Foreign Policy

Module title	Foreign Policy
Module code	POC2084
Academic year	2020/1
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Owen Thomas (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks		11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	25

Module description

Who makes foreign policy? How do state leaders think about international crises? And how freely can leaders affect international relations in response? How should actors deal with human rights abuses, nuclear proliferation, and violations of international law or rising powers? Can supranational institutions make a difference greater than the sum of individual governments? These are some of the big questions for Foreign Policy - one of the most inter-disciplinary fields of Politics and International Relations.

In this module we will examine the actors that ‘do’ foreign policy and study how their decisions and actions are shaped by range of constraints. In the first part of the module, we will examine the dominant theoretical approaches to International Relations and examine how they can contribute to an analysis of foreign policy. In the second part of the module we will explore a range of interdisciplinary perspectives; we will examine the range of actors that ‘do’ foreign policy: including, non-state actors, the media and public opinion; we will investigate the extent to which foreign policy actors are constrained toward particular decisions by international structures, and the extent to which actors are capable of rational, intentional policies and be held to account for their results. We will also consider the role that ideology, personality and psychology play in the formulation of foreign policy. In the final part of the module, we will examine a series of case studies: including New Labour’s ‘ethical foreign policy’, the foreign policy of the EU, US and UK foreign policy leading to the Iraq War, the International Criminal Court, international climate change agreements and nuclear non-proliferation. The taught element of the module concludes with a simulation exercise that will place you ‘in the shoes’ of a foreign policy actor, in which you must try to pursue your chosen course of action whilst navigating structural constraints and persuading other actors.

No prior knowledge skills or experience are required to take this module and it is suitable for specialist and non-specialist students. A basic familiarity with international current affairs and International Relations scholarship will be an advantage.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This will module will:

- Introduce you to a range of scholarly approaches to the analysis of foreign policy

- Allow you to apply these approaches to recent foreign policy events, in order to develop normative and explanatory accounts of the processes and structures that shape foreign policy.

- Encourage you to critically reflect upon how scholarly research on, and popular attitudes to foreign policy events are informed by particular assumptions derived from these approaches.

- Provide you with an opportunity to empathise with the pressures and considerations experienced by a range of foreign policy practitioners.

- Encourage you to clearly communicate your ideas and analysis to a range of different audiences.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Define, understand and distinguish the main theories of foreign policy and decision-making;
2. Apply these theoretical perspectives to the analysis of foreign policy events in order to explain how decisions occur and what effects these decisions have;
3. Evaluate these approaches by being aware of the limitations and implications of each perspective, and by identifying substantive points of debate between them;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Independently apply theoretical and approaches to real world events;
5. Understand the real-world, policy implications of different theoretical approaches and assumptions;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

6. Produce organised, independent recommendations for both expert and non-expert audiences in response to a brief; these recommendations should be clear, logical and achievable
7. Collaborate effectively with peers in order to present ideas and facilitate discussions;
8. Understand assessment criteria, engage in constructive peer-evaluation and produce feedback; and
9. Critically reflect on your own perspective, performance and contribution toward group tasks.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

What is foreign policy? Why study it?
Realism and Liberalism
Constructivist and Critical Approaches
Case study: International Law
Actors and Structures in Foreign Policy Analysis:
Personality, Rationality and Psychology:
Implementing Foreign Policy: Power, Diplomacy, Economic Statecraft and Soft Power
Domestic Sources of Foreign policy, Public Diplomacy and the Art of Persuasion
Parliamentary Debate

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities	11	11 x 1 hour lectures
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities	11	11 x 1 hour seminars
Guided independent study	53	Reading assignments, preparing responses for seminar activities/questions
Guided independent study	40	Revision and planning for seen exam
Guided independent study	35	Research and preparation of parliamentary debate

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
In-class simulation exercises	15 mins	1-7, 9	Oral
Peer review of past assessments	200 words	1-8	Oral
Practice debate and peer feedback	5 minutes	1-9	Oral

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Exam	60	2,000 words	1-6	Written
Debate Speech	40	1,200 word written speech	1-8	Written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Exam	2,000 words	1-6	August/September re-assessment period
Debate Speech	1,200 word written speech	1-8	August/September re-assessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Steve Smith, Amelia Hadfield, Tim Dunne eds., Foreign Policy: Theories, Actors, Cases (Oxford: OUP 2008).

Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow, Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis 2nd edn (New York: Longman, 1999).

Christopher Hill, The Changing Context of Foreign Policy (London: Palgrave, 2003).

Valerie Hudson, Foreign Policy Analysis: Classic and Contemporary Theory (New York: Rowman, 2007).

Ole R. Holsti (2004) Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy. University of Michigan Press.

Gaskarth, Jamie. British Foreign Policy: Crises, Conflicts and Future Challenges. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.

Mintz, A., & DeRouen Jr, K. Understanding foreign policy decision making. Cambridge University Press, 2010

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Film

The Power of Nightmares. 2004

The Fog of War. 2003

Thirteen Days. 2000

Inside Job. 2011

Dr. Strangelove. 1963

Key words search

Foreign policy

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	5
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	21/07/2014
Last revision date	03/09/2020