LET-NAS403
The Future of American Power
Course infoSchedule
Course moduleLET-NAS403
Credits (ECTS)10
Category-
Language of instructionEnglish
Offered byRadboud University; Faculty of Arts; English Language and Culture;
Lecturer(s)
Examiner
dr. M.G. Valenta
Other course modules lecturer
Lecturer
dr. M.G. Valenta
Other course modules lecturer
Contactperson for the course
dr. M.G. Valenta
Other course modules lecturer
Academic year2017
Period
PER 1-PER 2  (01/09/2017 to 04/02/2018)
Starting block
PER 1
Course mode
full-time
RemarksAccessible to exchange students.
Registration using OSIRISYes
Course open to students from other facultiesYes
Pre-registrationNo
Waiting listNo
Placement procedure-
Aims
Upon successful completion of the course, you will have developed a global framework for:
  • analyzing international politics from multiple national perspectives (North American but also European, Asian, Latin American and African), as these have been shaped by and shaped US political activity in the world;
  • analyzing international politics that attends to the legacy of 19th-century imperialism for contemporary global relations and conflicts;
  • analyzing the ways in which international politics and nation-states are transforming today, including the United States;
  • relating the analysis of formal political relations - via institutions, organizations, and laws - to the influence of such informal actors as social movements, (social) media, activists, artists, and ideologues;
  • presenting your own approach to researching and analyzing one (or more) of the more complex aspects of the place of the US in global politics that most engage and intrigue you.
Content
The future of world politics and of US power in the world is being hotly debated. Are we seeing the end of the American Era and is a new world order taking shape as we watch - driven by the rise of China, India, Brazil and Russia? Or is the existing order simply dissolving into a more chaotic form, rife with instability and violence? How much can the US (or any other country) - individually or in alliance with others - influence these developments? How might the US strive to live up to its ideals of democracy, equality and opportunity for all? Or - does US power and it position in the world make it destined to be a country defined by militarism, ruthless corporations, self-interested and frequently brutal intervention in other societies? Is it possible for the US to be a great power, yet act in the interest of global justice and welfare? And if not the US, might another country achieve such an ideal?
 
We will reflect over the course of the semester on these "big" questions through a careful consideration of specific aspects relevant to the question. The first half of the course develops the general framework for understanding the relation between global politics and the United States. Of particular concern here is the significance of historical precedents (the US frontier wars against Native Americans; the Civil War; and the Spanish-American-Philippine War of 1898). These historical examples are then contrasted to the recent, influential text by Joseph Nye: The Future of Power. In the second half of the course, we address specific issues and cases. These vary year to year, depending on current events and student interest. Students are the ones who select the case studies. Topics addressed in the course include some combination of the following:
  • specific global issues (for example, cybersecurity, human trafficking, global warming, gay rights);
  • specific global actors (for example, corporations, hackers, ISIS, NGOs, alter-globalists);
  • specific regions and/or countries (for example, Israel, Iran and the Middle East; China and Asia; Latin America; and Sub-Saharan Africa).
Assumed previous knowledge
Note for exchange students: you cannot take this course if your English proficiency level is not at least C1 (TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC or Cambridge). A statement from your home university won't be accepted.

Recommended materials
Book
Joseph Nye, Jr., The Future of Power (New York: Public Affairs, 2011)
Course material
Further material to be announced.

Instructional modes
Lecture
Attendance MandatoryYes

Seminar
Attendance MandatoryYes

General
Seminars consisting of brief lectures, active extended discussions, close and critical reading, group work, argumentative writing and multi-media resources.

Tests
Essay
Test weight35
Test typeEssay
OpportunitiesBlock PER 1, Block PER 2

Minimum grade
5,5

Participation
Test weight20
Test typeParticipation
OpportunitiesBlock PER 2

Minimum grade
5,5

Assignment
Test weight45
Test typeProject
OpportunitiesBlock PER 2, Block PER 3

Minimum grade
5,5