Lecture (1 hour inclusive of lecture and Q&A)
This lecture uses a variety of texts and documents, highlighting how they were used to construct the argument put forward in the lecture. As such, it is ideal for students undertaking, or planning to undertake, the Extended Project Qualification. It can also be run as a day long Research Based Learning Project.
In 2000, the United States of America stood as the worlds’ only superpower. Militarily its victory in Iraq a decade earlier had shown that its high tech military could overcome any conventional force. Economically its wealth was unrivalled, with the largest budget surplus any nation had ever held. And politically, as other nations sought to mimic this success, free market capitalism and liberal democracy, America’s preferred political system, spread across the globe more rapidly than ever before.
By the end of the decade however, American economic might has been undermined and their financial surplus replaced by the largest deficit they have ever had. The image of military invincibility has been shattered by a costly return to Iraq and an Afghan campaign that has become America’s longest ever war. Furthermore, as American strength declines, the number of democracies around the globe, burgeoning a decade before, is shrinking.
This lecture explores how America so successfully wielded its influence in the post-Cold War world, and what happened to undermine this influence. It uses a range of political documents to identify policies through which the United States undermined its own international system, and analyses why such decisions proved so damaging.
This lecture explores these debates, focussing on issues such as:
- How did the world become unipolar under an American superpower?
- What is the “American empire”, and how does it differ from traditional empires?
- 9/11, the origins of the War on Terror, and the “Axis of Evil”
- The case for and against pre-emptive force
For maximum benefit and skills development, students will be expected to take notes during the lecture. There will be a chance for questions and discussion of the issues raised at the end.
Seminar (1 hour)
The seminar session focuses on a number of contentious issues relating to the pursuit of national security. Students will be asked to discuss their views on democracy promotion, the legality of pre-emption, and the best ways to combat international terrorism.
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