U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY
Political Science 335
Winter 2006
Dr. Bilocerkowycz
Office: St. Joe's # 205
Office Hours: Mon. 4:30-5:30 and Friday 2-3 (or by appointment)
Office Phone: 229-2231 (with voice mail) or dept. secretary 229-3626
E-mail: Jaro.Bilocerkowycz@notes.udayton.edu
Webpage: http://academic.udayton.edu/JaroBilocerkowycz/
This course will examine and explore various challenges to U.S. national security in the post-Cold War era. These security challenges include: terrorism, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, nuclear weapons, avian flu, illegal drugs and organized crime. We will also probe the 9/11 Commission Report and its recommendations for reforms. Various theories of international relations will be examined as will the role of the United Nations in dealing with various national and global security challenges.
Your course grade will be based on the following weighted components:
midterm exam 30% Feb. 17, Friday (tentative date)
final exam 30% May 2, Tuesday, 12:20-2:10
research paper 30% due in class on March 8, Wed.
class participation 10% (including steady attendance, active participation in class discussions, and timely completion of any other assignments—including READING assignments)
The midterm and final exams will consist of essay and shorter answer questions (identification, true/false). Documented instances of serious illness or family emergency are the only acceptable excuses for missing a scheduled exam, and in such cases, the INSTRUCTOR SHOULD BE NOTIFIED BEFORE THE EXAM. You are responsible for any announcements or assignments made in class. When absent, you are encouraged to check with a fellow classmate for missed assignments or announcements.
The research paper requirement will be discussed in class. The length of the paper (the body) should be about 10 pages (typed and double-spaced).
Among the student outcomes--skills and abilities--this course seeks to promote are the following:
1. knowledge and understanding of various challenges and problems of U.S. national security and of relevant history
2. ability to evaluate various policy options and choices
3. ability to use relevant concepts to describe and explain developments
4. knowledge of theories of international relations
5. ability to do independent research on the subject
TEXTS:
Donald Snow, National Security for a New Era: Globalization and Geopolitics, 2004.
The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 2004.
Peter Beckman et al, The Nuclear Predicament: Nuclear Weapons in the Twenty-First Century, 3rd edition, 2000.
J. Bilocerkowycz, POL 335 RESERVE MATERIALS (will be available on Electronic and Hard-Copy Reserve via the library).
* (asterisk) denotes materials that are on reserve
The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the syllabus when deemed advisable or necessary.
TOPICS
1. INTRODUCTION
CONCEPTS AND HISTORY
2. THE CONCEPT OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Snow, National Security for a New Era, Foreword, Introduction, and Chpts. 1, 3, 6.
3. COLD WAR, ANALYTICAL PERSPECTIVES, AND AVIAN FLU
Snow, Chpts. 4, 2, 5, 7 (pp. 181-188 only).
* Haass, "Paradigm Lost," Foreign Affairs, Jan./Feb.1995, 43-58.
* Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations,” Foreign Affairs, Summer 1993, 32-49.
* Nye, “Soft Power,” Foreign Policy, Fall 1990, 153-171.
* Albright, “United Nations,” Foreign Policy, Sept/Oct. 2003, 16-24.
*Avian Flu articles.
SECURITY CHALLENGES
4. THE PROBLEM OF TERRORISM
Snow, “Terrorism,” Chpt. 10, (pp. 282-295 only).
* Daalder and Lindsay, “Nasty, Brutish, and Long: America’s War on Terrorism,” Current History, December 2001, 403-409.
* Daalder, Lindsay, and Steinberg, “Hard Choices: National Security and the War on Terrorism,” Current History, Dec. 2002, 409-413.
* Hirsh, “Bush and the World,” Foreign Affairs, Sept./Oct. 2002, 18-43.
* Krauthammer, “The Truth about Torture,” The Weekly Standard, Dec. 5, 2005, 1-7.
vs.
* Sullivan, “The Abolition of Torture,” The New Republic, Dec. 7, 2005, 1-8.
* Flynn, “The Neglected Home Front,” Foreign Affairs, Sept./Oct. 2004, 20- 33.
Snow, Chpt. 9 and Chpt. 8 (pp. 227-239).
* Rumsfeld, “Transforming the Military,” Foreign Affairs, May/June 2002, 20-32.
5. 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT AND REFORM
9/11 Commission Report, entire book (especially Preface, Chpts. 2, 3, 6, 12, 13).
* 9/11 Public Discourse Project, Final Report, Remarks, 1-8 and Grades on Commission Recommendations (1 page)
* Fesseden, “The Limits of Intelligence Reform,” Foreign Affairs, Nov./Dec. 2005, 106-120.
6. THE IRAQ WAR AND PROBLEMS IN DEMOCRATIZATION AND THE PROBLEM OF IRAN
* Strauss, “Attacking Iraq,” Foreign Policy, March/Apr. 2002, 14-19.
* Economist, “Preparing for the Worst,” Jan. 30, 2003, 1-5.
* Nakash, “The Shiites and the Future of Iraq,” Foreign Affairs, July-August 2003, 17-26.
* Diamond, “What Went Wrong in Iraq,” Foreign Affairs, Sept./Oct. 2004, 34-56.
* Napoleoni, “Profile of a Killer (al-Zarqawi),” Foreign Policy, Nov./Dec. 2005, 37-43.
*Economist, “Unfamiliar Questions in the Arab Air,” Nov. 9, 2005, 1-6.
* Hudson, “The U.S. and the Middle East,” 113-133.
* Economist, “Iran: Still Defiant, Still Failing,” Dec. 9, 2004, 1-6.
* James Fallows, “Will Iran Be Next?” Atlantic Monthly, Dec. 2004, 99- 110.
Snow, Chpt. 10 (pp. 269-282) & Chpt. 11.
7. WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Beckman et al, The Nuclear Predicament, whole book (especially Preface, Chpts. 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11).
Snow, Chpt. 8 (pp. 212-227).
8. NORTH KOREA
* Maass, “The Last Emperor,” NYT, 1-13.
* Cha and Kang, “The Korea Crisis,” Foreign Policy, May/June 2003, 20-28.
9. NON-TRADITIONAL CHALLENGES: ILLICIT DRUGS AND TRANSNATIONAL CRIME ORGANIZATIONS
Snow, Chpt. 10 “Drugs” (295-300 only).
* Williams, “Transnational Criminal Organizations and Int. Security,” 249-270.
INSTITUTIONS AND POLITICS
10. DECISION-MAKING AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Snow, Chpt. 7, (pp. 188-211 only).
* Janis, "Groupthink," 327-346 in Kellerman ed. Political Leadership.
11. CONCLUSION
Snow, Chpts. 12 & 13.