Introduces students to key concepts, actors, and events in U.S. foreign policy. After examining the early foundations of American foreign policy, this course concentrates on the United States' international engagement from the Cold War to the present. Students develop the analytical skills they need to form their own opinions on contemporary issues in U.S. foreign policy, and defend these opinions articulately based on a solid knowledge of historic and current events.

Foundational public policy course examining policy choices and conflicts, how policy decisions are made, how policies are assessed, the development of potential policy solutions, and the politics of policy making. Students engage in a task force project that simulates public policy processes and culminates in a policy recommendation at the end of the semester.

The President as administrator, policy maker, and political leader. The relationship between the President and the public, the media, and other governmental institutions. Historical and constitutional background of the Presidency, role, and powers of the President in domestic and foreign affairs.

Why are some countries democratic, while others are ruled by dictators? In this course, we answer this question by examining the different paths democratizing nations have taken. Following a theoretical overview, we examine early cases of democratic practices, then turn to study cases from each of the ?waves? of democracy. In the first wave (18th and 19th centuries) we focus on the United States, testing the ability of theories to predict the emergence of American democracy. In our study of the second wave (post World War II), we investigate Germany?s transition from dictatorship to democracy. To explore the third wave (1980s to the 2000s), we examine the case of Chile. The course concludes with an examination of contemporary trends of democratic reversals and the rise of authoritarian populists. The goal of this course is to provide students with a solid understanding of the process of democratization, and the analytical tools necessary for evaluating democratic development. By the end of this course, students will be able to explain and evaluate different theories of democratization, describe key democratic milestones in the selected countries, and use this theoretical and empirical knowledge to assess current political events around the world.