US Foreign and Security Policy in the Asia-Pacific

This course will examine the key ideas, state and societal factors that currently shape U.S. policy postures toward Asia - arguably the world’s most dynamic region - and measure relative U.S. strategic influence there. The main objectives of the course are to: (1) strengthen students’ understanding of ideas that shape fundamental U.S. foreign policy outlooks, particularly as they apply to American policies directed toward the Asia-Pacific region; (2) enable them to apply and evaluate these influences in historical and contemporary settings; and (3) develop their own case studies of explanations for U.S. policy formulation and implementation in the region. While U.S. regional hegemony may be increasingly contested, U.S. power remains an integral part of the increasingly complex geopolitics underwriting Asia-Pacific relations. Understanding its continuing significance and how it functions in that environment is a critical requirement for building one’s knowledge of regional and international security politics.