This course covers the history of U.S. foreign policy from the early national period of the late 18th century to the post-9/11 world. Without limiting itself exclusively to a history of diplomacy and international treaties, the course also aims to provide an overview of the evolution, through the various historical phases, of American thinking in relation to their actions on the world stage. Particular attention will also be given to the weight that the U.S. domestic political situation has traditionally had on international policy choices. The course will pay particular attention to the implications of the shift from regional power to global hegemon that occurred during the 20th century. Time will also be devoted to discussing the topic of the alleged "crisis of the empire" and decline of U.S. power. A number of relevant historical documents and international treaties will be presented and discussed in class. By the end of the course, the student will be able to recognize the major pivotal moments of U.S. action on the international stage and what phases marked the transition from regional to continental and finally global power.
Curriculum
teacher profile teaching materials
Week II - The Civil War as an international conflict. The end of the XIX century and the early Imperial phase.
Week III - The American Century: from the Spanish-American War to the end of the Cold War. The rise of the United States to global power. Wilsonianism or anti-Wilsonianism?
Week IV - The Global Empire. The Cold War between containment, détente, and consensus.
Week V - The post-Cold War debate over the new global role of the U.S. From Bush Sr.'s new world order to Clinton's Democratic enlargment.
Week VI - American Foreign Policy after 9/11. New challenges, new approaches, and new interpretations of the U.S. role in the world.
[ONLY for non-attendees] One additional book of your choice from the following:
Chalmers Johnson, Le lacrime dell'impero. L'apparato militare industriale, i servizi segreti e la fine del sogno americano, Garzanti, 2005
Elisabetta Vezzosi, Raffaella Baritono, Oltre il secolo americano? Gli Stati Uniti prima e dopo l'11 settembre, Carocci, 2011
Francis Fukuyama, La fine della storia e l'ultimo uomo, UTET, 2020
Joseph Nye, Fine del secolo americano? Il Mulino, 2016
Mario Del Pero, Henry Kissinger e l'ascesa dei neoconservatori alle origini della politica estera americana, Laterza, 2006
Anders Stephanson, Destino manifesto. L'espansionismo americano e l'Impero del Bene, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2004
Mutuazione: 21810403 GLI STATI UNITI E IL MONDO in Politiche per la Sicurezza Globale: Ambiente, Energia e Conflitti LM-52 A - Z Santangeli Valenzani Giuliano
Programme
Week I - Introduction and course description. The origins of U.S. foreign policy. The American exceptionalism. Isolationism or non-isolationism?Week II - The Civil War as an international conflict. The end of the XIX century and the early Imperial phase.
Week III - The American Century: from the Spanish-American War to the end of the Cold War. The rise of the United States to global power. Wilsonianism or anti-Wilsonianism?
Week IV - The Global Empire. The Cold War between containment, détente, and consensus.
Week V - The post-Cold War debate over the new global role of the U.S. From Bush Sr.'s new world order to Clinton's Democratic enlargment.
Week VI - American Foreign Policy after 9/11. New challenges, new approaches, and new interpretations of the U.S. role in the world.
Core Documentation
[Mandatory] Mario Del Pero, Libertà e impero. Gli Stati Uniti e il mondo, 1776-2016, Laterza, 2017[ONLY for non-attendees] One additional book of your choice from the following:
Chalmers Johnson, Le lacrime dell'impero. L'apparato militare industriale, i servizi segreti e la fine del sogno americano, Garzanti, 2005
Elisabetta Vezzosi, Raffaella Baritono, Oltre il secolo americano? Gli Stati Uniti prima e dopo l'11 settembre, Carocci, 2011
Francis Fukuyama, La fine della storia e l'ultimo uomo, UTET, 2020
Joseph Nye, Fine del secolo americano? Il Mulino, 2016
Mario Del Pero, Henry Kissinger e l'ascesa dei neoconservatori alle origini della politica estera americana, Laterza, 2006
Anders Stephanson, Destino manifesto. L'espansionismo americano e l'Impero del Bene, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2004
Type of delivery of the course
The course will be taught in presence, according to traditional procedures. The option to follow remotely, via Teams platform, will be granted to students with demonstrated needs (which must in any case be established in advance with the professor).Attendance
Course attendance is optional and not mandatory. Students who choose to take the exam as non-attendees, however, will need to study an extra text.Type of evaluation
the final test will consist of an oral exam in Italian language teacher profile teaching materials
Week II - The Civil War as an international conflict. The end of the XIX century and the early Imperial phase.
Week III - The American Century: from the Spanish-American War to the end of the Cold War. The rise of the United States to global power. Wilsonianism or anti-Wilsonianism?
Week IV - The Global Empire. The Cold War between containment, détente, and consensus.
Week V - The post-Cold War debate over the new global role of the U.S. From Bush Sr.'s new world order to Clinton's Democratic enlargment.
Week VI - American Foreign Policy after 9/11. New challenges, new approaches, and new interpretations of the U.S. role in the world.
[ONLY for non-attendees] One additional book of your choice from the following:
Chalmers Johnson, Le lacrime dell'impero. L'apparato militare industriale, i servizi segreti e la fine del sogno americano, Garzanti, 2005
Elisabetta Vezzosi, Raffaella Baritono, Oltre il secolo americano? Gli Stati Uniti prima e dopo l'11 settembre, Carocci, 2011
Francis Fukuyama, La fine della storia e l'ultimo uomo, UTET, 2020
Joseph Nye, Fine del secolo americano? Il Mulino, 2016
Mario Del Pero, Henry Kissinger e l'ascesa dei neoconservatori alle origini della politica estera americana, Laterza, 2006
Anders Stephanson, Destino manifesto. L'espansionismo americano e l'Impero del Bene, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2004
Mutuazione: 21810403 GLI STATI UNITI E IL MONDO in Politiche per la Sicurezza Globale: Ambiente, Energia e Conflitti LM-52 A - Z Santangeli Valenzani Giuliano
Programme
Week I - Introduction and course description. The origins of U.S. foreign policy. The American exceptionalism. Isolationism or non-isolationism?Week II - The Civil War as an international conflict. The end of the XIX century and the early Imperial phase.
Week III - The American Century: from the Spanish-American War to the end of the Cold War. The rise of the United States to global power. Wilsonianism or anti-Wilsonianism?
Week IV - The Global Empire. The Cold War between containment, détente, and consensus.
Week V - The post-Cold War debate over the new global role of the U.S. From Bush Sr.'s new world order to Clinton's Democratic enlargment.
Week VI - American Foreign Policy after 9/11. New challenges, new approaches, and new interpretations of the U.S. role in the world.
Core Documentation
[Mandatory] Mario Del Pero, Libertà e impero. Gli Stati Uniti e il mondo, 1776-2016, Laterza, 2017[ONLY for non-attendees] One additional book of your choice from the following:
Chalmers Johnson, Le lacrime dell'impero. L'apparato militare industriale, i servizi segreti e la fine del sogno americano, Garzanti, 2005
Elisabetta Vezzosi, Raffaella Baritono, Oltre il secolo americano? Gli Stati Uniti prima e dopo l'11 settembre, Carocci, 2011
Francis Fukuyama, La fine della storia e l'ultimo uomo, UTET, 2020
Joseph Nye, Fine del secolo americano? Il Mulino, 2016
Mario Del Pero, Henry Kissinger e l'ascesa dei neoconservatori alle origini della politica estera americana, Laterza, 2006
Anders Stephanson, Destino manifesto. L'espansionismo americano e l'Impero del Bene, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2004
Type of delivery of the course
The course will be taught in presence, according to traditional procedures. The option to follow remotely, via Teams platform, will be granted to students with demonstrated needs (which must in any case be established in advance with the professor).Attendance
Course attendance is optional and not mandatory. Students who choose to take the exam as non-attendees, however, will need to study an extra text.Type of evaluation
the final test will consist of an oral exam in Italian language teacher profile teaching materials
Week II - The Civil War as an international conflict. The end of the XIX century and the early Imperial phase.
Week III - The American Century: from the Spanish-American War to the end of the Cold War. The rise of the United States to global power. Wilsonianism or anti-Wilsonianism?
Week IV - The Global Empire. The Cold War between containment, détente, and consensus.
Week V - The post-Cold War debate over the new global role of the U.S. From Bush Sr.'s new world order to Clinton's Democratic enlargment.
Week VI - American Foreign Policy after 9/11. New challenges, new approaches, and new interpretations of the U.S. role in the world.
[ONLY for non-attendees] One additional book of your choice from the following:
Chalmers Johnson, Le lacrime dell'impero. L'apparato militare industriale, i servizi segreti e la fine del sogno americano, Garzanti, 2005
Elisabetta Vezzosi, Raffaella Baritono, Oltre il secolo americano? Gli Stati Uniti prima e dopo l'11 settembre, Carocci, 2011
Francis Fukuyama, La fine della storia e l'ultimo uomo, UTET, 2020
Joseph Nye, Fine del secolo americano? Il Mulino, 2016
Mario Del Pero, Henry Kissinger e l'ascesa dei neoconservatori alle origini della politica estera americana, Laterza, 2006
Anders Stephanson, Destino manifesto. L'espansionismo americano e l'Impero del Bene, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2004
Mutuazione: 21810403 GLI STATI UNITI E IL MONDO in Politiche per la Sicurezza Globale: Ambiente, Energia e Conflitti LM-52 A - Z Santangeli Valenzani Giuliano
Programme
Week I - Introduction and course description. The origins of U.S. foreign policy. The American exceptionalism. Isolationism or non-isolationism?Week II - The Civil War as an international conflict. The end of the XIX century and the early Imperial phase.
Week III - The American Century: from the Spanish-American War to the end of the Cold War. The rise of the United States to global power. Wilsonianism or anti-Wilsonianism?
Week IV - The Global Empire. The Cold War between containment, détente, and consensus.
Week V - The post-Cold War debate over the new global role of the U.S. From Bush Sr.'s new world order to Clinton's Democratic enlargment.
Week VI - American Foreign Policy after 9/11. New challenges, new approaches, and new interpretations of the U.S. role in the world.
Core Documentation
[Mandatory] Mario Del Pero, Libertà e impero. Gli Stati Uniti e il mondo, 1776-2016, Laterza, 2017[ONLY for non-attendees] One additional book of your choice from the following:
Chalmers Johnson, Le lacrime dell'impero. L'apparato militare industriale, i servizi segreti e la fine del sogno americano, Garzanti, 2005
Elisabetta Vezzosi, Raffaella Baritono, Oltre il secolo americano? Gli Stati Uniti prima e dopo l'11 settembre, Carocci, 2011
Francis Fukuyama, La fine della storia e l'ultimo uomo, UTET, 2020
Joseph Nye, Fine del secolo americano? Il Mulino, 2016
Mario Del Pero, Henry Kissinger e l'ascesa dei neoconservatori alle origini della politica estera americana, Laterza, 2006
Anders Stephanson, Destino manifesto. L'espansionismo americano e l'Impero del Bene, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2004
Type of delivery of the course
The course will be taught in presence, according to traditional procedures. The option to follow remotely, via Teams platform, will be granted to students with demonstrated needs (which must in any case be established in advance with the professor).Attendance
Course attendance is optional and not mandatory. Students who choose to take the exam as non-attendees, however, will need to study an extra text.Type of evaluation
the final test will consist of an oral exam in Italian language teacher profile teaching materials
Week II - The Civil War as an international conflict. The end of the XIX century and the early Imperial phase.
Week III - The American Century: from the Spanish-American War to the end of the Cold War. The rise of the United States to global power. Wilsonianism or anti-Wilsonianism?
Week IV - The Global Empire. The Cold War between containment, détente, and consensus.
Week V - The post-Cold War debate over the new global role of the U.S. From Bush Sr.'s new world order to Clinton's Democratic enlargment.
Week VI - American Foreign Policy after 9/11. New challenges, new approaches, and new interpretations of the U.S. role in the world.
[ONLY for non-attendees] One additional book of your choice from the following:
Chalmers Johnson, Le lacrime dell'impero. L'apparato militare industriale, i servizi segreti e la fine del sogno americano, Garzanti, 2005
Elisabetta Vezzosi, Raffaella Baritono, Oltre il secolo americano? Gli Stati Uniti prima e dopo l'11 settembre, Carocci, 2011
Francis Fukuyama, La fine della storia e l'ultimo uomo, UTET, 2020
Joseph Nye, Fine del secolo americano? Il Mulino, 2016
Mario Del Pero, Henry Kissinger e l'ascesa dei neoconservatori alle origini della politica estera americana, Laterza, 2006
Anders Stephanson, Destino manifesto. L'espansionismo americano e l'Impero del Bene, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2004
Mutuazione: 21810403 GLI STATI UNITI E IL MONDO in Politiche per la Sicurezza Globale: Ambiente, Energia e Conflitti LM-52 A - Z Santangeli Valenzani Giuliano
Programme
Week I - Introduction and course description. The origins of U.S. foreign policy. The American exceptionalism. Isolationism or non-isolationism?Week II - The Civil War as an international conflict. The end of the XIX century and the early Imperial phase.
Week III - The American Century: from the Spanish-American War to the end of the Cold War. The rise of the United States to global power. Wilsonianism or anti-Wilsonianism?
Week IV - The Global Empire. The Cold War between containment, détente, and consensus.
Week V - The post-Cold War debate over the new global role of the U.S. From Bush Sr.'s new world order to Clinton's Democratic enlargment.
Week VI - American Foreign Policy after 9/11. New challenges, new approaches, and new interpretations of the U.S. role in the world.
Core Documentation
[Mandatory] Mario Del Pero, Libertà e impero. Gli Stati Uniti e il mondo, 1776-2016, Laterza, 2017[ONLY for non-attendees] One additional book of your choice from the following:
Chalmers Johnson, Le lacrime dell'impero. L'apparato militare industriale, i servizi segreti e la fine del sogno americano, Garzanti, 2005
Elisabetta Vezzosi, Raffaella Baritono, Oltre il secolo americano? Gli Stati Uniti prima e dopo l'11 settembre, Carocci, 2011
Francis Fukuyama, La fine della storia e l'ultimo uomo, UTET, 2020
Joseph Nye, Fine del secolo americano? Il Mulino, 2016
Mario Del Pero, Henry Kissinger e l'ascesa dei neoconservatori alle origini della politica estera americana, Laterza, 2006
Anders Stephanson, Destino manifesto. L'espansionismo americano e l'Impero del Bene, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2004
Type of delivery of the course
The course will be taught in presence, according to traditional procedures. The option to follow remotely, via Teams platform, will be granted to students with demonstrated needs (which must in any case be established in advance with the professor).Attendance
Course attendance is optional and not mandatory. Students who choose to take the exam as non-attendees, however, will need to study an extra text.Type of evaluation
the final test will consist of an oral exam in Italian language