PECO 175 U. S. Foreign Policy: The American Empire
The United States has been at war for over ninety percent of its existence. The U.S. currently operates some 800 military bases in more than 70 countries and territories around the world. This raises an important question: is the United States an empire? And, if so, what is the nature of American imperialism? This course examines the evolution of U.S. foreign policy from World Wars I and II, through the Cold War, to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the ongoing Global War on Terror. Although we will cover arguments from a range of political perspectives, this course begins from the standpoint that U.S. foreign policy and economic policy are closely linked. In other words, this course examines American imperialism from a political-economic perspective. Overall, this course provides students with the historical and political knowledge necessary to think critically about U.S. foreign policy.