PUBPOL 3450

Democracy Promotion in Modern U.S. Foreign Policy

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2024-2025.

Promotion and support of democracy is a well-established principle of U.S. foreign policy. However, even four decades after its insertion into Washington's approach overseas, it is misunderstood and still under challenge, internally within the U.S. Government and from external actors. In this course, the modern origins of democracy support, or promotion, will be examined, beginning with the values-based focus of the Carter Administration's foreign policy leading into its Cold War use in the Reagan presidency. The development of bipartisan democracy promotion through succeeding Administrations up to the challenges under Donald Trump and the Biden Administration's response, including the Summit for Democracy process, will be examined. Real-world applications and connections will be central. How democracy assistance is conducted and how it is perceived will be a focus of the course. Course participants will discuss the relationship between democracy promotion and its distinction with human rights and the concept of "democracy prevention" as a response by external actors to democracy promotion.

When Offered Fall.

• Underline the motivations behind and identify individuals who led the transition towards values-based support of democracy and human rights in U.S. foreign policy, and be able to discuss/summarize the early arguments pro and con for its inclusion.
• Analyze, interpret, and model policy initiatives related to Washington's democracy support and human rights practice.
• Explain and assess democracy assistance in light of the U.S. national elections in 2024.
• Formulate, revise, or predict support for democracy and human rights in future U.S. foreign policy.

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