What Role Should the U.S. Play in the World?

Undergraduate

Should the United States intervene in the affairs of other countries to act as the world’s security force, protect its own interests, and promote its liberal democratic values? Should it stay out of world events and focus on problems at home? Or is there a balance between "Interventionism” and “Isolationism,” and, if so, what factors should the United States government take into account in determining this balance? These questions are as old as the United States itself, and the debate continues to rage today. This course examines these questions through the lens of the United States' recent engagements in the Middle East, focusing on the First Gulf War, the War on Terror, the Second Gulf War, Libya, Syria, Iran, Israel/Palestine, and the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, and Oman as well as Ukraine/Russia. We consider whether the U.S. approach in each case was effective, not effective, or partly effective, and what factors contributed to that outcome. The factors we examine include but are not limited to U.S. security, business and economic interests, and human rights. T 4pm-5:55pm