IRPG833: The USA in the International System
Between 2001 and 2009, the US's global war on terror, US unilateralism, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the doctrine of pre-emption, all seemed to confirm a transformation of US foreign policy under the Presidency of George W. Bush. Many commentators now argue that the Obama Presidency signals a return of US foreign policy to its internationalist and multilateralist posture that dominated the second half of the 20th Century. These two views, the first emphasising rupture and the second emphasising continuity are only partially correct. In this unit, we attempt to disentangle the continuities from the discontinuities in US foreign relations, as a way of interpreting the significance of US foreign policy under the Presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In so doing, we examine debates about the nature of US global power, whether it is imperial or not, explore the history of the 'American Century', and consider some of the domestic influences (economic, political and religious) on US foreign policy. Finally, we discuss several critical case studies in US international relations, including the US and Islam, the US and the Israel/Palestinian conflict, the US and Europe and the US and China.
| Credit Points: | 4 |
| Contact Hours: | -- |
| When Offered: |
D2 - Day; Offered in the second half-year
E2 - Evening; Offered in the second half-year X2 - External study; Offered in the second half-year (On Campus session: No session) |
| Staff Contact: | Dr Lloyd Cox |
| Prerequisites: | |
| Corequisites: | |
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| Unit Designations: | -- |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: |
Department of Modern History, Politics and International Relations Faculty of Arts |