America and the World
F05
Mansour Farhang
At this moment in history, the United States possesses the greatest military and economic power in the world. Parallel with this reality, the global community is faced with such unprecedented threats as nuclear-arms proliferation, environmental degradation, terrorism, increasing economic inequities, vital resource depletion, and ethno/religious conflicts. This course explores how the United States perceives and deals with these problems. It is assumed that Washington’s choices in the foreign policy arena have significant impact on how other countries respond to global threats and challenges. American political elite and foreign policy experts are engaged in substantive debate over the orientation, goals, and strategy of U.S. power in the world. The required readings will represent the competing perspectives on this critical debate and students are expected to become familiar with the assumptions and norms that inform the contending visions of America’s international leadership.