Given the predominant role the United States has played in world affairs since World War II, American national security policy effects, not just Americans, but peoples and nations around the globe. The central aim of this course is to provide students with a systematic understanding of the dimensions and dilemmas of American national security policy. This aim will be pursued through a lecture and tutorial program that provides students with an overview of the key areas of American national security policy, with a particular focus on the ideas, institutions, and individuals that have shaped how America frames its approach to national security.

The course will begin by examining the foundations of the American approach to national security policy through developing an understanding of the historical foundations of American power and interests in international affairs, the historical development of major traditions of American thinking about national security, and the major institutions involved in the national security policy-making process. The course will then examine in detail the conduct of American national security policy during the Cold War with a particular focus on the dilemmas of implementing the strategy of containment. The final part of the course will turn its attention to examining in detail American national security policy in the post-Cold War era and how it has sought to maintain its position of global leadership and predominant power in the face of a rapidly changing international environment.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

After successfully completing this course students will be able to:
• demonstrate knowledge of the historical evolution of national security problems in the American context;
• identify and explain how the many organizations, institutions, and individuals that participate in American national security policymaking affect policy formulation, implementation, and outcomes;
• comprehend that definitions of national security and the specification of vital interests are subjective and fluid and that they are as much functions of domestic politics as they are responses to international politics and "objective threats";
• evaluate US national security policy decisions through the analysis of the institutional, political and ideational factors that shape the US conception of national security

Research-Led Teaching

The central objective of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the dimensions and dilemmas of American national security policy. The lecture program provides students with an overview of the key arenas of American national security policy, with a particular focus on the ideas, institutions, and individuals that have shaped how the United States frames its approach to national security. Part I of the course begins by examining predominant theoretical and conceptual frameworks for understanding American national security policy. Part II then examines the core actors, institutions and processes – such as the Presidency, executive agencies and Congress – that make national security policy. Part III will then bring this foundation to bear on the practice of American national security policy from 1945 to the present, with a particular focus on integrating knowledge and insights from Parts I and II into the analysis of how successive administrations have sought to design and implement their responses to major security challenges.

Examination Material or equipment

N/A

Required Resources

Weekly required readings will be posted to the course Wattle site in Week 1

Recommended Resources

Indicative readings:

Amos A. Jordan, William J. Taylor, Michael J. Meese, and Suzanne C. Nielsen, American National Security (6th edition),

(Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 2009).

John Lewis Gaddis, Strategies of Containment: A Critical Appraisal of American National Security Policy during the Cold War,

(Oxford University Press, 2005).

Walter Russell Mead, A Special Providence: American Foreign policy and How it Changed the World, (NY: Routledge, 2002).

Walter A. McDougall, Promised Land, Crusader State: The American Encounter with the World Since 1776, (NY: Houghton Mifflin,

1997).

John Ikenberry, Liberal Leviathan: The Origins, Transformation and Crisis of American World Order (Princeton University Press,

2012).

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Course introduction: American national security policy in context
2	Theoretical and conceptual frameworks 1: International influences
3	Theoretical and conceptual frameworks 2: Domestic influences	Research essay questions posted to Wattle
4	Theoretical and conceptual frameworks 3: Cultural and historical influences
5	Actors, Institutions, Processes 1: The Presidency and the Executive Agencies	Quiz 1
6	Actors, Institutions, Processes 2: Congress, Public Opinion and National Security	Critical Literature Review due
7	Actors, Institutions, Processes 3: Policy Think Tanks, Lobby Groups and the Media
8	American National Security Policy in Practice: Cold War Containment
9	American National Security Policy in Practice: The Post-Cold War Unipolar Moment	Quiz 2
10	American National Security Policy in Practice: 9/11 to Obama	Research Essay Due
11	American National Security Policy in Practice: The Age of Trump
12	The Past, Present and Future of American National Security Policy

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Critical literature review	25 %	01/09/2020	21/09/2020	2, 3, 4
Research essay	40 %	13/10/2020	02/11/2020	1, 2, 3, 4
Quizzes	20 %	*	*	1, 2, 3, 4
Discussion leadership and online engagement	15 %	*	*	2, 3

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Critical literature review

This assessment item requires students to critically review one contribution (journal article or book chapter) to the literature on a well-defined theoretical/conceptual question relating to the sources of American national security policy (1500 words). Good topics/questions here include the bureaucratic politics model, domestic institutions and national security policy, cultural and historical influences, and interest groups/public opinion/nationalism and national security policy. The critical review should:

·      identify the theoretical/conceptual question(s) that the selected literature attempts to answer;

·      identify the key concepts and causal arguments; and

·      Evaluate the empirical research that the literature presents on these theoretical propositions and identify logical inconsistencies, broader analytical limitations, and unanswered questions of the scholarship.

The critical literature review is due in Week 6

Assessment Task 2

Research essay

You are to complete a research essay of 2500-3000 words (due in Week 10)

In writing your essay, be sure to identify and concentrate on only those matters that are directly relevant to your chosen topic. Further, your analysis must be supported by reliable and carefully selected evidence that is properly referenced. In the introduction to your paper, it will be useful to explain what your research question requires of you and the manner by which you propose to address your topic.

Please note: a list of essay questions will posted to the course Wattle site in Week 3

Assessment Task 3

Quizzes

Students will complete two quizzes. Quizzes will be held in Weeks 5 and 9. Each quiz will be focused on testing core concepts and content that have been covered in the preceding weeks of lectures (i.e. Quiz 1 will be focused on Theoretical and conceptual frameworks covered in Weeks 2, 3, and 4; and Quiz 2 will be focused on Actors, Institutions and Processes covered in Weeks 5, 6, and 7).

Quizzes will be held on 25-08-2020 and 29-09-2020.

Assessment Task 4

Discussion leadership and online engagement

Discussion leadership: beginning in Week 2, a student will lead discussion based on a selection of one reading from the essential or supplementary reading list for that week's topic. In doing so the student will need to identify the core thesis of the reading, contextualize its importance to the broader literature on the topic, provide an assessment of the reading's persuasiveness and field questions from the group.

Online engagement: when not leading discussion students are expected to submit at least one question to the discussion leader per week.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students