Courses

Explaining the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy: domestic politics, organizational processes, group dynamics, individual personality and perception. Students explore the structure of the U.S. foreign policy machine, presidential decision-making and the role of Congress.

This course responds to the following questions: How has US foreign policy toward the Middle East evolved over time? What role has the US played in shaping history in the Arab-Islamic world? Ultimately, students will reflect on continuity and change in US foreign policy toward this key region.

Taught by former senior director for Eurasia at the National Security Council, this course deals with current and future complexities of a rapidly evolving national and international security environment. A key component of the class includes several analytic memos that students write and a role-playing NSC meeting simulations conducted thereafter.

This course seeks to provide students with a genuine understanding of American elections, political communication, and the intersection of politics, policy and the press. From writing legislation to crafting a message,  from social media to traditional media, students will see up close and firsthand the specific skills and techniques utilized by those who run and influence Washington.

An analysis of political content of mass media. Audience response to alternative sources of political information. Consideration of the institutional and economic as well as political aspects of the mass media.

This course provides a broad introduction to some of the policymaking frameworks and levers that influence the ways in which society manages its conduct with respect to energy and the environment through the lens of national security and economics.