Time Schedule:
Elizabeth L. Kier
POL S 403
Seattle Campus
Examination of contemporary developments in the field of international relations. Content varies according to the nature of developments and research interests of the instructor.
Class description
Description. Protecting a democracy from foreign threats demands the creation of a powerful military. Yet the creation of a powerful military can challenge the very values that a democracy represents. How do – and how should – democracies manage the relationship between the civilians and the military? Mismanagement of civil-military relations can – at its worse – result in an ineffective military force or prompt a military coup. In exploring civilian and military perspectives, this course will address numerous issues in U.S. civil military relations including the garrison state hypothesis, civilian control of nuclear weapons, the draft v. an all-volunteer force, and the recent “crisis” in civil-military relations. The course will also examine issues of race, gender, and sexual orientation in the military. U.S. civil-military relations will be the focus of the course, but students can use their papers to explore issues of civil-military relations in other democracies. Requirements include class participation, a final exam, and a research paper.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Texts. Assigned readins will include, Huntington, The Soldier and the State; Mershon and Schlossman, Foxholes and Color Lines: Desegregating the U.S. Armed Forces; a course reader; and a national newspaper. All assigned articles will be in a reader and on reserve at Odegaard.
Class assignments and grading
Grading. Exams # 1: 25 % Exams # 2: 25 % Research Papers: 25 % Class participation: 25 % TOTAL: 100 %
