Foreign Policy Analysis

Foreign Policy Analysis sits at the intersection of IR theory and the messy reality of how states actually decide what to do abroad — instead of treating governments as unitary rational actors, you crack open the black box and look at leaders, bureaucratic groups, domestic politics, public opinion, and political culture as competing sources of explanation. The work is mostly comparative case analysis using Neack's framework, with a midterm essay, a final essay, and a group presentation where you apply FPA concepts to a real foreign policy episode. It builds on your earlier IR theory courses and gives you the analytical toolkit you'll lean on for regional electives and any senior thesis touching diplomacy or security.