how U.S. foreign policy is formulated, as well as different schools of thought on American foreign policy, notably the liberal tradition, realism and neoconservatism. This will provide students with the vocabulary to then interpret and assess US foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. [We will consider why President Bush Jnr. considered it necessary to invade Iraq when his father decided not to and we will examine what impact the Iraq War has had on US perceptions of its role.]

Objectives

This module will introduce students to the main schools of thought and to the workings of the key domestic political institutions necessary to understand U.S. foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. The first half of the module will cover the role played by American political culture, the constitution, the congress, the presidency and interest groups. This module will then introduce students to the different schools of thought on American foreign policy, notably the liberal tradition, realism and neoconservatism. This will provide students with the vocabulary to then interpret and assess US foreign policy since the end of the Cold War.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students should be able to demonstrate familiarity with domestic institutions and structures and how they have interact with central ideological, procedural and historical concepts to shape US foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. Students will be able to demonstrate familiarity and critical engagement of central texts on US foreign policy and be able to distinguish authors, locate their opinions on ideological spectrums and critically assess the validity of their views.

On completion of this module students should be able to develop a reasoned argument, synthesise relevant information, exercise critical judgement, and manage and self-critically reflect on, their own learning and make use of constructive feedback. They should be able to communicate effectively and fluently, use communication and information technologies to retrieve and present information. They are expected to work independently and in groups, show initiative, self-organisation and time-management.

Skills outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to explain the workings of the key political institutions of the United States of America that play a role in foreign policy making and their social, theoretical and historical contexts. They will be able to appraise concepts and theories about U.S. foreign policy. They will learn to communicate ideas more accurately and use academic styles and conventions.


Syllabus

- American political culture
- Constitution
- President
- Congress
- Interest Groups
- Realism, Neoconservatism and US foreign policy
- Liberalism and US foreign policy
- The foreign policies of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton
- The foreign policy of George W. Bush
- The foreign policy of Barack Obama

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture111.0011.00
Seminar111.0011.00
Private study hours178.00
Total Contact hours22.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Students will prepare for seminars and also work on their essays.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

The mid-term essay and discussions in seminars are meens by which progress will be monitored.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Essay1 x 3,000 word essay - mid-semester50.00
Essay1 x 3,000 word essay - end of semester50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 28/01/2014

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